Continuous local anaesthetic wound infusion of bupivacaine for postoperative analgesia in neonates: a randomised control trial (CANWIN Study).

Objective: To determine the effect of continuous wound infusion of local anaesthetic drug (bupivacaine) on total amount of systemic opioid use in the first 72 hours in newborn infants undergoing laparotomy.

Design: A two-arm parallel, open-label randomised controlled trial.

Setting: A quaternary newborn intensive care unit.

Changing indications and antenatal prognostic factors for ex-utero intrapartum treatment procedures.

Objective: In cases of suspected neonatal airway obstruction, the ex-utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure is used to secure the airway while a fetus remains on placental circulation. We report indications and outcomes from all EXIT procedures at a tertiary obstetric unit between 1997 and 2020.

Method: Retrospective cohort study with data collected from maternal and neonatal medical records.

Implementation of the 'PicNic' handover huddle: A quality improvement project to improve the transition of infants between paediatric and neonatal intensive care units.

Aims: Thorough handover and effective communication are crucial to the transfer of clinical information between different intensive care units. Following a sentinel patient safety event, an improvement project was initiated to reduce patient safety risks associated with the transfer of complex patients between the neonatal and paediatric intensive care.

Methods: A handover tool was implemented over a 4-month period, guiding handover through means of a handover huddle.

Epidemiology of Cerebral Palsy among Children and Adolescents in Arabic-Speaking Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Studies on cerebral palsy among children and adolescents in Arabic-speaking countries are scarce. In this systematic review, we aimed to describe the epidemiology of cerebral palsy among children and adolescents in Arabic-speaking countries in terms of prevalence, risk factors, motor types, and rehabilitation.

Methods: Six key bibliographic databases were searched for relevant literature published to 17 July 2021.

Neonates at high risk of hypoglycaemia: Is admission necessary?

Aim: To evaluate the practice of routine admission of infants at high risk of hypoglycaemia by determining the incidence of hypoglycaemia, factors that predict necessary admission and breastfeeding outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of neonates admitted to a tertiary neonatal unit for high risk of hypoglycaemia. Clinical data, including blood glucose concentrations, body fat percentage and time to initiation of feeding, were collected for 122 infant-maternal dyads for a 3-year period from April 2016 to May 2019.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes in neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survivors: An institutional perspective.

Aim: To describe the neurodevelopmental outcomes following extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in early infancy.

Methods: Thirty-seven patients who had survived following ECMO support from 2008 to 2018 had their neurodevelopmental outcomes assessed and analysed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. Developmental outcome was defined as impairment in any of the developmental domains of motor function, cognition and language with mild impairment being 1-2 standard deviations below the test mean, moderate being 2-3 standard deviations below and severe being greater than 3 standard deviations below.

Protecting the brain of the micropreemie.

Advances in perinatal care have seen substantial improvements in survival without disability for extremely preterm infants. Protecting the developing brain and reducing neurodevelopmental sequelae of extremely preterm birth are strategic priorities for both research and clinical care. A number of evidence-based interventions exist for neuroprotection in micropreemies, inclusive of prevention of preterm birth and multiple births with implantation of only one embryo during in vitro fertilisation, as well as antenatal care to optimize fetal wellbeing, strategies for supporting neonatal transition, and neuroprotective developmental care.

Temporal trends, clinical characteristics, and sociodemographic profile of post-neonatally acquired cerebral palsy in Australia, 1973-2012: A population-based observational study.

Aim: To describe post-neonatally acquired (PNN) cerebral palsy (CP) in terms of temporal trends in prevalence, clinical and sociodemographic profiles, known causes and associations between causes, and sociodemographic variables.

Method: Numerator data, a count of children with PNN-CP confirmed at 5 years of age (n = 523), was drawn from two Australian state CP registers (birth years 1973-2012). Poisson regression was used to investigate temporal trends in the prevalence of PNN-CP by 5-year intervals, calculated per 10 000 live births.

Delivering paediatric precision medicine: Genomic and environmental considerations along the causal pathway of childhood neurodevelopmental disorders.

Precision medicine refers to treatments that are targeted to an individual's unique characteristics. Precision medicine for neurodevelopmental disorders (such as cerebral palsy, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder) in children has predominantly focused on advances in genomic sequencing technologies to increase our ability to identify single gene mutations, diagnose a multitude of rare neurodevelopmental disorders, and gain insights into pathogenesis. Although targeting specific gene variants with high penetrance will help some children with rare disease, this approach will not help most children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Early Diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Cerebral palsy describes a group of permanent disorders of movement, motor function and posture that occur due to non-progressive insults to the developing brain. Most of the information concerning the early diagnosis of cerebral palsy originates from studies conducted in high-income countries. In this scoping review, we aimed to explore the tools used in low- and middle-income countries for the early diagnosis of cerebral palsy.

Neurodevelopmental Therapy for Cerebral Palsy: A Meta-analysis.

Background And Objective: Bobath therapy, or neurodevelopmental therapy (NDT) is widely practiced despite evidence other interventions are more effective in cerebral palsy (CP). The objective is to determine the efficacy of NDT in children and infants with CP or high risk of CP.

Methods: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Medline were searched through March 2021.

eLearning significantly improves maternity professionals' knowledge of the congenital cytomegalovirus prevention guidelines.

Aims: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a preventable cause of neurodevelopmental disability. Australian guidelines recommend that pregnant women are informed about CMV to reduce their risk of infection; however, less than 10% of maternity health professionals routinely provide prevention advice. The aim was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an eLearning course for midwives to improve knowledge and confidence about CMV.

Nutrition Interventions for Children with Cerebral Palsy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review.

Background: Malnutrition is substantially higher among children with cerebral palsy (CP) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) when compared with the general population. Access to appropriate interventions is crucial for better management of malnutrition and nutritional outcomes of those children. We aimed to review the existing evidence on nutrition interventions for children with CP in LMICs.

What is the definition of acute episodic and chronic pain in critically ill neonates and infants? A global, four-stage consensus and validation study.

Objectives: To define and validate types of pain in critically ill neonates and infants by researchers and clinicians working in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and high dependency unit (HDU).

Design: A qualitative descriptive mixed-methods design.

Procedure/s: Each stage of the study was built on and confirmed the previous stages.

Declining trends in birth prevalence and severity of singletons with cerebral palsy of prenatal or perinatal origin in Australia: A population-based observational study.

Aim: To investigate temporal trends in birth prevalence, disability severity, and motor type for singletons with prenatal or perinatally acquired cerebral palsy (CP).

Method: Numerator data, number of children with CP born a singleton between 1995 and 2014, confirmed at 5 years of age, were drawn from three state registers with population-level ascertainment. Birth prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated per 1000 singleton live births for the three states combined, overall, by gestational age group, by dichotomized disability severity, and spastic laterality.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Background: Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer in women world-wide. Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most common; three-quarters of women present when disease has spread outside the pelvis (stage III or IV). Treatment consists of a combination of  surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy.

Accuracy of bilirubin on the Siemens RAPIDPoint 500 blood gas analyser: A data mining study.

Aim: Blood gas analysers which can measure bilirubin in whole blood are commonly available in neonatal intensive care units; however, the accuracy of these measurements is not well established. We sought to determine accuracy of whole blood bilirubin on the Siemens RAPIDPoint 500 blood gas analyser with reference to formal laboratory total serum bilirubin on the Ortho Vitros 5600.

Methods: A method comparison of the bilirubin results from the blood gas analysers compared with the chemistry analysers was performed by data mining of results obtained as part of routine patient care.

Supporting Ultra Poor People with Rehabilitation and Therapy among families of children with Cerebral Palsy in rural Bangladesh (SUPPORT CP): Protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Poverty is a key contributor to delayed diagnosis and limited access to early intervention and rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy (CP) in rural Bangladesh. 97% of families of children with CP live below the poverty line in Bangladesh. Therefore, in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), efforts to improve outcomes for children with CP (including health-related quality of life, motor function, communication, and nutritional attainments) should also include measures to improve family economic and social capital.

Probiotics for preventing and treating infant regurgitation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Infant regurgitation is common during infancy and can cause substantial parental distress. Regurgitation can lead to parental perception that their infant is in pain. Parents often present in general practitioner surgeries, community baby clinics and accident and emergency departments which can lead to financial burden on parents and the health care system.

Epidemiology of Malnutrition among Children with Cerebral Palsy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Findings from the Global LMIC CP Register.

Background: This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of malnutrition among children with cerebral palsy (CP) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods: Data from children with confirmed CP aged <18 years registered into the Global LMIC CP Register (GLM CPR) from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, and Ghana were included. Anthropometric measurements were collected, and nutritional status was determined following the WHO guidelines.

A national harmonised data collection network for neurodevelopmental disorders: A transdiagnostic assessment protocol for neurodevelopment, mental health, functioning and well-being.

Background: Children with neurodevelopmental disorders share common phenotypes, support needs and comorbidities. Such overlap suggests the value of transdiagnostic assessment pathways that contribute to knowledge about research and clinical needs of these children and their families. Despite this, large transdiagnostic data collection networks for neurodevelopmental disorders are not well developed.

Umbilical venous catheterisation: emergency central venous access which saves lives in coarctation of the aorta.

We describe a 9-day-old baby with coarctation of the aorta who required urgent resuscitation including intubation and cardiac compressions. Despite the commencement of prostaglandin E1 (PGE) to reopen the ductus arteriosus via the intraosseous route, postductal saturations remained unrecordable for a further 45 min. Within 3 min of administration of PGE via an umbilical venous catheter (UVC), saturations were recordable at 92%.