Laboratory blood tests useful in monitoring renal function in neonates.

It is important to monitor renal function in the neonate, especially in premature infants where nephrogenesis is still in process upon birth. The kidneys are responsible for maintaining homeostasis in the extracellular environment by preventing overaccumulation of waste products and electrolytes. This review describes developmental physiology of the renal system as well as laboratory testing to monitor renal function and glomerular filtration in neonates.

A pilot study to examine maturation of body temperature control in preterm infants.

Objective: To test instrumentation and develop analytic models to use in a larger study to examine developmental trajectories of body temperature and peripheral perfusion from birth in extremely low-birth-weight (EBLW) infants.

Design: A case study design.

Setting: The study took place in a Level 4 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in North Carolina.

The promise of the state space approach to time series analysis for nursing research.

Background: Nursing research, particularly related to physiological development, often depends on the collection of time series data. The state space approach to time series analysis has great potential to answer exploratory questions relevant to physiological development but has not been used extensively in nursing.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to introduce the state space approach to time series analysis and demonstrate potential applicability to neonatal monitoring and physiology.

Implementing practice guidelines and education to improve care of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Purpose: : To develop and implement a program for the management of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and the use of the Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring Tool (FNAST). We evaluated knowledge gain in nurses as a result of implementation of the practice guidelines and education.

Subjects: : Participants included 68 nurses employed in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a single facility.

Thermoregulation and thermography in neonatal physiology and disease.

Introduction: Infrared thermal imaging, or thermography, is a technique used to measure body surface temperature in the study of thermoregulation. Researchers are beginning to use this novel methodology to study cancer, peripheral vascular disease, and wound management.

Methods: The authors tested the feasibility of using an FLIR SC640 uncooled, infrared camera to measure body temperature in neonates housed in heated, humid incubators.

Optimal body temperature in transitional extremely low birth weight infants using heart rate and temperature as indicators.

Objective: To explore body temperature in relationship to heart rate in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants during their first 12 hours to help identify the ideal set point for incubator control of body temperature.

Design: Within subject, multiple-case design.

Setting: A tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in North Carolina.

Thyroid hormone levels in term and preterm neonates.

Screening for thyroid hormone levels in the first week of life is extremely important to identify infants with CH. Worldwide neonatal screening programs have been successful in decreasing childhood mental retardation related to CH by early detection and treatment. To successfully screen for CH, nurses must understand how to draw blood that will yield valid results on the metabolic screening filter paper.

Heat loss prevention in the delivery room for preterm infants: a national survey of newborn intensive care units.

Background: Hypothermia incurred during delivery room resuscitation continues to cause morbidity in infants <29 weeks gestation. Three recent trials have shown that wrapping such infants instead of drying prevents heat loss, resulting in higher infant temperatures at Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission.

Objective: To describe current NICU practices with respect to wrapping preterm infants to prevent heat loss in the delivery room.

Heat loss prevention for preterm infants in the delivery room.

Objective: Preterm infants are prone to hypothermia immediately following birth. Among other factors, excessive evaporative heat loss and the relatively cool ambient temperature of the delivery room may be important contributors. Most infants <29 weeks gestation had temperatures <36.

Congenital cutaneous candidiasis: a case presentation.

When an infant presents in the delivery room with macular and papular skin lesions covering the trunk, extremities, and/or skin folds, the neonatal nurse practitioner covering deliveries must be aware of possible skin lesion differential diagnoses. Among these is congenital cutaneous candidiasis, a rare, usually benign skin infection. If this condition is recognized early, unnecessary testing and treatment of newborns who present with these symptoms might be avoided.