Vegetarian and vegan diets have increased worldwide in the last decades, according to the knowledge that they might prevent coronary heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Althought plant-based diets are at risk of nutritional deficiencies such as proteins, iron, vitamin D, calcium, iodine, omega-3, and vitamin B12, the available evidence shows that well planned vegetarian and vegan diets may be considered safe during pregnancy and lactation, but they require a strong awareness for a balanced intake of key nutrients. A review of the scientific literature in this field was performed, focusing specifically on observational studies in humans, in order to investigate protective effects elicited by maternal diets enriched in plant-derived foods and possible unfavorable outcomes related to micronutrients deficiencies and their impact on fetal development. A design of pregestational nutrition intervention is required in order to avoid maternal undernutrition and consequent impaired fetal growth.

Our results add evidence supporting the safety of donor milk. This study also found an association between exposure to formula in preterm infants and the requirement for respiratory support, a finding that warrants further investigation.

Aim: To develop and validate a feasible predictive model for early surfactant treatment in very preterm infants (VPI) admitted with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Methods: Preterm infants less than 32 weeks of gestation with RDS and stabilized with noninvasive ventilation in delivery room were recruited (January 2018-April 2020). Clinical data, chest X-ray (CXR) score, respiratory support, oxygen saturation/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio (SF ratio), lung ultrasound (LUS) score, and diaphragmatic thickening fraction (DTF) were recorded at 60-120 min of life. Oxygen threshold for surfactant administration was fraction of inspired oxygen more than 30%; ultrasound findings were blinded. Logistic regression models using a stepwise selection of variables were developed in the derivation cohort. Coefficients from these models were applied to the validation cohort and a diagnostic performance was calculated. Results: A total of 144 VPI with a mean gestational age of 28.7 ± 2.2 weeks were included (94 into the derivation cohort, 50 into the validation cohort); 37 required surfactant treatment (25.7%). Gestational age, SF ratio, LUS score, CXR score, and Silverman score were related to surfactant administration (R 2 = .823). Predictors included in the final model for surfactant administration were SF ratio and LUS score (R 2 = .783) with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) = 0.97 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93-1.00) in the derivation cohort and an AUC = 0.95 (95% CI: 0.85-0.99) in the validation cohort. By applying our predictive model, 26 patients (70.2%) would have been treated with surfactant earlier than 2 h of life. Conclusion: The predictive model showed a high diagnostic performance and could be of value to optimize early respiratory management in VPI with RDS.

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Lung ultrasound (LUS) is useful for respiratory management in very preterm infants (VPI), but little is known about the echographic patterns in bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), the relation between the image findings, and the severity of the disease and its long-term outcomes. We aimed to describe LUS patterns in BPD and analyze the accuracy of LUS to predict the need for respiratory support at 36 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) in VPI. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Preterm infants ≤30.6 weeks of gestational age were recruited. LUS was performed at admission, at 7th, and 28th day of life (DOL) with a standardized protocol (6 zones: anterior, lateral, and posterior fields). Clinical data, respiratory outcomes, and image findings were recorded. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Eighty-nine patients were studied. Infants with BPD had significantly higher LUS score at admission, at 7th, and 28th DOL. Patients with BPD exhibited more consolidations and pleural line abnormalities at 7th and 28th DOL than those without BPD (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001), regardless of the definition used for BPD. LUS at 7th DOL predicted <i>NICHD 2001-BPD</i> with <i>R</i>² = 0.522; AUC = 0.87 (0.79–0.94), <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001, and <i>Jensen 2019-BPD</i> with <i>R</i>² = 0.315 (AUC = 0.80 [0.70–0.90], <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). A model including mechanical ventilation &#x3e;5 days, oxygen therapy for 7 days and LUS score at 7th DOL accurately predicted the need for respiratory support at 36 weeks PMA (<i>R</i>² = 0.655, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) with an AUC = 0.90 (0.84–0.97), <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> LUS score, pleural line abnormalities, and consolidations can be useful to diagnose BPD in VPI and to predict its severity after the first week of life.

Introduction: Eating disorders (EDs) have increased globally in women of childbearing age, related to the concern for body shape promoted in industrialized countries. Pregnancy may exacerbate a previous ED or conversely may be a chance for improving eating patterns due to the mother's concern for the unborn baby. EDs may impact pregnancy evolution and increase the risk of adverse outcomes such as miscarriage, preterm delivery, poor fetal growth, or malformations, but the knowledge on this topic is limited. Methods: We performed a systematic review of studies on humans in order to clarify the mechanisms underpinning the adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with EDs. Results: Although unfavorable fetal development could be multifactorial, maternal malnutrition, altered hormonal pathways, low pre-pregnancy body mass index, and poor gestational weight gain, combined with maternal psychopathology and stress, may impair the evolution of pregnancy. Environmental factors such as malnutrition or substance of abuse may also induce epigenetic changes in the fetal epigenome, which mark lifelong health concerns in offspring. Conclusions: The precocious detection of dysfunctional eating behaviors in the pre-pregnancy period and an early multidisciplinary approach comprised of nutritional support, psychotherapeutic techniques, and the use of psychotropics if necessary, would prevent lifelong morbidity for both mother and fetus. Further prospective studies with large sample sizes are needed in order to design a structured intervention during every stage of pregnancy and in the postpartum period.