The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in mean platelet volume (MPV) between neonates with and without neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Eighty-three premature infants who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit were included in the study. Forty-four of these infants were diagnosed as having RDS and the other 39 infants were non-RDS patients. Infants born to mothers with pre-eclampsia, or a drug history that had negative effects on platelet count, perinatal hypoxia, sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis were excluded. Blood collection was done on the first and third days of life. There were no demographic, gestational or platelet count differences between groups, but MPV was higher in RDS patients and this difference was statistically significant (P= 0.011). High platelet volumes in RDS patients is probably related to young platelet production and may be a result of increased platelet consumption in pulmonary damage due to RDS.

No abstract

Cystatin C (CysC) is a low-molecular-mass protein (13,343 dalton, 120 amino acids) belonging to the cystatin superfamily of reversible inhibitors of cysteine proteases. CysC appears to be eliminated from the circulation almost exclusively by glomerular filtration, which makes it a promising endogenous marker of renal function. CysC has been demonstrated to reflect glomerular filtration rate better than other low-molecular-weight proteins, including creatinine (Cr). We established reference values for serum CysC and compared them with Cr in 108 preterm infants by particle-enhanced nephelometric immunoassay. On the first day, serum CysC values ranged from 1.25 to 2.84 mg/L, significantly decreasing after 3 days of life. Cr levels determined simultaneously on the first day ranged from 0.05 to 1.12 mg/dl and were also significantly different from day 3 levels. Both CysC and Cr levels were independent of gender, birth weight, hemoglobin levels, and hydration state. Cr correlated negatively with gestational age (r = -0.25, p = 0.009), but not CysC. A significant correlation was found between CysC and Cr on day 1 (r = 0.21, p = 0.031), but no correlation was found according to day 3 blood samples (r = 0.19, p = 0.053). CysC is regarded as an alternative for assessing renal function in preterm neonates, but its advantages over Cr are not yet proven.

No abstract

The availability of individual rooms that allows maternal presence and participation during the hospitalization of the mother's preterm infant, is correlated with lower rates of rehospitalization and healthcare applications.