Purpose This study aimed to evaluate vitamin D status at birth in very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWIs: <1,500 g) and to determine the association between vitamin D level and respiratory morbidity. Methods A retrospective study was conducted at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital between November 2013 and November 2017. We collected blood samples and data on respiratory morbidity from 230 VLBWIs on the first day of life. Patients who were transferred to other hospitals (n=19), died before 36 weeks of gestational age (n=18), or whose blood samples were not collected immediately after birth (n=5) were excluded. Finally, 188 patients were enrolled. VLBWIs with different vitamin D levels were compared with respect to demographic features, maternal diseases, respiratory morbidities, and other neonatal diseases. Results The mean serum vitamin D level, as measured by 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), was 13.4± 9.3 ng/mL. The incidence of vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was 79.8%, and 44.1% of preterm infants had severe vitamin D deficiency (<10 ng/mL). Logistic analysis shows that a low serum 25(OH)D level (<20 ng/mL) was a risk factor for respiratory distress syndrome (odds ratio [OR], 4.32; P =0.010) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (OR, 4.11; P =0.035). Conclusion The results showed that 79.8% of preterm infants in this study had vitamin D deficiency at birth. Low vitamin D status was associated with respiratory morbidity, but the exact mechanism was unknown. Additional studies on the association between vitamin D level and neonatal morbidity are required.

A teratoma is the most common germ cell tumor in children; however, a gastric teratoma is very rare. An immature gastric teratoma has malignant potential; therefore, it should be removed surgically and followed up routinely to assess for recurrence by performing imaging studies and estimating serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level. We describe the case of a 2-day-old male neonate with abdominal distension and a palpable mass. He underwent surgical resection of a tumor that was diagnosed as an immature gastric teratoma.

Purpose: This report describes the results of a survey of the characteristics of pertussis in children from a single institution and compares it to data from the Korea Centers of Disease Control (KCDC). Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of 17 and 6 patients diagnosed with pertussis and parapertussis, respectively, at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital from January 2005 to January 2017. Results: Of the 17 patients with pertussis, 9 were under 1 year of age (52.9%), 3 were aged between 1 and 10 years (17.6%), and 5 were over 10 years of age (29.4%). Seven patients (41.2%) had never received diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccines, of which 5 were infants below 2 months of age and 2 were 10 years old and lived in China. Four patients showed the initial symptoms of cough in China. The sources of infection were the parents (2 cases) and the siblings (8 cases). All patients showed prolonged severe cough and the average duration of cough was 26 days. Severe symptoms, including dyspnea, cyanosis, apnea, and seizures, were observed in the children under 2 months of age. According to the recent 10-year KCDC data, the highest rate of pertussis diagnosis was noted in infants (47.8%), followed by adolescents (18.7%). Six patients with parapertussis also presented with prolonged severe cough without any other severe symptoms. Lymphocytosis was not found, unlike the patients with pertussis. Conclusion:The possibility of pertussis and parapertussis should be considered among patients with prolonged severe cough, especially in infants and adolescents. (Allergy Asthma Respir Dis 2018;6:54-61)