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Highlights COVID-19 activates RAAS which induces oxidative stress leading to cytokine storm. Ozone therapy can reduce oxidative stress. Ozone therapy might be an excellent option as a complementary treatment for COVID-19.

Background: Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) or hyaline membrane disease (HMD) is the most common cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in preterm infants. We aimed to determine the frequency of RDS among 3 groups of preterm infants and the value of some related factors. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive analytical investigation was carried out in the NICU ward of Akbarabadi Hospital (Tehran-Iran) during spring 2011. Newborns' data were collected and assessed by using their hospital medical records. Seventy-three preterm infants with gestational age < 34 weeks were hospitalized in the NICU. All participants were divided into 3 groups: extremely preterm (<28 weeks), very preterm (28 to <32 weeks) and moderate preterm (32 to 34 weeks). Frequency of RDS and some related factors were compared among 3 groups. Results: RDS was observed in 65.6% of all participants; however frequency of RDS was not different between three groups. An inversely correlation was found between gestational age and mortality rate (p = 0.05). In regard to Betamethasone administration prior to birth, this interval was significantly longer in alive neonates in comparison to infants who died (p < 0.05). Conclusion: RDS was frequent in preterm neonates with gestational age < 32 weeks. Time of Betamethasone administration prior to birth can significantly influence on neonatal mortality rate.

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Introduction:Choice of appropriate nutrition has a special place, which variations in dietary nutrient can potentially be involved in growth deficits in preterm neonates.Aim:to investigate the effect of protein supplementation in very low birth weight (VLBW= birth weight under 1500 grams) infants on neurological growth in the third year of birth.Material and Methods:We investigated neurological growth in two groups of control and intervention (each group, n= 18 subjects). The intervention group includes 3-year-old children who weighting less than 1200 grams at birth and have received protein supplementation at the course of NICU hospitalization, protein was added to maternal milk when the amount of milk reaches to 100 cc/kg/day, at this time parenteral nutrition was discontinued and the volume of feeding was increased 20cc/kg/day until reached to 150-180cc/kg/day. We also added the fortifier to breast milk at this time (FMS- Aptamil- DANON). The fortification and the protein supplementation were stopped when the weight of the baby reached to 1500 grams. The control group was fed similar to the intervention group, without protein supplemental intake. Neurodevelopmental outcomes were evaluated using ASQ, NEWSHA and BINS tools.Results:There was no significant difference between the mean head circumference in the two groups (p=0.209). There was no significant relationship between neurological growth rate evaluated by BINS tool in two groups (p=0.266). There was a significant correlation between the neurological development assessed by the ASQ tool in the areas of communication (p=0.014) and gross motor (p=0.001) in the two groups, however, no significant relationship was found in terms of fine motor (p=0.63), problem solving (p=0.07) and personal-social relationships in both groups (p=0.152). There was a significant correlation between neurological development evaluated using the NEWSHA tool in terms of auditory (p=0.031), verbal language (p=0.024), cognitive (p=0.007), social connection (p=0.034) and motor (p=0.002) in the two groups.Conclusion:Protein intake in preterm infants didn’t reveal long term effects on the growth of head circumference. Moreover, it was capable of improving neurological growth in the areas of communication and gross motor (based on the ASQ) and auditory, verbal language, cognitive, social connection, and motor (based on the NEWSHA).