Evaluation of the relationship between opioid exposure in extremely low birth weight infants in the neonatal intensive care unit and neurodevelopmental outcome at 2years
Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants are exposed to many painful procedures while in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), such as catheter insertion and endotracheal intubation. Exposure of ELBW infants to repetitive pain and stress in the NICU can lead to cardiovascular instability and may alter neuronal and synaptic organization. Opioid analgesics are administered to reduce pain, stress and to potentially reduce poor neurologic outcomes. They may also be utilized as sedation for mechanically ventilated ELBW infants. (Source: Early Human Development)
Source: Early Human Development - November 26, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Melissa Kocek, Roger Wilcox, Christopher Crank, Kousiki Patra Source Type: research
Intrapartum fetal heart rate patterns of trisomy 21 fetuses: A case–control study
To determine whether there are specific characteristic intrapartum heart rate patterns for fetuses with trisomy 21(T21). (Source: Early Human Development)
Source: Early Human Development - November 26, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Inbal Koren, Rachel Michaelson-Cohen, Daniela Chen, Jennia Michaeli, Michael Schimmel, Avi Tsafrir, Ori Shen Source Type: research
Impact of intra- and extrauterine growth on bone mineral density and content in the neonatal period of very-low-birth-weight infants
Very-low-birthweight infants (VLBWIs) are at high risk for suboptimal bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC). Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) status also causes reduced bone mineralization in full-term infants. However, the impact of intrauterine and postnatal extrauterine growth on BMD and BMC in VLBWIs is inconclusive. (Source: Early Human Development)
Source: Early Human Development - November 24, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Jingang Li, Masahisa Funato, Hiroshi Tamai, Hiroshi Wada, Masato Nishihara, Takashi Morita, Suzanne L. Miller, Kayo Egashira Source Type: research
Relationship quality for mothers of very preterm infants
There is a paucity of information on couple relationship quality in mothers of preterm infants during the first year of life. Aim: To determine couple relationship quality in mothers of very preterm infants in comparison to mothers of term infants and to examine maternal and infant factors associated with impaired couple relationship for the preterm mothers. Methods: At 4 and 12months (corrected for prematurity for the preterm cohort), the mothers completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Parenting Stress Index and the Short Temperament Scale. (Source: Early Human Development)
Source: Early Human Development - November 24, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Dawn M. Edwards, Kristen Gibbons, Peter H. Gray Source Type: research
Cerebral blood flow and oximetry response to blood transfusion in relation to chronological age in preterm infants
Preterm infants frequently receive blood transfusion (BT) and the aim of this study was to measure the effect of BT on cerebral blood flow and oxygenation in preterm infants in relation to chronological age. (Source: Early Human Development)
Source: Early Human Development - November 24, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: J. Banerjee, T.S. Leung, N. Aladangady Source Type: research
Clinical utility of right ventricular fractional area change in preterm infants
Right ventricular fractional area change (RV FAC) is a novel non-invasive quantitative measure of RV function. Reference values of RV FAC and RV end systolic and diastolic areas (RVEDA, RVESA) have recently been established in preterm infants, but their role as marker to assess the efficacy of patient management strategies in the first week of life is largely unknown. The aims of this study were to assess the relationship between RV FAC and gestational age/birthweight, assess the RV FAC on day one of age to predict the later evolution of peri/intraventricular haemorrhage (P/IVH), and assess the influence of a persistent pa...
Source: Early Human Development - November 24, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Adam T. James, John David Corcoran, Orla Franklin, Afif Faisal EL-Khuffash Source Type: research
Mortality and morbidity risks vary with birth weight standard deviation score in growth restricted extremely preterm infants
To assess whether the mortality and morbidity risks vary with birth weight standard deviation score (BWSDS) in growth restricted extremely preterm infants. (Source: Early Human Development)
Source: Early Human Development - November 23, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Takuji Yamakawa, Kazuo Itabashi, Satoshi Kusuda, Neonatal Research Network of Japan Source Type: research
Cognitive and language performance in children is associated with maternal social anxiety disorder: A study of young mothers in southern Brazil
It has been shown that maternal mental health is associated with poorer skills development in the offspring. However, the evidence evaluating the association between social anxiety disorder (SAD) and cognitive or language development, is scarce. (Source: Early Human Development)
Source: Early Human Development - November 6, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Rochele Dias Castelli, Luciana de Ávila Quevedo, Fábio Monteiro da Cunha Coelho, Mariane Acosta Lopez, Ricardo Azevedo da Silva, Denise Müller Böhm, Luciano Dias de Mattos Souza, Mariana Bonati de Matos, Karen Amaral Tavares Pinheiro, Ricardo Tavares Source Type: research
Proximate causes of the variation of the human sex ratio at birth
There is evidence that the human sex ratio (proportion males at birth) is the result of two processes. First, the sexes of zygotes (from which the primary sex ratio would be calculated) are thought to be partially controlled by the hormone levels of both parents around the time of conception. Second, this primary sex ratio is apparently modified downwards by male-sex-selective spontaneous abortion caused by high levels of maternal stress-induced adrenal androgens, thus yielding the sex ratio at birth (the secondary sex ratio). (Source: Early Human Development)
Source: Early Human Development - November 5, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: William H. James Source Type: research
The sex ratio at birth in South Africa increased 9months after the 2010 FIFA World Cup
In humans in the absence of significant stress the sex ratio at birth [males/(males+females)] is in favor of more male than female live births. (Source: Early Human Development)
Source: Early Human Development - November 3, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Gwinyai Masukume, Victor Grech Tags: Best practice guidelines Source Type: research
Seasonal inconstancy of human sex ratio at birth
A large body of literature describes relationships between the sex ratio at birth and modifying factors. The relationships that display seasonal fluctuations are hypothesized to reflect causal impact of periconceptional and later intrauterine effects. This short review summarizes the results of studies that investigated internal and external influences on the seasonal pattern of human sex ratio at birth. (Source: Early Human Development)
Source: Early Human Development - November 2, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Vladimir N. Melnikov Tags: Best practice guidelines Source Type: research
Gendercide and femineglect
(the deliberate neglect of females vis-à-vis health, education, etc.) is rampant, especially in Asia. This paper reviews gendercide, the selective abortion of female foetuses based solely on gender, and femineglect, along with the inevitable and potentially catastrophic demographic consequences. (Source: Early Human Development)
Source: Early Human Development - November 2, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Victor Grech Source Type: research
Skin to skin care and heart rate regulation
Recently we read the papers by Neu et al. and Mörelius et al. [1,2]. Their research documented cortisol co-regulation between mothers and infants during skin to skin care (SSC). Even though both studies' results exhibited lower cortisol levels, in one study with marginal differences [1] and in the other, with significant differences [2] between a group of premature infants SSC treated, as compared to the standard care (SC) group, only Mörelius et al. found cortisol co-regulation at four months of age, as an index of neuro-endrocrine effect of SSC [2]. (Source: Early Human Development)
Source: Early Human Development - October 31, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Vania Aldrete-Cortez, Joseph Perapoch, Adrián Poblano Source Type: research
Privation, stress, and human sex ratio at birth
This article reviews the growing interdisciplinary literature on the effect of privation and stress on human sex ratio at birth. Borrowing strength from the potential outcomes causal analysis framework, the discussion focuses on the issues of study design and identification strategy and how they have influenced the current state of the field. The review suggests that much of the inconsistency in the literature regarding the effect of privation and stress on human sex ratio at birth is due to the weak designs and over-simplistic identification strategies used in previous studies. (Source: Early Human Development)
Source: Early Human Development - October 31, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Shige Song Tags: Best practice guidelines Source Type: research
The male to female ratio at birth
The human sex ratio (males:females) varies depending on when it is measured. The primary sex ratio is that present at fertilisation. The secondary sex ratio is that recorded at birth. The tertiary sex ratio is that of the sexually mature members of any particular population and the quaternary ratio is that of the surviving populace at post-reproductive age. This introduction and the subsequent papers in this collection will deal with the secondary sex ratio (M/F). (Source: Early Human Development)
Source: Early Human Development - October 30, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Victor Grech Tags: Introduction Source Type: research
