Unlabelled: Antibiotic burden is a critical issue in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and antibiotic use is considered a quality indicator of neonatal care. Our aim was to optimize antibiotic use through a quality improvement (QI) initiative that included revision of departmental protocols and implementation of a surveillance system based on process indicators.
Methods: This is descriptive study of a cohort of all very low birth weight (VLBW) infants admitted to the NICU from 2014 to 2019. A series of QI interventions were made during the study period and included departmental protocols and the implementation of a surveillance system based on process indicators. The primary outcome was the percentage of VLBW infants who had received (ampicillin, gentamicin, or cefotaxime on the day of birth or day 1 or 2 after birth), (despite negative blood culture), or .
Results: During the study period, a significant relative reduction was seen in the proportion of VLBW infants administered early antibiotics (46%; < 0.01) and in infants provided antibiotics for longer than 3 days (90%; < 0.01). Additionally, the percentage of VLBW with "no antibiotics" during their NICU stay increased fivefold (6 to 30%; < 0.001).
Conclusions: In our NICU, the implementation of a QI initiative that is based on affordable methods to track process indicators and evaluate the results led into a significant reduction in antibiotic exposure in VLBW infants. This approach is easy to implement in other NICUs as well.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fped.2022.913175 | DOI Listing |
Pediatr Obes
January 2025
Department of Neonatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Background: Studies on how birth body mass index (BMI) affects health outcomes in preterm infants are relatively limited.
Aim: To analyze the association between BMI at birth and neonatal health outcomes in extremely low and very low birth weight preterm infants in China.
Methods: Used data from the Chinese Premature Infant Informatization Platform (2022-2023).
An Pediatr (Engl Ed)
January 2025
Departamento de Enfermería, Unidad de Neonatología, Hospital Universitario de Burgos, Burgos, Spain.
Introduction: The achievement of oral feeding competence (OFC) is a challenge in preterm infants and can be affected by several factors.
Objective: The aim of our study was to determine the time elapsed to development of OFC in very low birth weight (VLBW, weight <1500g) preterm infants and to identify factors associated with greater difficulty in achieving this skill.
Population And Methods: Observational, longitudinal and prospective study in VLBW infants over a period of 7 years (2016-2022).
Indian J Pediatr
January 2025
Department of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
Objectives: To assess the effects of ω-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA)-enriched lipid emulsions (SMOFlipid) vs. traditional soybean oil-based lipid emulsions (Intralipid) on the occurrence and severity of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in infants with very low birth weight (VLBW).
Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 301 VLBW infants who received either SMOFlipid or Intralipid for a minimum of 14 d were included.
PLoS One
January 2025
Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Physical activity (PA) is beneficial for several health outcomes. Adults born with very low birth weight (VLBW<1500g) undertake less PA than those born at term, have poorer motor abilities and may serve as a model on early life origins of PA. We therefore examined whether motor abilities mediate the association between being born with VLBW and device-measured PA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Med
December 2024
Canterbury Child Development Research Group, School of Health Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.
Children born with a very low birthweight (VLBW; <1500 g) and/or very preterm (VPT; <32 weeks) are at increased risk of mental health problems, but adult data are inconsistent. We examined the prevalence of a range of mental health disorders in a national cohort of adults born with a VLBW, as well as associations between gestational age and mental health outcomes. All infants born with a VLBW in New Zealand in 1986 were followed prospectively from birth.
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