Group Of High-risk Infants Research Articles

Concurrent and predictive validity of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale and the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 administered to infants born preterm in Norway

BackgroundThe correlation between the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2) has not previously been assessed in Norwegian infants. Our purpose was to investigate the concurrent validity of the AIMS and the PDMS-2 in a group of high-risk infants, and to investigate the predictive validity of the two tests for atypical motor function at 24 months post term age (PTA).MethodsThis is a retrospective study of the AIMS and the PDMS-2 administered to infants born preterm with gestational age ≤ 32 weeks (n = 139) who had participated in a randomized controlled trial of early parent-administered physiotherapy. The infants’ motor development had been assessed using the AIMS and the PDMS-2 at 6- and 12-months. The primary outcome was PDMS-2 at 24-months PTA. To explore the correlation between the two tests we used Spearman’s rho. Bland Altman plots were used to detect if there were systematic differences between the measurements. Receiver-operating characteristics curves were used to calculate area under the curve as an estimate of diagnostic accuracy of the AIMS and the PDMS- with respect to motor outcome at 24 months.ResultsThe correlation between the AIMS and the PDMS-2 (total motor and locomotion subscale), at 6 months, was r = 0.44 and r = 0.76, and at 12 months r = 0.56 and r = 0.80 respectively. The predictive validity for atypical motor function at 24 months, assessed using the area under the curve at 6- and at 12- months, was for the AIMS 0.87 and 0.86, respectively, and for the PDMS-2 locomotion subscale 0.82 and 0.76 respectively.ConclusionThe correlation between the AIMS and the PDMS-2 locomotion subscale, at 6- and 12- months PTA, was good to excellent in a group of infants born preterm in Norway. And the AIMS and the locomotion subscale of the PDMS-2 were equally good predictors for atypical motor outcomes at 24 months PTA. These findings indicate that the AIMS and the locomotion subscale of the PDM-2, could be used interchangeable when assessing motor development in infants at 6- or 12 months of age.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01089296.

Early versus delayed enteral nutrition for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy undergoing therapeutic hypothermia: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThe practice of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is widely used for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) despite its corresponding feeding strategies are still controversial. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) demonstrated to evaluate the effect of early vs. delayed enteral nutrition on the incidence of feeding intolerance (FI) and other association during TH.MethodsThis single center, parallel-group, and no-blinded RCT was processed in a level III, and academic neonatal intensive care unit. Infants who were diagnosed with HIE and undertaken TH from September 2020 to August 2021 were enrolled. Participants were randomized to receive enteral nutrition either during TH/rewarming (early enteral nutrition, EEN) or after TH (delayed enteral nutrition, DEN) according to a recommend enteral feeding protocol. All data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 software with a p-value< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsNinety-two infants were enrolled after randomization, but 12 (13.04%) cases including 3 (3.26%) deaths were excluded from eventually analyzed, who did not initiate or discontinue the intervention. 80 cases (42 and 38 in the EEN and DEN group, respectively) who completed the interventions were eventually analyzed. Besides initial time of enteral feeds, two groups had processed the same feeding method. Total 23 (25.0%) cases developed FI, and no difference of morbidity was found between two groups (23.4% vs 26.7%, p = 0.595; Log Rank, p = 0.803). There was no case died or developed late-onset bloodstream and no difference of the incidence of hypoglycemia or weight gain was found (p > 0.05). The percentage of infants who had not reaching the goal of full enteral feeding volume between the two groups was similar (21.43% vs 23.68%, p = 0.809). The average time of parenteral nutrition, reaching full enteral feeds and hospital stay were shorter in the EEN group compared with the DEN group with significant differences (8.81 ± 1.67 vs 10.61 ± 2.06 days, p < 0.001; 9.91 ± 1.88 vs 12.24 ± 2.50 days, p < 0.001; 12.55 ± 4.57 vs 16.47 ± 5.27 days, p = 0.001 respectively).ConclusionsCompared with delayed enteral nutrition, introduction of early enteral nutrition according to a recommend feeding strategy for neonatal HIE undergoing TH may be feasible and safe.FI is frequent in this high-risk group of infants which should not be ignored during feeding process.Trial registrationThe Chinese Clinical Trial Registry,ChiCTR2000038193, 2020-9-13, https://www.chictr.org.cn.

Efficacy of the Inquiring About Tolerance (EAT) Study Among Infants at High Risk of Developing Food Allergy

MR Perkin, K Logan, HT Bahnson. J Allergy Clin Immunol . 2019;144(6):1606–1614.e2 The EAT study was a large randomized trial examining early introduction of common allergenic foods and risk of food allergy in children. This study examined the benefit of early food introduction in infants at high risk of developing food allergy. Participants were recruited from England and Wales. Secondary analysis was performed for 3 groups of high-risk infants: non-white ( n = 199), visible eczema ( n = 317), and infants with food sensitization defined as a serum IgE >0.01 kU/L ( n = 157). Infants were randomized into a …

27 Determinants of referral to developmental resources among neonatal follow-up patients discharged from tertiary neonatal unit from 2005 UNTIL 2014

Abstract Background Lower gestational age or birth weight and higher rate of neurodevelopmental impairment have been commonly linked to higher need for developmental resources in premature infants. Existing evidence on need for developmental support in premature infants is limited in description of the needs, timing and method of assessment. Objectives To identify predictors for the needs for developmental resources among high-risk groups of infants born less than 29 weeks or with a birth weight (BW) less than 1250 grams. Secondarily, to compare the need of referrals to developmental resources and the rate of neurodevelopmental impairment defined as cerebral palsy, global developmental delay, blindness and deafness for this high risk population. Design/Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of premature infants &amp;lt; 29+0 weeks GA or BW &amp;lt; 1250 grams born between January 2005 and December 31st 2014, who had at least one visit at the neonatal follow up clinic. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine potential predictors for referral to developmental resources. Results The study included 687 infants. Within this high risk population, 579 (85.0%) of infants were referred, of these 153 (26.4%) had one referral, 132 (22.8%) had 2 and 294 (50.8%) had 3 or more referral/s to developmental resources. Most frequent referrals were for speech therapy (339, 50.0%) physiotherapy (319, 46.8%) occupational therapy (262, 38.3%) and infant development program (232, 34.1%). The rates of referral to developmental resources decrease with increasing gestational age. Multivariate logistic regressions showed that gestational age (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.05 - 1.35), birth weight (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77 - 0.99), female gender (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.49 - 0.99), intraventricular hemorrhage grades III-IV (OR: 3.02, 95% CI: 1.28 - 7.16), and days on mechanical ventilator (OR:1.03, 95% CI: 1.01 - 1.05) were predictors for 2 or more referrals to developmental resources. Cerebral palsy was present in 4.4 % of the study population, deafness in 4% and blindness in 0.6%. The rate of referral to developmental resources was 54 (98.2%) among infants with neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) compared to 522 (83.9%) in infants without NDI (p value= 0.01). Conclusion There is substantial need for developmental support among high-risk premature infants. Infants without neurodevelopmental impairments still need significant developmental resources to achieve their outcome.

Prevalence and clinical characteristics of perinatal chronic lung disease by infant gestational age.

BACKGROUND:Children with perinatal chronic lung disease (CLD) are at elevated risk for severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease in the first two years of life. The American Academy of Pediatrics policy does not recommend RSV immunoprophylaxis for infants with CLD born at ≥32 weeks’ gestational age (wGA). The objective of this study was to describe the number and clinical characteristics of US infants in this population.METHODS:Birth hospitalization data from the Kids’ Inpatient Database were utilized to estimate the prevalence of CLD (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision [ICD-9] = 770.7) in 2003-2012 overall and by gestational age (ICD-9 = 765.21–765.29). CLD birth hospitalizations were evaluated by length of stay, costs, ventilatory support, and inpatient mortality.RESULTS:A total of 33,537 infants were diagnosed with CLD, representing 0.2% of US births; 79% had wGA coded in the database. Among infants with CLD with wGA, 3.5% were born at >32 wGA, representing 7 of every 100,000 US births, or approximately 300 infants annually. Across all wGA categories, birth hospitalization length of stay and costs were elevated, and mechanical ventilation use ranged from 73% to 97%. All-cause inpatient mortality was highest among those <27 wGA and >32 wGA.CONCLUSIONS:Approximately 300 infants born at >32 wGA are diagnosed with CLD annually in the United States. The all-cause perinatal mortality rate is high in this population. The rationale for excluding this small but high-risk group of infants from the recommendations for RSV immunoprophylaxis is unclear.

Respiratory syncytial virus: diagnosis, prevention and management.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is responsible for a large burden of disease globally and can present as a variety of clinical syndromes in children of all ages. Bronchiolitis in infants under 1 year of age is the most common clinical presentation hospitalizing 24.2 per 1000 infants each year in the United Kingdom. RSV has been shown to account for 22% of all episodes of acute lower respiratory tract infection in children globally. RSV hospitalization, that is, RSV severe disease, has also been associated with subsequent chronic respiratory morbidity. Routine viral testing in all children is not currently recommended by the United Kingdom National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) or the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidance and management is largely supportive. There is some evidence for the use of ribavirin in severely immunocompromised children. Emphasis is placed on prevention of RSV infection through infection control measures both in hospital and in the community, and the use of the RSV-specific monoclonal antibody, palivizumab, for certain high-risk groups of infants. New RSV antivirals and vaccines are currently in development. Ongoing work is needed to improve the prevention of RSV infection, not only because of the acute morbidity and mortality, but also to reduce the associated chronic respiratory morbidity after severe infection.

737. The Prevalence of Diagnosed Chronic Lung Disease in US Infants by Gestational Age: Implications for RSV Policy

BackgroundPerinatal chronic lung disease (CLD), previously referred to as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), is associated with preterm birth and occurs rarely among term infants. Children with CLD are at elevated risk for severe RSV disease in the first 2 years of life. Definitions of CLD/BPD identify infants who require supplemental oxygen at 28 days of life or 36 weeks postmenstrual age, with no restriction by gestational age (GA) at birth. However, the AAP Committee on Infectious Disease guidance does not recommend RSV immunoprophylaxis for infants with CLD born at ≥32 weeks gestational age (wGA), even though infants with CLD/BPD up to 41 wGA were included in pivotal efficacy studies. This study determined the prevalence of diagnosed CLD in US infants as a function of wGA at birth and the number of infants with CLD born at ≥32 wGA.MethodsThe Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) is a nationally representative survey conducted every 3 years in the United States. Birth hospitalization data from KID were utilized to estimate the prevalence of CLD (ICD-9 = 770.7) among US infants in 2003–2012 overall and as a function of coincident codes for GA (ICD-9 = 765.21–765.29, reported in 2-week intervals). The prevalence of CLD among 32 wGA infants was imputed based on the distribution of CLD cases as a function of wGA. KID data from 2015 were not available due to the transition to ICD-10 coding.ResultsA total of 31,984 infants had a CLD diagnosis across the 4 years, representing 0.2% of US births. The prevalence of CLD declined from 20.8 to 19.5 per 10,000 between 2003 and 2012. Of those, 25,554 infants with CLD (80%) had GA coded in the database. The percentage of CLD infants born at <27 wGA increased from 44% in 2003 to 52% in 2012, whereas the percentage at ≥29 wGA decreased from 27% to 21% (figure). Overall, the percentages born at 31–32, 33–34, and >34 wGA were 5.7%, 2.2%, and 1.2%, respectively. An estimated 5.7% of infants with CLD were born at ≥32 wGA, representing 0.9 of every 10,000 US births or ~350 infants annually.ConclusionFewer than 400 infants are born at ≥32 wGA and diagnosed with CLD annually in the United States. The rationale for excluding this small but high-risk group of infants from the population recommended for RSV immunoprophylaxis is not clear.Funded by AstraZeneca :Disclosures. C. S. Ambrose, AstraZeneca: Employee, Salary and Stocks. X. Jiang, EpiStat Institute: Employee, Consulting fee and Salary. AstraZeneca: Consultant, Consulting fee. K. Mavunda, AstraZeneca: Speaker’s Bureau, Speaker honorarium.

A retrospective review of the Pediatric Development Clinic implementation: a model to improve medical, nutritional and developmental outcomes of at-risk under-five children in rural Rwanda

BackgroundAs more high-risk newborns survive the neonatal period, they remain at significant medical, nutritional, and developmental risk. However, no follow-up system for early intervention exists in most developing countries. In 2014, a novel Pediatric Development Clinic (PDC) was implemented to provide comprehensive follow-up to at-risk under-five children, led by nurses and social workers in a district hospital and surrounding health centers in rural Rwanda.MethodsAt each PDC visit, children undergo clinical/nutritional assessment and caregivers participate in counseling sessions. Social assessments identify families needing additional social support. Developmental assessment is completed using Ages and Stages Questionnaires. A retrospective medical record review was conducted to evaluate the first 24 months of PDC implementation for patients enrolled between April 2014–December 2015 in rural Rwanda. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients and their caregivers were described using frequencies and proportions. Completion of different core components of PDC visits were compared overtime using Fisher’s Exact test and p-values calculated using trend analysis.Results426 patients enrolled at 5 PDC sites. 54% were female, 44% were neonates and 35% were under 6 months at enrollment. Most frequent referral reasons were prematurity/low birth weight (63%) and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (34%). In 24 months, 2787 PDC visits were conducted. Nurses consistently completed anthropometric measurements (age, weight, height) at all visits. Some visit components were inconsistently recorded, including adjusted age (p = 0.003), interval growth, danger sign assessment, and feeding difficulties (p < 0.001). Completion of other visit components, such as child development counseling and play/stimulation activities, were low but improved with time (p < 0.001).ConclusionsIt is feasible to implement PDCs with non-specialized providers in rural settings as we were able to enroll a diverse group of high-risk infants. We are seeing an improvement in services offered at PDCs over time and continuous quality improvement efforts are underway to strengthen current gaps. Future studies looking at the outcomes of the children benefiting from the PDC program are underway.

Temperament and its Association with Autism Symptoms in a High-risk Population.

Temperament was investigated in a group of high-risk infants (N = 383; 45% girls) who had an older sibling with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and in community control infants (N = 162; 46% girls) with no family history of ASD (low-risk). The infants were assessed at age 12months using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire, and at 24months using the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire. At 36months, an independent blind diagnostic assessment for ASD was conducted using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). The results indicate not only differences in temperament traits between the high- and low-risk groups, but also differences in the structure of higher-order temperament factors. The results support the importance of early reactive temperament in the development of Effortful Control in the high-risk sample. Furthermore, Effortful Control at 24months appears to play a critical role in predicting later ASD symptoms (at 36months). Taken together, these findings support the use of early temperament as an endophenotype for ASD.

Placental FKBP5 genetic and epigenetic variation is associated with infant neurobehavioral outcomes in the RICHS cohort.

Adverse maternal environments can lead to increased fetal exposure to maternal cortisol, which can cause infant neurobehavioral deficits. The placenta regulates fetal cortisol exposure and response, and placental DNA methylation can influence this function. FK506 binding protein (FKBP5) is a negative regulator of cortisol response, FKBP5 methylation has been linked to brain morphology and mental disorder risk, and genetic variation of FKBP5 was associated with post-traumatic stress disorder in adults. We hypothesized that placental FKBP5 methylation and genetic variation contribute to gene expression control, and are associated with infant neurodevelopmental outcomes assessed using the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Network Neurobehavioral Scales (NNNS). In 509 infants enrolled in the Rhode Island Child Health Study, placental FKBP5 methylation was measured at intron 7 using quantitative bisulfite pyrosequencing. Placental FKBP5 mRNA was measured in a subset of 61 infants by quantitative PCR, and the SNP rs1360780 was genotyped using a quantitative allelic discrimination assay. Relationships between methylation, expression and NNNS scores were examined using linear models adjusted for confounding variables, then logistic models were created to determine the influence of methylation on membership in high risk groups of infants. FKBP5 methylation was negatively associated with expression (P = 0.08, r = −0.22); infants with the TT genotype had higher expression than individuals with CC and CT genotypes (P = 0.06), and those with CC genotype displayed a negative relationship between methylation and expression (P = 0.06, r = −0.43). Infants in the highest quartile of FKBP5 methylation had increased risk of NNNS high arousal compared to infants in the lowest quartile (OR 2.22, CI 1.07–4.61). TT genotype infants had increased odds of high NNNS stress abstinence (OR 1.98, CI 0.92–4.26). Placental FKBP5 methylation reduces expression in a genotype specific fashion, and genetic variation supersedes this effect. These genetic and epigenetic differences in expression may alter the placenta’s ability to modulate cortisol response and exposure, leading to altered neurobehavioral outcomes.

Poor birth weight recovery among low birth weight/preterm infants following hospital discharge in Kampala, Uganda

BackgroundHealthy infants typically regain their birth weight by 21 days of age; however, failure to do so may be due to medical, nutritional or environmental factors. Globally, the incidence of low birth weight deliveries is high, but few studies have assessed the postnatal weight changes in this category of infants, especially in Africa. The aim was to determine what proportion of LBW infants had not regained their birth weight by 21 days of age after discharge from the Special Care Unit of Mulago hospital, Kampala.MethodsA cross sectional study was conducted assessing weight recovery of 235 LBW infants attending the Kangaroo Clinic in the Special Care Unit of Mulago Hospital between January and April 2010. Infants aged 21 days with a documented birth weight and whose mothers gave consent to participate were included in the study. Baseline information was collected on demographic characteristics, history on pregnancy, delivery and postnatal outcome through interviews. Pertinent infant information like gestation age, diagnosis and management was obtained from the medical records and summarized in the case report forms.ResultsOf the 235 LBW infants, 113 (48.1%) had not regained their birth weight by 21 days. Duration of hospitalization for more than 7 days (AOR: 4.2; 95% CI: 2.3 - 7.6; p value < 0.001) and initiation of the first feed after 48 hours (AOR: 1.9; 95% CI 1.1 - 3.4 p value 0.034) were independently associated with failure to regain birth weight. Maternal factors and the infant's physical examination findings were not significantly associated with failure to regain birth weight by 21 days of age.ConclusionFailure to regain birth weight among LBW infants by 21 days of age is a common problem in Mulago Hospital occurring in almost half of the neonates attending the Kangaroo clinic. Currently, the burden of morbidity in this group of high-risk infants is undetected and unaddressed in many developing countries. Measures for consideration to improve care of these infants would include; discharge after regaining birth weight and use of total parenteral nutrition. However, due to the pressure of space, keeping the baby and mother is not feasible at the moment hence the need for a strong community system to boost care of the infant. Close networking with support groups within the child's environment could help alleviate this problem.

Fatores associados à morbidade respiratória entre 12 e 36 meses de vida de crianças nascidas de muito baixo peso oriundas de uma UTI neonatal pública

The aim of this paper was to estimate respiratory morbidity and its determinants for premature infants aged 12 to 36 months. The population comprised 84 infants from a cohort of very low birth weight premature infants. The outcome was the respiratory morbidity incidence rate. The relationship between the independent variables and respiratory morbidity was estimated using a Poisson regression model. From 12 to 24 months of age, 56.3% of children had experienced at least one episode of respiratory disease. >From 24 to 36 months, 38.1% of children were affected. Variables significantly associated with respiratory morbidity were bronchopulmonary dysplasia (RR = 1.9; 95%CI: 1.2-2.9), abnormal lung compliance (RR = 1.6; 95%CI: 1.1-2.3), neonatal pneumonia (RR = 2.8; 95%CI: 1.9-4.0), patent ductus arteriosus (RR = 1.6; 95%CI: 1.1-2.5), and respiratory morbidity in the first year of life (RR = 1.7; 95%CI: 1.2-2.5). The incidence of respiratory morbidity remains high in this group of high-risk infants, which calls for regular follow-up and effective interventions to prevent respiratory disease and to improve the quality of life of these children and their families.

Late preterm infants: severe hyperbilirubinemia and postnatal glucose homeostasis

The identification of late preterm infants as a high-risk group of infants has been an important public health breakthrough. These infants have suffered a relative 'silent morbidity and mortality' before the recognition that they have unique physiology and risks. These infants represent almost three-fourths of all premature births in the United States. Many of these infants, because of their birthweight and appearance, have been treated in Well Baby Nurseries and even discharged by 48 h of birth despite specific unidentified or unappreciated risks that have led to their readmission and possible severe morbidities or even death. Two common problems for these infants include neonatal hypoglycemia and severe hyperbilirubinemia. The definition of hypoglycemia remains controversial but is nonetheless a problem of increasing frequency in these infants.

PSYCHOMOTOR DEVELOPMENT IN PREMATURE INFANTS UNTIL THE END OF THEIR THIRD YEAR OF LIFE

Received: 20. 04. 2009 Accepted: 18. 05. 2009 Original article Abstract Psychomotor development in premature infants has specific characteristics with increased tendency towards neuro-developmental difficulties, such as the fact that certain percent of the developmentally challenged people belongs in this category of children. Many factors contribute to the neuro-developmental difficulties in premature infants. A large number of studies have shown that the birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA) have strong correlation with the neuro-developmental outcome. In order to establish the general developmental outcome and the developmental outcome in specific areas of early development, that is the first three years of life in preemies, we have conducted a research on our own population. We conducted a longitudinal study on 20 premature newborns with very low birth weight (VLBW), with a follow-up period from 4 weeks CGA until 36 weeks GA. The research results showed that the largest difference in developmental areas between the group of premature infants with VLBW and the control group is present at the end of the 36th month of life and the general development quotient (GDQ) in the premature group was significantly lower during the whole follow-up period, except at the end of month 4 - in different developmental areas. We also concluded that 20% of the premature infants with VLBW have developmental difficulties and severe difficulties in their motor development. Key words: premature infants with VLBW, Griffiths Mental Development Scales, GDQ, developmental areas. (ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.) Introduction Neuro-developmental Characteristics of Premature Newborns The neurological system of the preemie, as a result of its immaturity, is exposed to constant danger in an anatomical, chemical and physical manner. The uncompleted maturity of its organism accounts for the difficult adaptation to the outer environmental stress, which, on the other hand, contributes to bleeding and PVL malations in the CNS - the biggest issue of neuro-developmental difficulties in this group of high-risk infants. The white brain matter is especially sensitive to this kind of problems. These afflictions are strongly associated with motor problems. Preemies are a vulnerable group of children and their development in large extent depends on their maturity, the birth conditions and the support given during the early developmental period. The baby's adaptive ability is underdeveloped in the new environment as a result of its immature organism. Since its birth the baby is exposed to plenty of tactile stimuli, many of which are painful. During the last three decades, neonatal mortality notes dramatic fall, especially in preemies with GA lower than 32 GW and in extreme preemies (GA lower than 28 GW). This condition raises another issue: Does the mortality decrease or increase the number of developmentally challenged persons? The answer should be looked in the longitudinal research. Prematurity is often related to longer periods of hospitalization, separation from the parents, and deprivation of parental touch. It is also related to fear for life and consequences on the development, which results in anxiety at parents and taking protective attitude towards the child. In early diagnostics, 40-80% of premature infants are diagnosed with transitory neurological difficulties accompanied by hypotonic or hypertonic signs that should disappear in the first 3-9 months of life. In two thirds of the preemies with very low birth weight (VLBW) the transitory neurological difficulties should disappear with continuous development of the infant. Some of these children have motor balance and coordination difficulties for a longer period of time. Studies show that premature infants with VLBW (.1500gr.) in their early developmental period suffer from severe developmental difficulties such as Cerbral Palsy, mental handicap, etc. …

Acoustic cry characteristics of infants exposed to methadone during pregnancy

Infant cry characteristics reflect the neurological and medical status of the infant. This study compared the acoustic cry characteristics of infants born to mothers maintained on methadone during pregnancy with those of infants not exposed to methadone during pregnancy. At 42 weeks of post-menstrual age, 89 crying episodes ranging in duration from 1.15 to 1.97 sec were collected from 10 methadone-exposed (ME) and 10 non-methadone-exposed (NE) infants. Cry utterances were analysed acoustically using spectrographic displays and measures of cry utterance duration and fine-grained analyses of the fundamental frequency calculated for each cry. No between-group differences were found on measures of cry duration or fundamental frequency. However, analyses of frequency perturbation showed that the cry utterances of ME infants were characterized by significantly higher levels of frequency perturbation than the cries of infants not exposed to methadone. These effects largely persisted after statistical control for the confounding effects of other maternal drug use during pregnancy. The crying behaviour of infants exposed prenatally to the synthetic opiate, methadone, is characterized by higher levels of vocal fold vibratory perturbation than NE infants. These findings suggest the possibility of early, subtle neurological vulnerability in this high-risk group of infants.

COMPARISON OF REFLEX MODIFICATION PROCEDURES AND AUDITORY BRAINSTEM RESPONSE IN HIGH-RISK NEONATES

This study compared the results of reflex modification (RM)--an objective technique for assessing brainstem sensorineural processing--with those of auditory brainstem response (ABR) for a group of high-risk infants at comparable postconceptional ages. For the RM procedure, an eyeblink-eliciting tap to the glabella was presented either alone or accompanied by a brief 90dB SPL tone. 37 high-risk infants were tested with both RM and ABR at a mean postconceptional age of 37.3 weeks. Seven had an increased brainstem conduction time ('failed ABR') and eight did not exhibit significant reflex augmentation ('failed RM'), seven of whom also failed the ABR. These data provide evidence that sensory stimuli which affect the neural mechanisms responsible for the organization of the startle response and auditory processing share essential neural components.

Randomized Trial of Milrinone Versus Placebo for Prevention of Low Systemic Blood Flow in Very Preterm Infants

To assess the effectiveness of early prophylactic milrinone versus placebo for prevention of low systemic blood flow in high-risk preterm infants. Double-blind randomized placebo controlled trial of milrinone (loading dose 0.75 microg/kg/min for 3 hours then maintenance 0.2 microg/kg/min until 18 hours after birth) versus placebo. Infants born <30 weeks gestational age and <6 hours of age were eligible and were monitored with serial echocardiography, head ultrasound scanning, and continuous invasive blood pressure. Primary outcome was maintenance of superior vena cava (SVC) flow > or =45 mL/kg/min through the first 24 hours. The exit criterion was hypotension unresponsive to volume and inotropes. Ninety infants were enrolled, equal proportions maintained SVC flow > or =45 mL/kg/min after treatment commenced. No significant difference was observed in SVC flow, right ventricular output, and blood pressure during the first 24 hours; or grades 3 to 4 periventricular/intraventricular hemorrhage and death. Heart rate was higher and constriction of the ductus was slower in the infants randomized to milrinone. Milrinone did not prevent low systemic blood flow during the first 24 hours in very preterm infants, and no adverse effects were attributable to milrinone. Use of a preventative treatment with rescue model allowed comparison of an inotrope with placebo in this high-risk group of infants.

Coronavirus NL63 Illnesses in Infancy are a Risk Factor for Asthma at Age Six

RATIONALE: In infancy, rhinovirus illnesses and severe RSV bronchiolitis indicate increased risk for recurrent wheezing and asthma, but there is less information about other viruses. We evaluated the frequency and severity of metapneumovirus (HMPV) and coronavirus (HCV) infections in a high-risk group of infants.

Prophylaxis with palivizumab against respiratory syncytial virus infection in infants with congenital heart disease—who should receive it?

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is the leading cause of infection of the lower respiratory tract in infants, and is also the leading cause of hospitalization during the first year of life. In this issue of Acta Paediatrica, Meberg and Bru report on the incidence and estimated costs of hospitalizations for RSV infections in children with congenital heart disease from a specified region in Norway. Incidence figures of hospitalization due to RSV infection in this high-risk group of infants were similar to the results from several other reports. The cost-benefit analysis of prophylaxis against RSV infection in infants with congenital heart disease, using the monoclonal antibody palivizumab, should also take into account potential savings attributable to such prophylaxis.

Habituation in high‐risk infants: reliability and patterns of responding

AbstractWe examined both the reliability of infant‐controlled habituation and patterns of responding in a group of high‐risk infants (mean age 16 mos). Good test–retest reliability was found for mean, total, and baseline looking time for one of the stimuli. Classification of infants' pattern of performance yielded two groups: linear (57%) and non‐linear (29%) responders; 14% of cases could not be classified because of cross‐session inconsistencies in performance. Linear responders had shorter total looking times, fewer trials to criterion, and showed more habituation than non‐linear responders, thus validating the linear/non‐linear distinction. Our findings indicate that the infant‐controlled habituation task can be used reliably with infants who are at high risk for developmental disorders. Indeed, we provide evidence that this task is not only reliable, but may also provide meaningful distinctions between infants within the high‐risk population. Discussion focuses on the role of attention in distinguishing between short (linear) and long (non‐linear) lookers. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.