NICU Blog

The arrival of a newborn baby should be a joyous occasion, but for 1 in 10 families worldwide – 1 in 8 in the United States,– their baby delivers early. More than 3 weeks before the due date. This is prematurity and it’s responsible for 35% of all infant deaths, is a leading cause of long-term neurological disabilities in children and costs the U.S. health care system more than $26 billion per year.

Morris M, et al. – The authors goal was to improve outcomes for this population by using a multidisciplinary team–based quality improvement approach. Care in a distinct unit by a consistent multidisciplinary Small Baby Unit (SBU) team using quality improvement methods improved outcomes in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Ongoing team engagement and development are required to sustain improved outcomes.

Samra H, et al. - In this study, authors want to examine the effect of skin–to–skin care (SSC) on stress perception between mothers who provided SSC to their late–preterm born infants and mothers who provided blanket holding. Mothers who provide SSC may experience more stress related to a more facilitated progression in the mother and infant relationship. The relationship between increased stress and the number of hours of SSC holding warrants further investigation.

Lamberska T, et al. - The authors sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the delivery room resuscitation protocol across a range of gestational ages in preterm infants born at less than 29 weeks. Current recommendations for resuscitation may fail to achieve timely lung aeration in infants born at the borderline of viability, leading to higher mortality and morbidity. Sustained inflation and delayed cord clamping may be effective alternatives.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Aug. 18, 2015 – Shorter mothers have shorter pregnancies, smaller babies, and higher risk for a preterm birth. New research has found that a mother’s height directly influences her risk for preterm birth.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Aug. 17, 2015 – The microbiomes in the reproductive tracts of pregnant women who later had a baby born too soon are significantly different from those of women who delivered full term.

Roze JC, et al. – There is currently no consensus for the screening and treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in extremely preterm infants. Less pharmacological closure and more supportive management have been observed without evidence to support these changes. To evaluate the association between early screening echocardiography for PDA and in–hospital mortality. In this national population–based cohort of extremely preterm infants, screening echocardiography before day 3 of life was associated with lower in–hospital mortality and likelihood of pulmonary hemorrhage but not with differences in necrotizing enterocolitis, severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or severe cerebral lesions. However, results of the instrumental variable analysis leave some ambiguity in the interpretation, and longer–term evaluation is needed to provide clarity.

It seems like a simple question – one that everyone asks! The books you read – even the clothes you buy – use your baby’s age as a reference point. But, when you have a premature baby, like everything else, it’s not that easy. For the next several years, your baby will have 3 ages, each one meaning something different and each one important. Here’s a description…

The arrival of a newborn baby should be a joyous occasion, but for 1 in 10 families worldwide – 1 in 8 in the United States,– their baby delivers early. More than 3 weeks before the due date. This is prematurity and it’s responsible for 35% of all infant deaths, is a leading cause of long-term neurological disabilities in children and costs the U.S. health care system more than $26 billion per year.

Hyperbilirubinemia, also called jaundice (or sometimes “yellow jaundice”), is one of the most common conditions experienced in newborn babies. Virtually all babies develop some degree of hyperbilirubinemia. In fact, many factors present only in newborns promote hyperbilirubinemia and many experts believe it’s a good and natural occurrence. However , like so many things, whereas a little bilirubin may be beneficial, too much bilirubin in the blood can be dangerous to the newborn infant and must be treated.