Comparative efficacies of vitamin D supplementation regimens in infants: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Vitamin D deficiency in infants is widely prevalent. Most paediatric professional associations recommend routine vitamin D prophylaxis for infants. However, the optimal dose and duration of supplementation are still debated.

Re-feeding versus discarding gastric residuals to improve growth in preterm infants.

Background: Routine monitoring of gastric residuals in preterm infants on tube feeds is a common practice in neonatal intensive care units used to guide initiation and advancement of enteral feeding. There is a paucity of consensus on whether to re-feed or discard the aspirated gastric residuals. While re-feeding gastric residuals may aid in digestion and promote gastrointestinal motility and maturation by replacing partially digested milk, gastrointestinal enzymes, hormones, and trophic substances, abnormal residuals may result in vomiting, necrotising enterocolitis, or sepsis.

Routine monitoring of gastric residual for prevention of necrotising enterocolitis in preterm infants.

Background: Routine monitoring of gastric residual in preterm infants on gavage feeds is a common practice used to guide initiation and advancement of feeds. It is believed that an increase in or an altered gastric residual may be predictive of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). Withholding monitoring of gastric residual may take away the early indicator and thus may increase the risk of NEC.

Systematic rotation versus continuous application of 'nasal prongs' or 'nasal mask' in preterm infants on nCPAP: a randomized controlled trial.

To compare whether alternate rotation of nasal mask with nasal prongs every 8 h as compared to continuous use of either interface alone decreases the incidence of nasal injury in preterm infants receiving nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (nCPAP). This was an open-label, three-arm, stratified randomized controlled trial where infants < 35 weeks receiving nCPAP were randomized into three groups using two different nasal interfaces (continuous prongs group, continuous mask group, and rotation group). All infants were assessed for nasal injury six hours post-removal of nCPAP using grading suggested by Fischer et al.

800 IU versus 400 IU per day of vitamin D in term breastfed infants: a randomized controlled trial from an LMIC.

This open-label, block-randomized controlled trial compared the effect of 800 IU/day and 400 IU/day of oral vitamin D supplementation in reducing vitamin D insufficiency (VDI) among healthy-term breastfed infants at 14 weeks of postnatal age. All eligible infants were randomized to receive either 800 or 400 IU/day of oral vitamin D (starting within the first week until 14 weeks). The primary outcome was the proportion of infants with VDI (25-OH-D < 20 ng/ml) at 14 weeks.

Risk Factors for Periventricular Leukomalacia in Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and GRADE-Based Assessment of Certainty of Evidence.

Background: We analyzed the certainty of evidence (CoE) for risk factors of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) in preterm neonates, a common morbidity of prematurity.

Methods: Medline, CENTRAL, Embase, and CINAHL were searched. Cohort and case-control studies and randomised randomized controlled trials were included.

Delivery Room Interventions for Hypothermia in Preterm Neonates: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.

Importance: Prevention of hypothermia in the delivery room is a cost-effective, high-impact intervention to reduce neonatal mortality, especially in preterm neonates. Several interventions for preventing hypothermia in the delivery room exist, of which the most beneficial is currently unknown.

Objective: To identify the delivery room thermal care intervention that can best reduce neonatal hypothermia and improve clinical outcomes for preterm neonates born at 36 weeks' gestation or less.

High versus standard volume enteral feeds to promote growth in preterm or low birth weight infants.

Background: Human milk is the best enteral nutrition for preterm infants. However, human milk, given at standard recommended volumes, is not adequate to meet the protein, energy, and other nutrient requirements of preterm or low birth weight infants. One strategy that may be used to address the potential nutrient deficits is to give a higher volume of enteral feeds.

Frequency of ventilator circuit changes to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia in neonates and children-A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To assess the effect of different frequencies of ventilator circuit changes in neonates and children through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Interventions: (1) "No routine change of ventilator circuit (unless visibly soiled)" versus "routine change at any fixed interval"; (2) routine change of circuit at "less frequent" versus "more frequent" intervals.

Outcomes: Primary outcomes were VAP rate (number of VAP episodes per 1000 ventilator-days) and all-cause mortality before discharge.

Early fortification of human milk versus late fortification to promote growth in preterm infants.

Background: Uncertainty exists about the optimal point at which multi-component fortifier should be added to human milk for promoting growth in preterm infants. The most common practice is to start fortification when the infant's daily enteral feed volume reaches 100 mL/kg body weight. Another approach is to commence fortification earlier, in some cases as early as the first enteral feed.

Routine monitoring of gastric residual for prevention of necrotising enterocolitis in preterm infants.

Background: Routine monitoring of gastric residual in preterm infants on gavage feeds is a common practice that is used to guide initiation and advancement of feeds. Some literature suggests that an increase in/or an altered gastric residual may be predictive of necrotising enterocolitis. Withholding monitoring of gastric residual may take away the early indicator and thus may increase the risk of necrotising enterocolitis.

Re-feeding versus discarding gastric residuals to improve growth in preterm infants.

Background: Routine monitoring of gastric residuals in preterm infants on gavage feeds is a common practice in many neonatal intensive care units and is used to guide the initiation and advancement of feeds. No guidelines or consensus is available on whether to re-feed or discard the aspirated gastric residuals. Although re-feeding gastric residuals may replace partially digested milk, gastrointestinal enzymes, hormones, and trophic substances that aid in digestion and promote gastrointestinal motility and maturation, re-feeding abnormal residuals may result in emesis, necrotising enterocolitis, or sepsis.