Objective:To determine exposure to endocrine-disrupting phthalates in preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICU).Methods:Urine samples (n=151) from 36 preterm infants (<32 weeks of gestation and/or <1500 g of birth weight) were collected on the first 3 days of admission to the NICU and biweekly thereafter. Diethylhexyl phthalate contents of indwelling medical devices used in various procedures and the concentrations of phthalate metabolites in the urine samples were analyzed. The relationships between urinary excretion, exposure intensity, postnatal age and birth weight were examined.Results:The mean gestational age and mean birth weight of the study infants were 28.9±1.5 weeks and 1024±262 g, respectively. Diethylhexyl phthalate was detected in umbilical catheters, endotracheal tubes, nasogastric tubes, and nasal cannula. Monoethylhydroxyhexyl phthalate (MEHHP) was the most frequently detected metabolite (81.4%); its concentration increased during the first 4 weeks and then started to decrease but never disappeared. Patients who did not need indwelling catheters (except nasogastric tubes) after 2 weeks were classified as group 1 and those who continued to have indwelling catheters as group 2. Although not of statistical significance, MEHHP levels decreased in group 1 but continued to stay high in group 2 (in the 4th week, group 1: 65.9 ng/mL and group 2: 255.3 ng/mL). Levels of MEHHP in the first urinary samples were significantly higher in infants with a birth weight <1000 g (<1000 g: 63.2±93.8 ng/mL, ≥1000 g: 10.9±22.9 ng/mL, p=0.001).Conclusion:Phthalate metabolites were detected even in the first urine samples of very low birth weight newborns. Phthalate levels were higher in the first weeks of intensive invasive procedures and in preterm infants with a birth weight less than 1000 g. MEHHP was the most frequently detected metabolite and could be a suitable biomarker for the detection of phthalate exposure in preterm infants.

Objective: Nutrition-related health problems such as obesity are frequent among children and adolescents of Turkish descent living in Germany, yet data on their dietary habits are scarce. One reason might be the lack of validated assessment tools for this target group. We therefore aimed to validate protein and K intakes from one 24 h recall against levels estimated from one 24 h urine sample in children and adolescents of Turkish descent living in Germany. Design: Cross-sectional analyses comprised estimation of mean differences, Pearson correlation coefficients, cross-classifications and Bland-Altman plots to assess the agreement between the nutritional intake estimated from a single 24 h recall and a single 24 h urine sample collected on the previous day. Setting: Dortmund, Germany. Subjects: Data from forty-three study participants (aged 5-18 years; 26 % overweight) with a traditional Turkish background were included. Results: The 24 h recall significantly overestimated mean protein and K intake by 10?7 g/d (95 % CI of mean difference: 0?6, 20?7 g/d) and 344 mg/d (95 % CI 8, 680 mg/d), respectively. Correlations between intake estimates were r 5 0?25 (P 5 0?1) and 0?31 (P 5 0?05). Both methods classified 70 % and 69 % of the participants into the same/adjacent quartile of protein and K intake and misclassified 7 % and 7 %, respectively, into the opposite quartile. Bland-Altman

Background The 2010 Neonatal Resuscitation Guidelines recommend preductal transcutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) monitoring at birth in preterm and/or non reactive and/or hypotonic newborns. Previous studies have assessed SpO 2 showing that SpO 2 immediately after birth is higher in newborns by Vaginal Delivery (VD) vs. Caesarean Section (CS). This difference has never been investigated in newborns by Emergency CS (presence of labour) vs. Elective CS (absence of labour). Objective To compare SpO 2 in newborns by Emergency CS vs. Elective CS in the first minutes of life. Methods The study included healthy newborns at term by Emergency CS, by Elective CS and by VD as control group. Infants receiving supplemental O 2 or assisted ventilation were excluded. SpO 2 was recorded for the first 10 minutes of life using a Masimo Radical-7 pulse oximeter probe (Masimo, Irvine, CA) applied to the right hand. Results We studied 24 newborns by Emergency CS, 57 by Elective CS and 47 by VD. The SpO 2 gradually improved during the first 10 minutes of life in all groups (p per trend < 0,0001). The SpO 2 were similar in the tenth minute of life in all the 3 groups, but it was always higher in newborns by Emergency CS as well as by VD than in those by Elective CS from minute one to minute nine (p<0.05). Conclusions SpO 2 in newborns by Emergency CS in the first minutes of life is higher than in those born by Elective CS as well as in newborns by VD vs. Elective CS.