Developmental trajectories of visual orienting functions in children born very or extremely preterm.

Background And Aims: Preterm birth increases the risk of neurodevelopmental impairments, such as Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI), which affects visual processing. Assessing visual functions in young children is challenging with traditional methods that often rely on verbal/motor responses. The aim of the study was to investigate the developmental trajectories of Visual Orienting Functions (VOF) in children born very preterm (<32 weeks gestational age) between 2 and 5 years corrected age (CA) using eye tracking.

Oral Glucose-Lowering Agents vs Insulin for Gestational Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Metformin and glyburide monotherapy are used as alternatives to insulin in managing gestational diabetes. Whether a sequential strategy of these oral agents results in noninferior perinatal outcomes compared with insulin alone is unknown.

Objective: To test whether a treatment strategy of oral glucose-lowering agents is noninferior to insulin for prevention of large-for-gestational-age infants.

Visceral Pain in Preterm Infants with Necrotizing Enterocolitis: Underlying Mechanisms and Implications for Treatment.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a relatively rare but very severe gastrointestinal disease primarily affecting very preterm infants. NEC is characterized by excessive inflammation and ischemia in the intestines, and is associated with prolonged, severe visceral pain. Despite its recognition as a highly painful disease, current pain management for NEC is often inadequate, and research on optimal analgesic therapy for these patients is lacking.

Assessing neonatal Sequential Organ Failure (nSOFA) scores in suspected late-onset neonatal sepsis among preterm infants: implications for morbidity and mortality.

Background: The neonatal Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (nSOFA) score is an organ dysfunction score developed for predicting mortality risk in preterm neonates with proven late-onset neonatal sepsis (LONS) and necrotising enterocolitis. However, the utility of the nSOFA score in determining the risk of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or mortality in patients with suspected LONS is unknown.

Methods: We performed a dual-centre retrospective cohort study of preterm (gestational age <32 weeks) neonates suspected of LONS, from 2016 to 2020 at two neonatal intensive care units.

Physiological versus time based cord clamping in very preterm infants (ABC3): a parallel-group, multicentre, randomised, controlled superiority trial.

Background: Physiological-based cord clamping (PBCC) in preterm infants is beneficial for cardiovascular transition at birth and may optimize placental transfusion. Whether PBCC can improve clinical outcomes is unknown. The aim of the Aeration, Breathing, Clamping (ABC3) trial was to test whether PBCC results in improved intact survival in very preterm infants.

[Surgery of premature infants-Perspectives and limitations].

The continuous improvement in the quality of modern perinatology, sociodemographic changes and the increasing spread of reproductive medicine have resulted in an increasing number of premature infants to be treated. The treatment of preterm infants (< 37th week of pregnancy) and especially extremely premature infants (< 28th week of pregnancy) is challenging due to immature organ development, which differs considerably from that of other age groups. While the fate of premature infants and especially extremely premature infants was unfavorable 100 years ago, the survival of premature infants > 1000 g has now shifted to survival in over 80% of cases [30].

Caffeine therapy for apnea of prematurity: single center study on dosing practices and perceived effectiveness.

Introduction: Caffeine is the registered pharmacologic treatment for apnea of prematurity and is extensively used in the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) based on evidence from randomized controlled trials. This study aimed to describe the clinical use of caffeine based on real-world data, hypothesizing a divergence from the registered dosing regimen.

Methods: A retrospective analysis included infants born before 30 weeks of gestation, admitted to the NICU of the Erasmus MC Rotterdam from 2018 to 2021.

Opportunities for Telemedicine to Improve Parents' Well-Being During the Neonatal Care Journey: Scoping Review.

Background: Neonatal intensive care unit admissions of newborns are emotional and stressful for parents, influencing their mental and physical well-being and resulting in high rates of psychological morbidities. Significant research has been undertaken to understand and quantify the burden of a newborn's medical journey on parents' well-being. Simultaneously, an increase has been observed in the development and implementation of telemedicine interventions, defined as the remote delivery of health care.

The clinical application of transcutaneous carbon dioxide monitoring during rigid bronchoscopy or microlaryngeal surgery in children.

Study Objective: During rigid bronchoscopies and microlaryngeal surgery (MLS) in children, there is currently no reliable method for managing ventilation strategies based on carbon dioxide (CO) levels. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the clinical implementation of transcutaneous CO (tcPCO) monitoring during rigid bronchoscopies or MLS.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Embryonic size and growth and adverse birth outcomes: the Rotterdam Periconception Cohort.

Study Question: Is early embryonic size and growth in the first trimester of pregnancy associated with adverse birth outcomes?

Summary Answer: Larger embryonic crown-rump length (CRL) and embryonic volume (EV) are associated with lower odds of adverse birth outcomes, especially small for gestational age (SGA).

What Is Already Known: Preterm birth, SGA, and congenital anomalies are the most prevalent adverse birth outcomes with lifelong health consequences as well as high medical and societal costs. In the late first and second trimesters of pregnancy, fetuses at risk for adverse birth outcomes can be identified using 2-dimensional ultrasonography (US).

Maternal hemoglobin and iron status in early pregnancy and childhood cardiac outcomes.

Background & Aims: Dysregulation of iron homeostasis is associated with cardiac alterations in a sex-dependent manner in adults. It is unknown whether iron status during pregnancy has long-term impact on cardiovascular health, and if this association is influenced by sex. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate sex-specific association between maternal iron status during early pregnancy and cardiac outcomes in children aged 10 years.

Cardiac dysfunction during exercise in young adults with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Background: Worldwide, 1-2% of children are born premature and at risk for developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Preterm-born adults are at risk for early cardiovascular disease. The role of BPD is unclear.

The use of in-hospital guidelines for prevention of sudden unexpected postnatal collapse: A national survey.

Aim: Sudden unexpected postnatal collapse is a life-threatening event and may occur in any newborn infant. Safe skin-to-skin contact, and awareness of sudden unexpected postnatal collapse are key to its prevention. The aim of this study was to survey the presence of skin-to-skin contact and/or sudden unexpected postnatal collapse protocols in the 70 perinatal centres in the Netherlands.

Blood microsampling technologies: Innovations and applications in 2022.

With the development of highly sensitive bioanalytical techniques, the volume of samples necessary for accurate analysis has reduced. Microsampling, the process of obtaining small amounts of blood, has thus gained popularity as it offers minimal-invasiveness, reduced logistical costs and biohazard risks while simultaneously showing increased sample stability and a potential for the decentralization of the approach and at-home self-sampling. Although the benefits of microsampling have been recognised, its adoption in clinical practice has been slow.

Electrical Impedance Tomography as a monitoring tool during weaning from mechanical ventilation: an observational study during the spontaneous breathing trial.

Background: Prolonged weaning from mechanical ventilation is associated with poor clinical outcome. Therefore, choosing the right moment for weaning and extubation is essential. Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a promising innovative lung monitoring technique, but its role in supporting weaning decisions is yet uncertain.

Development of a Web-Based Oxygenation Dashboard for Preterm Neonates: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Background: Preterm neonates are extensively monitored to require strict oxygen target attainment for optimal outcomes. In daily practice, detailed oxygenation data are hardly used and crucial patterns may be missed due to the snapshot presentations and subjective observations. This study aimed to develop a web-based dashboard with both detailed and summarized oxygenation data in real-time and to test its feasibility to support clinical decision making.

Multicentre, randomised controlled trial of physiological-based cord clamping versus immediate cord clamping in infants with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (PinC): statistical analysis plan.

Background: Infants born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) are at high risk of respiratory insufficiency and pulmonary hypertension. Routine practice includes immediate clamping of the umbilical cord and endotracheal intubation. Experimental animal studies suggest that clamping the umbilical cord guided by physiological changes and after the lungs have been aerated, named physiological-based cord clamping (PBCC), could enhance the fetal-to-neonatal transition in CDH.

Biomarkers for assessing pain and pain relief in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) regularly undergo painful procedures and may face various painful conditions such as postoperative pain. Optimal management of pain in these vulnerable preterm and term born neonates is crucial to ensure their comfort and prevent negative consequences of neonatal pain. This entails accurate and timely identification of pain, non-pharmacological pain treatment and if needed administration of analgesic therapy, evaluation of treatment effectiveness, and monitoring of adverse effects.