BackgroundNeonatal hypothermia remains a common problem and is related to elevated morbidities and mortality. However, the long-term neurodevelopmental effects of admission hypothermia are still unknown. This study attempted to determine the short-term and long-term consequences of admission hypothermia in VLBW preterm infants.Study DesignThis retrospective study measured the incidence and compared the outcomes of admission hypothermia in very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants in a tertiary-level neonatal intensive care unit. Infants were divided into the following groups: normothermia (36.5–37.5°C), mild hypothermia (36.0–36.4°C), moderate hypothermia (32.0–35.9°C), and severe hypothermia (< 32°C). We compared the distribution, demographic variables, short-term outcomes, and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 24 months of corrected age among groups.ResultsWe studied 341 infants: 79 with normothermia, 100 with mild hypothermia, 162 with moderate hypothermia, and 0 with severe hypothermia. Patients in the moderate hypothermia group had significantly lower gestational ages (28.1 wk vs. 29.7 wk, P < .02) and smaller birth weight (1004 g vs. 1187 g, P < .001) compared to patients in the normothermia group. Compared to normothermic infants, moderately hypothermic infants had significantly higher incidences of 1-min Apgar score < 7 (63.6% vs. 31.6%, P < .001), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (58.0% vs. 39.2%, P = .006), and mortality (18.5% vs. 5.1%, P = .005). Moderate hypothermia did not affect neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years’ corrected age. Mild hypothermia had no effect on short-term or long-term outcomes.ConclusionsAdmission hypothermia was common in VLBW infants and correlated inversely with birth weight and gestational age. Although moderate hypothermia was associated with higher RDS and mortality rates, it may play a limited role among multifactorial causes of neurodevelopmental impairment.

Nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) and nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) have proven to be effective modes of noninvasive respiratory support in preterm infants. Although they are increasingly used in neonatal intensive care, their hemodynamic consequences have not been fully evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the hemodynamic changes between NIPPV and NCPAP in preterm infants.This prospective observational study enrolled clinically stable preterm infants requiring respiratory support received NCPAP and nonsynchronized NIPPV at 40/minute for 30 minutes each, in random order. Cardiac function and cerebral hemodynamics were assessed by ultrasonography after each study period. The patients continued the study ventilation during measurements.Twenty infants with a mean gestational age of 27 weeks (range, 25–32 weeks) and birth weight of 974 g were examined at a median postnatal age of 20 days (range, 9–28 days). There were no significant differences between the NCPAP and NIPPV groups in right (302 vs 292 mL/kg/min, respectively) and left ventricular output (310 vs 319 mL/kg/min, respectively), superior vena cava flow (103 vs 111 mL/kg/min, respectively), or anterior cerebral artery flow velocity.NIPPV did not have a significant effect on the hemodynamics of stable preterm infants. Future studies assessing the effect of NIPPV on circulation should focus on less stable and very preterm infants.