Quantitative normal values of helical flow, flow jets and wall shear stress of healthy volunteers in the ascending aorta.

Objectives: 4D flow MRI enables quantitative assessment of helical flow. We sought to generate normal values and elucidate changes of helical flow (duration, volume, length, velocities and rotational direction) and flow jet (displacement, flow angle) as well as wall shear stress (WSS).

Methods: We assessed the temporal helical existence (TH), maximum helical volume (HV), accumulated helical volume (HV), accumulated helical volume length (HVL), maximum forward velocity (maxV), maximum circumferential velocity (maxV), rotational direction (RD) and maximum wall shear stress (WSS) as reported elsewhere using the software tool Bloodline in 86 healthy volunteers (46 females, mean age 41 ± 13 years).

The role of elevated central-peripheral temperature difference in early detection of late-onset sepsis in preterm infants.

Aims: The study investigated the association between clinical symptoms and late-onset sepsis (LOS) in preterm infants with the aim of identifying a non-invasive tool for the early detection of LOS.

Methods: This was a prospective study of 83 episodes of suspected LOS in 67 preterm infants. At the time LOS was suspected, we recorded a standardized set of clinical symptoms.

Risk-adjusted intraventricular hemorrhage rates in very premature infants: towards quality assurance between neonatal units.

Background: The incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in very low birth weight infants can be used as an index of the quality of care in neonatal intensive care units as long as it is adjusted to reflect the infants' risk profiles on admission to the unit, which may vary systematically from one institution to another. Adjustment for gestational, birth-related, and neonatological risk factors enables a fair comparison of IVH rates across neonatal intensive care units.

Methods: Data on 1782 neonates born at less than 32 weeks of gestation or weighing less than 1500 g at birth were retrieved from the 26 744 anonymous data sets collected in the Peri- and Neonatal Survey of the German state of Saxony in the years 2001-2005.

[Risk-adjusted assessment of neonatology wards by the new quality indicator "transfer rate of mature newborns"].

Objective: 1. The transfer rate of mature newborns will be presented as a new quality indicator. 2.

[Risk-adjusted assessment: late-onset infection in neonates].

Objective: The weak point of the countrywide perinatal/neonatal quality surveillance is the ignorance of interhospital differences in the case mix of patients. As a result, this approach does not produce reliable benchmarking. The objective of this study was to adjust the result of the late-onset infection incidence of different hospitals according to their risk profile of patients by multivariate analysis.

Higher rate of cord-related adverse events in neonates with dry umbilical cord care compared to chlorhexidine powder. Results of a randomized controlled study to compare efficacy and safety of chlorhexidine powder versus dry care in umbilical cord care of the newborn.

Objective: Best practice for umbilical cord care (UC) still remains controversial in developed countries with aseptic perinatal care. A bicenter randomized clinical trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy of chlorhexidine (CX) powder versus dry cord care (DC) for UC.

Patients And Methods: All neonates of two neonatal care units were invited to take part in the study.

[Drug withdrawal in newborns - clinical data of 49 infants with intrauterine drug exposure: what should be done?].

Background: Infants of drug abusing mothers are at high risk to suffer from neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Depending on the drug signs of neonatal withdrawal vary but mainly include central nervous system irritability. NAS causes long duration of hospital stay.

Cardiovascular impact of dobutamine in neonates with myocardial dysfunction.

Objective: To study effects of dobutamine on cardiac functional parameters, cerebral, mesenteric and renal blood flow in preterm neonates with myocardial dysfunction.

Study Design: Prospective evaluation of Doppler sonographically measured left ventricular systolic time intervals, stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), and blood flow parameters of anterior cerebral artery (ACA), superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and renal arteries (RA), before, after 20 min and 8-10 h of dobutamine treatment in 20 neonates (gestational age 29.6+/-4.

Hemodynamics among neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy during whole-body hypothermia and passive rewarming.

Objective: To assess changes in cardiac performance, with Doppler echocardiography, among newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy during mild therapeutic hypothermia and during rewarming.

Methods: For 7 asphyxiated neonates (birth weight: 1840-3850 g; umbilical artery pH: 6.70-6.

[Risk adjusted assessment of quality of perinatal centers - results of perinatal/neonatal quality surveillance in Saxonia].

Background: The weak point of the country-wide perinatal/neonatal quality surveillance as a tool for evaluation of achievements of a distinct clinic, is the ignorance of interhospital differences in the case-mix of patients. Therefore, that approach can not result in a reliable bench marking.

Objective: To adjust the results of quality assessment of different hospitals according to their risk profile of patients by multivariate analysis.

Predictive value of umbilical cord blood bilirubin for postnatal hyperbilirubinaemia.

Aim: The study investigated the predictive value of umbilical cord serum (UCS) bilirubin for the postnatal course of bilirubinaemia in healthy term and near-term newborns.

Methods: Term appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA; n=1100), small-for-gestational-age (SGA; n=163) and near-term infants (GA 34-36 wk; n=78) were included and separated according to their UCS bilirubin levels, starting from <20 (group 1), 20-<30 (2), 30-40 (3) and >40 (4) micromol/l. The newborns were followed for at least 5 postnatal days, and UCS bilirubin values were correlated with the development of hyperbilirubinaemia and phototherapy (PT) treatment.

Treatment of myocardial dysfunction and pulmonary oedema in an infant chimpanzee.

The care of any critically ill infant requires special technical equipment for monitoring of cardiac and pulmonary functions including mechanical ventilators and blood gas analysers. The present paper describes the treatment of myocardial dysfunction and pulmonary distress, complicated by severe brain oedema in an infant chimpanzee admitted to an intensive care unit in the Department of Neonatology of the Children's Hospital of the University of Leipzig. The condition of the chimpanzee was diagnosed and monitored by standard clinical tooös including radiography, echocardiography, cerebral Doppler sonography and laboratory parameters.

Unusual presentation of congenital disorder of glycosylation type 1a: congenital persistent thrombocytopenia, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and hydrops-like aspect due to marked peripheral oedema.

Unlabelled: Of the congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG) syndromes, type 1a is the most common. CDG 1a is a multisystem disorder with a wide clinical spectrum. We report on a term newborn with a severe and fatal clinical course of CDG 1a syndrome.

Short-term growth of premature infants treated with dexamethasone assessed by mini-knemometry.

Aim: The study aimed to measure the direct effect of dexamethasone (DEXA) on daily lower leg length per mini-knemometry of premature infants and to examine whether the administration of different doses is associated with alternations in growth.

Patients And Methods: We observed 20 premature children and had 276 complete mini-knemometrical and weight measurements (13.8 measurements per single child) for analysis.

Blood flow parameters of the superior mesenteric artery as an early predictor of intestinal dysmotility in preterm infants.

Background: Blood flow parameters in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) change with vasoconstriction or vasodilatation of the intestinal vascular bed. In cases of severe growth retardation as a result of haemodynamic disturbances, the blood flow changes persist into postnatal life.

Objective: To assess early changes of Doppler sonographic blood flow parameters in the SMA for prediction of later intestinal motility disturbances in preterm infants and tolerance of enteral feeding during the first week of life.

[Perinatal management of triplet pregnancies from 1997 to 2001].

Background: Because of the trend for premature birth, multifetal pregnancies are at high risk for neonatal morbidity and mortality. This study presents our perinatal management scheme and the outcome of triplet pregnancies.

Patients And Methods: From 1997 to 2001 we studied 31 triplet pregnancies.

Cardiac adaptation in small for gestational age neonates after prenatal hemodynamic disturbances.

Background: Small for gestational age neonates with prenatal hemodynamic disturbances are at increased risk for neonatal morbidity. Investigations of fetal cardiac function have proved some functional impairments. The aim of the study was to investigate postnatal cardiac adaptation in these neonates in comparison with neonates without prenatal hemodynamic impairments.

Nosocomial neonatal outbreak of Serratia marcescens--analysis of pathogens by pulsed field gel electrophoresis and polymerase chain reaction.

Background: We investigated an outbreak of Serratia marcescens in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) of the University Children's Hospital Leipzig, Germany.

Patients And Methods: From September to November 1998 15 patients were infected or colonized by S. marcescens.

Prenatal hemodynamic disturbances -- pathophysiological background of intestinal motility disturbances in small for gestational age infants.

Uteroplacental insufficiency leads to fetal growth retardation which is a major cause of perinatal and postnatal morbidity. In the present study we investigated the relationship between prenatal hemodynamic disturbances and postnatal intestinal perfusion and gastrointestinal function in small for gestational age neonates. Prospectively, 124 preterm neonates with a birth weight below 1500 g were assigned to one of two groups according to the prenatal Doppler sonographic measurements: neonates with or without prenatal hemodynamic disturbances.

[Dopplersonographic findings in neonates with significant persistent ductus arteriosus].

Background: The aim of the study was the description and review of a diagnostic management for treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm neonates. Indomethacin, widely used to effect nonoperative closure of patent ductus arteriosus, has been implicated in vasoactive side effects and requires an accurate diagnosis.

Patients And Methods: Firstly, the hemodynamic significance of the ductus arteriosus was assessed by clinical signs, such as tachycardia, disturbed microcirculation and a high difference of central and peripheral temperature.

Transcutaneous bilirubinometry in preterm infants.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and safety of transcutaneous bilirubinometry in preterm infants using the new bilirubin analyser BiliCheck. The study included 145 preterm children (23-36 wk gestation). Capillary blood sampling for determination of serum bilirubin (BS) was combined with transcutaneous bilirubin measurement (BTc) every morning until the sixth postnatal day and related to several clinical data (phototherapy (PT), infection signs, breathing disturbances, skin bleeding, etc.

[Value of brain ultrasound studies of newborn infants for prediction of neurological development in the 1st year of life].

Background: Recent advances in perinatology have been associated with a decrease in perinatal mortality. However, nowadays detailed assessments are of major importance for accurate prediction of neurologic development of extreme low birth weight infants and term infants with severely disturbed postnatal adaptation. This study examined the role of cranial ultrasound for the prediction of developmental progress during the first year of life.

Determination of secretory IgA and albumin in saliva of newborn infants.

As a first line of defence against microbial invasion, secretory IgA (sIgA) is the dominant immunoglobulin on all mucosal surfaces. In this study sIgA was determined by radial immunodiffusion in saliva samples of 63 newborn infants divided into the following age groups: (1) 1 day and younger, (2) 2-10 days. Concentrations of sIgA and albumin as well as their relation to age, postprandial time, gestational age and birth weight were analysed.

Aminophylline influences cerebral hyperperfusion after severe birth hypoxia.

Doppler sonographic investigations have presented cerebral hyperperfusion in neonates after severe asphyxia. Neonates with disturbed cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) tend to have poor outcomes. The purpose of this clinical study was to examine the influence of aminophylline on cerebral hyperperfusion.