Efficacy of a strategy to prevent neonatal early-onset group B streptococcal (GBS) sepsis.

Background: Existing guidelines recommend different strategies to prevent early-onset neonatal GBS sepsis. In 1997, using our own data on incidence and risk factors, we established a new prevention strategy which includes GBS screening at 36 weeks' gestation and intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) in women with positive or unknown GBS colonization with at least one risk factor. The present study evaluates the efficacy of the new prevention strategy.

Vaccination rate and age of premature infants weighing <1500 g: a pilot study in north-western Switzerland.

Unlabelled: In Switzerland, there are no special vaccination recommendations for premature and low-birthweight infants with respect to a particular target vaccination age. Incomplete and delayed vaccination bears the inherent risk of preventable infections. Therefore, the vaccination rate and age of 60 premature infants in north-western Switzerland born in 1994/95 were investigated in a retrospective case-control study.

Pregnancy and lactation in homozygous beta-thalassemia major.

Successful pregnancies in patients with transfusion-dependent homozygous beta-thalassemia major are rare. We report the course of a pregnancy and newborn data during lactation and desferrioxamine therapy in the mother. The twin-pregnancy was complicated by preeclampsia.

[Combined esophageal atresia and duodenal stenosis in polyhydramnios. Ante-, peri- and postpartum management].

Based on a case report of a duodenal atresia, diagnosed by ultrasound in the 30th week of gestation, the antenatal investigations and therapeutic proposals are demonstrated. Moreover the postapartal development with the extended diagnosis of an esophageal atresia as well as the early operative management are discussed.