The Association between Delayed Gut Microbiota Maturity in Pre-Term Infants and the Feeding Intolerance-A Pilot Study.

This study compared gut (fecal) microbiota profiles between pre-term and full-term infants, assuming that pre-term infants without feeding intolerance would have gut microbiota similar to those of full-term infants. A total of 13 pre-term infants (gestational age < 37 weeks, birthweight ≤ 2500 g) and 10 full-term infants were included. The pre-term infants were assigned to the feeding tolerance (FT) group (n = 7) if their daily intake exceeded 100 mL/kg/day at two weeks after birth, or the feeding intolerance (FI) group (n = 6).

Accuracy of Point-of-Care Blood Glucometers in Neonates and Critically Ill Adults.

Purpose: Inpatient glycemic management has become a common issue because of the increasing number of hospitalized patients with hyperglycemia. Point-of-care devices can enable timely inpatient glucose monitoring, which may lead to better outcomes. The accuracy of point-of-care testing in various clinical scenarios has been questioned, particularly in neonates and critically ill patients.

Andrographolide suppresses the malignancy of triple-negative breast cancer by reducing THOC1-promoted cancer stem cell characteristics.

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are difficult to cure and currently lack of effective treatment strategies. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are highly associated with the poor clinical outcome of TNBCs. Thoc1 is a core component of the THO complex (THOC) that regulates the elongation, processing and nuclear export of mRNA.

Antenatal Corticosteroid Exposure is Associated with Childhood Mental Disorders in Late Preterm and Term Infants.

Objectives: To study the association between antenatal corticosteroids treatment and childhood mental disorders in infants born at different gestational ages, and to investigate the effect of different administration timing.

Study Design: This population-based cohort study used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. All singleton live births born between 2004 and 2010 were enrolled and followed up for at least 6 years.

Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution and Immune Thrombocytopenia: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Introduction: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is one of the most common hematologic disorders in children. However, its etiology is still unclear. Epidemiological studies have shown that air pollution is a plausible risk factor in stimulation of oxidative stress, induction of inflammation, and onset of autoimmune diseases.

Decreased Incidence of Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants Using Customized Circulatory Management to Evaluate the Hemodynamic Change of Patent Ductus Arteriosus.

In extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants, the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) with left-to-right shunt and an increase in systemic artery resistance may cause increasing preload and afterload of the left ventricle. The immature myocardium in ELBW infants has a limited ability to respond to the change, which leads to hemorrhagic complications. In this study, we detected the hemodynamic change of cardiac performance and applied a clinical strategy to prevent PDA-associated hemorrhagic complications in ELBW infants.

The association between duration of postnatal weight loss and neurodevelopment outcomes in very low birth weight infants.

Background: Premature births account for around 11% of the world's live births. With the improvements in survival that have been achieved in recent years, the neurological outcomes of these infants have attracted greater attention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between postnatal weight loss and neurodevelopment outcomes of very low birth weight premature infants.

The association of macronutrients in human milk with the growth of preterm infants.

Background: Breast milk is the optimal choice for feeding premature babies. However, the prevalence rate of extrauterine growth restriction in preterm infants remains high.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the macronutrients present in human milk and the correlation with the growth of in-hospital preterm infants.

Correction: Post-discharge body weight and neurodevelopmental outcomes among very low birth weight infants in Taiwan: A nationwide cohort study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Correction: Post-discharge body weight and neurodevelopmental outcomes among very low birth weight infants in Taiwan: A nationwide cohort study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Post-discharge body weight and neurodevelopmental outcomes among very low birth weight infants in Taiwan: A nationwide cohort study.

Background: Premature infants are at high risk for developmental delay and cognitive dysfunction. Besides medical conditions, growth restriction is regarded as an important risk factor for cognitive and neurodevelopmental dysfunction throughout childhood and adolescence and even into adulthood. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between post-discharge body weight and psychomotor development using a nationwide dataset.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes of infants with very low birth weights are associated with the severity of their extra-uterine growth retardation.

Background: For infants with very low birth weights (VLBW), their neurodevelopmental outcomes are thought to be associated with extra-uterine growth retardation (EUGR). In this study, based on a single institute, we analyzed the association between different levels or severity of EUGR of VLBW infants and their neurodevelopmental outcomes later at a corrected age of 24 months.

Methods: This is a hospital-based retrospective cohort study.

Integrating team resource management program into staff training improves staff's perception and patient safety in organ procurement and transplantation: the experience in a university-affiliated medical center in Taiwan.

Background: The process involved in organ procurement and transplantation is very complex that requires multidisciplinary coordination and teamwork. To prevent error during the processes, teamwork education and training might play an important role. We wished to evaluate the efficacy of implementing a Team Resource Management (TRM) program on patient safety and the behaviors of the team members involving in the process.

Stent implantation for a totally occluded right coronary artery in a six-year-old boy after Kawasaki disease: a case report.

Introduction: Coronary stenting has previously been considered to be less feasible in children under 12 years old due to the limitation of vascular access. We report the case of a six-year-old boy who successfully underwent stent implantation for his totally occluded right coronary artery.

Case Presentation: A Taiwanese boy aged six years and nine months old was found to have giant aneurysms after an acute episode of Kawasaki disease.