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Target Body Temperature in Very Low Birth Weight Infants: Clinical Consensus in Place of Scientific Evidence.

ABSTRACT: Background: Although thermal care is part of the daily routine in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), scientific evidence on what is the appropriate body temperature for very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) is largely lacking. Aim: To find out to what extent the standards of thermal care vary among high-level NICUs, especially with respect to the target body temperature in VLBWI. Methods: An online survey with 21 questions on thermal care in three categories of VLBWI was sent to 149 NICUs in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Results and discussion: Out of 112 (75%) returned questionnaires, 87 (58%) were included into analysis. A significant increase in incubator settings (air temperature/relative humidity) with decreasing gestational age and birth weight was reported, according to common textbook recommendations. However, a uniform target body temperature of 36.99 ± 0.19°C was chosen for all VLBWI categories. Likewise, the cut-off points for hypo- and hyperthermia were defined very similarly and showed low inter-center variability. This is a remarkable finding in view of the fact that the body temperature of mammalian fetuses in utero is 0.5-1.0°C higher than that of the mother. Conclusion: Despite lacking scientific evidence, there is a tacit consensus among high-level NICUs that 37.0°C is the appropriate body temperature in VLBWI, regardless of gestational age and birth weight. As this is below the intrauterine "breeding temperature" of the fetus, further research on this topic is warranted.

SUBMITTER: Perez A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6568209 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Target Body Temperature in Very Low Birth Weight Infants: Clinical Consensus in Place of Scientific Evidence.

Perez Anna A van der Meer Frauke F Singer Dominique D

Frontiers in pediatrics 20190607

Background: Although thermal care is part of the daily routine in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), scientific evidence on what is the appropriate body temperature for very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) is largely lacking. Aim: To find out to what extent the standards of thermal care vary among high-level NICUs, especially with respect to the target body temperature in VLBWI. Methods: An online survey with 21 questions on thermal care in three categories of VLBWI was ...[more]

PMID: 31231623

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Project description:IMPORTANCE:Thrombocytopenia and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) are common among very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. Survey results suggest that US neonatologists frequently administer platelet transfusions to VLBW infants with mild to moderate thrombocytopenia. OBJECTIVES:To characterize platelet transfusion practices in US neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), to determine whether severity of illness influences platelet transfusion decisions, and to examine the association between platelet count (PCT) and the risk for IVH in the first 7 days of life. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS:This multicenter, retrospective cohort study included 972 VLBW infants treated in 6 US NICUs, with admission dates from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2007. Data were collected from all infants until NICU discharge or death (last day of data collected, December 4, 2008). Data were entered into the central database, cleaned, and analyzed from May 1, 2009, to February 11, 2016. INTERVENTION:Platelet transfusion. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES:Number of platelet transfusions and incidence of IVH. RESULTS:Among the 972 VLBW infants (520 [53.5%] male; mean [SD] gestational age, 28.2 [2.9] weeks), 231 received 1002 platelet transfusions (mean [SD], 4.3 [6.0] per infant; range, 1-63 per infant). The pretransfusion PCT was at least 50?000/?L for 653 of 998 transfusions (65.4%) with this information. Two hundred eighty-one transfusions (28.0%) were given during the first 7 days of life. During that period, platelet transfusions were given on 35 of 53 days (66.0%) when the patient had a PCT less than 50?000/?L and on 203 of 436 days (46.6%) when the patient had a PCT of 50?000/?L to 99?000/?L. At least 1 marker of severe illness was present on 198 of 212 patient-days (93.4%) with thrombocytopenia (PCT, <100?000/?L) when a platelet transfusion was given compared with 113 of 190 patient-days (59.5%) with thrombocytopenia when no platelet transfusion was given. Thrombocytopenia was a risk factor for intraventricular hemorrhage during the first 7 days of life (hazard ratio, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.53-3.08; P?<?.001). However, no correlation was found between severity of thrombocytopenia and risk for IVH. After controlling for significant clinical factors and thrombocytopenia, platelet transfusions did not have a significant effect on the incidence of IVH (hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.49-1.73; P?=?.80). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE:A large proportion of platelet transfusions were given to VLBW infants with PCT greater than 50?000/?L. Severity of illness influenced transfusion decisions. However, the severity of thrombocytopenia did not correlate with the risk for IVH, and platelet transfusions did not reduce this risk.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Premature infants are at high risk for developmental delay and cognitive dysfunction. Besides medical conditions, growth restriction is regarded as an important risk factor for cognitive and neurodevelopmental dysfunction throughout childhood and adolescence and even into adulthood. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between post-discharge body weight and psychomotor development using a nationwide dataset. MATERIALS AND METHODS:This was a nationwide cohort study conducted in Taiwan. Total of 1791 premature infants born between 2007 and 2011 with a birth weight of less than 1500 g were enrolled into this multi-center study. The data were obtained from the Taiwan Premature Infant Developmental Collaborative Study Group. The growth and neurodevelopmental evaluations were performed at corrected ages of 6, 12 and 24 months. Post-discharge failure to thrive was defined as a body weight below the 3rd percentile of the standard growth curve for Taiwanese children by the corrected age. RESULTS:The prevalence of failure to thrive was 15.8%, 16.9%, and 12.0% at corrected ages of 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. At corrected ages of 24 months, 12.9% had low Mental Developmental Index (MDI) scores (MDI<70), 17.8% had low Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI) scores (PDI<70), 12.7% had cerebral palsy, and 29.5% had neurodevelopmental impairment. Post-discharge failure to thrive was significantly associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. After controlling for potential confounding factors (small for gestational age, extra-uterine growth retardation at discharge, cerebral palsy, gender, mild intraventricular hemorrhage, persistent pulmonary hypertension of newborn, respiratory distress syndrome, chronic lung disease, hemodynamic significant patent ductus arteriosus, necrotizing enterocolitis, surfactant use and indomethacin use), post-discharge failure to thrive remained a risk factor. CONCLUSION:This observational study observed the association between lower body weight at corrected age of 6, 12, and 24 months and poor neurodevelopmental outcomes among VLBW premature infants. There are many adverse factors which can influence the neurodevelopment in NICU care. More studies are needed to elucidate the causal relationship.

Project description:Preterm birth survivors are at a higher risk of growth and developmental disabilities compared to their term counterparts. Development of strategies to lower the complications of preterm birth forms the rising need of the hour. Appropriate nutrition is essential for the growth and development of preterm infants. Early administration of optimal nutrition to preterm birth survivors lowers the risk of adverse health outcomes and improves cognition in adulthood. A group of neonatologists, pediatricians, and nutrition experts convened to discuss and frame evidence-based recommendations for optimizing nutrition in preterm low birth weight (LBW) infants. The following were the primary recommendations of the panel: (1) enteral feeding is safe and may be preferred to parenteral nutrition due to the complications associated with the latter; however, parenteral nutrition may be a useful adjunct to enteral feeding in some critical cases; (2) early, fast, or continuous enteral feeding yields better outcomes compared to late, slow, or intermittent feeding, respectively; (3) routine use of nasogastric tubes is not advisable; (4) preterm infants can be fed while on ventilator or continuous positive airway pressure; (5) routine evaluation of gastric residuals and abdominal girth should be avoided; (6) expressed breast milk (EBM) is the first choice for feeding preterm infants due to its beneficial effects on cardiovascular, neurological, bone health, and growth outcomes; the second choice is donor pasteurized human milk; (7) EBM or donor milk may be fortified with human milk fortifiers, without increasing the osmolality of the milk, to meet the high protein requirements of preterm infants; (8) standard fortification is effective and safe but does not fulfill the high protein needs; (9) use of targeted and adjustable fortification, where possible, helps provide optimal nutrition; (10) optimizing weight gain in preterm infants prevents long-term cardiovascular complications; (11) checking for optimal weight and sucking/swallowing ability is essential prior to discharge of preterm infants; and (12) appropriate counseling and regular follow-up and monitoring after discharge will help achieve better long-term health outcomes. This consensus summary serves as a useful guide to clinicians in addressing the challenges and providing optimal nutrition to preterm LBW infants.

Project description:ImportanceReduced death and neurodevelopmental impairment among infants is a goal of perinatal medicine.ObjectiveTo assess the association between surgery during the initial hospitalization and death or neurodevelopmental impairment of very low-birth-weight infants.Design, setting, and participantsA retrospective cohort analysis was conducted of patients enrolled in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network Generic Database from 1998 through 2009 and evaluated at 18 to 22 months' corrected age. Twenty-two academic neonatal intensive care units participated. Inclusion criteria were birth weight 401 to 1500 g, survival to 12 hours, and availability for follow-up. A total of 12 111 infants were included in analyses.ExposuresSurgical procedures; surgery also was classified by expected anesthesia type as major (general anesthesia) or minor (nongeneral anesthesia).Main outcomes and measuresMultivariable logistic regression analyses planned a priori were performed for the primary outcome of death or neurodevelopmental impairment and for the secondary outcome of neurodevelopmental impairment among survivors. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed as planned for the adjusted mean scores of the Mental Developmental Index and Psychomotor Developmental Index of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition, for patients born before 2006.ResultsA total of 2186 infants underwent major surgery, 784 had minor surgery, and 9141 infants did not undergo surgery. The risk-adjusted odds ratio of death or neurodevelopmental impairment for all surgery patients compared with those who had no surgery was 1.29 (95% CI, 1.08-1.55). For patients who had major surgery compared with those who had no surgery, the risk-adjusted odds ratio of death or neurodevelopmental impairment was 1.52 (95% CI, 1.24-1.87). Patients classified as having minor surgery had no increased adjusted risk. Among survivors who had major surgery compared with those who had no surgery, the adjusted risk of neurodevelopmental impairment was greater and the adjusted mean Bayley scores were lower.Conclusions and relevanceMajor surgery in very low-birth-weight infants is independently associated with a greater than 50% increased risk of death or neurodevelopmental impairment and of neurodevelopmental impairment at 18 to 22 months' corrected age. The role of general anesthesia is implicated but remains unproven.

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Target Body Temperature in Very Low Birth Weight Infants: Clinical Consensus in Place of Scientific Evidence.

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Target Body Temperature in Very Low Birth Weight Infants: Clinical Consensus in Place of Scientific Evidence.

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