Objective To assess the utility of clinical predictors of persistent respiratory morbidity in extremely low gestational age newborns (ELGAN). Study Design We enrolled ELGAN (<29 weeks’ gestation) at ≤7 postnatal days and collected antenatal and neonatal clinical data through 36 weeks’ post-menstrual age. We surveyed caregivers at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months corrected age to identify post-discharge respiratory morbidity, defined as hospitalization, home support (oxygen, tracheotomy, ventilation), medications, or symptoms (cough/wheeze). Infants were classified as post-prematurity respiratory disease (PRD, the primary study outcome), if respiratory morbidity persisted over ≥2 questionnaires. Infants were classified with severe respiratory morbidity if there were multiple hospitalizations, exposure to systemic steroids or pulmonary vasodilators, home oxygen after 3 months or mechanical ventilation, or symptoms despite inhaled corticosteroids. Mixed effects models generated with data available at one day (perinatal) and 36 weeks’ postmenstrual age were assessed for predictive accuracy. Results Of 724 infants (918±234g, 26.7±1.4 weeks’ gestational age) classified for the primary outcome, 68.6% had PRD; 245/704 (34.8%) were classified as severe. Male sex, intrauterine growth restriction, maternal smoking, race/ethnicity, intubation at birth, and public insurance were retained in perinatal and 36-week models for both PRD and respiratory morbidity severity. The perinatal model accurately predicted PRD (c-statistic 0.858). Neither the 36-week model nor the addition of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) to the perinatal model improved accuracy (0.856, 0.860); c-statistic for BPD-alone was 0.907. Conclusion Both BPD and perinatal clinical data accurately identify ELGAN at risk for persistent and severe respiratory morbidity at one year. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01435187

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Objective: We sought to determine the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) in surviving extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW, <1000 g birth weight) infants and to establish the impact of NEC on outcomes by hospital discharge and at 18 to 22 months adjusted age in a large, contemporary, population-based practice.Study Design: Hospital outcome data for all ELBW infants born in the greater Cincinnati region from 1998 to 2009 were extracted from the National Institute of Child Health Neonatal Research Network Database. Neurodevelopmental outcome at 18 to 22 months was assessed using Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II scores for Mental Developmental Index and Psychomotor Developmental Index. Multivariable logistic regression was used and adjusted odds ratios reported to control for confounders.Result: From 1998 to 2009, ELBW infants accounted for 0.5% of the 352 176 live-born infants in greater Cincinnati. The incidence of NEC was 12%, with a 50% case-fatality rate. Death before discharge, morbid complications of prematurity and neurodevelopmental impairment were all increased among infants diagnosed with NEC. Infants with surgical NEC and SIP had a higher incidence of death, but long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes were not different comparing surviving ELBW infants with medical NEC, surgical NEC and SIP.Conclusion: Although ELBW infants comprise a very small proportion of live-born infants, those who develop NEC and SIP are at an increased risk for death, morbid complications of prematurity and neurodevelopmental impairment. No significant differences in neurodevelopmental outcomes were observed between the medical and surgical NEC and SIP groups. Journal of Perinatology (2012) 32, 552-558; doi:10.1038/jp.2011.176; published online 8 December 2011Keywords: necrotizing enterocolitis; extremely low-birth-weight; neurodevelopmental outcome; Bayley scales of infant development Introduction Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe gastrointestinal disease with significant mortality and morbidity predominantly affecting preterm infants. 1,2 Extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants (birth weight p1000 g) and infants with gestation <28 weeks are most susceptible. Despite advances in neonatal and perinatal medicine that have enabled the survival of increasing numbers of ELBW infants, the incidence (5 to 11%) and mortality rate (15 to 25%) for ELBW infants with NEC has not improved over the past 30 years. 2-5 Increasingly, extremely premature infants are surviving early problems of prematurity only to succumb to later complications, specifically NEC. 6 Outcome studies indicate that many ELBW infants with NEC who receive medical treatment have longer-term outcomes similar to infants without NEC of matched gestational age. Infants with progressive disease requiring surgical intervention exhibit higher rates of mortality (30 to 40%) and suffer the preponderance of neurodevelopmental morbidities. 2,7,8 Spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) is an acquired form of neonat...

Objective: To determine patterns of respiratory medications used in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) graduates. Study design: The Prematurity Respiratory Outcomes Program enrolled 835 babies <29 weeks gestation in the first week. Of 751 survivors, 738 (98%) completed at least 1, and 85% completed

To investigate vitamin D homeostasis in term pregnancy, we measured 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) in serum samples from 19 term pregnant women and in samples from the placental veins of their infants. Samples were obtained from 14 neonates at 24 hours of age. At delivery, maternal concentrations of 1,25(OH)2D were elevated above normal adult values; placental-vein concentrations in the infants were significantly lower than adult normal or maternal values and bore no relation to maternal values. By the time the infants reached 24 hours of age, their serum concentrations had reached normal adult values, concomitant with a decrease in serum concentration of ionized calcium. We speculate that low 1,25(OH)2D concentrations in utero suggest that there is no need for intestinal calcium absorption in the fetus. Postnatal increase of 1,25(OH)2D may result from its production as a prerequisite to extrauterine requirements for intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphorus.