Category Archives: Neonatal Research

Does erythropoietin prophylaxis prevent NEC? Unreliable data.

Posted on 14 August 2020 by Keith Barrington

Routine erythropoietin administration from early life in very preterm babies has been postulated to be neuro-protective. Unfortunately, despite some early promising results, 2 large well-performed RCTs showed no benefit, including the largest with 750 babies under 28 weeks, which showed … Continue reading →

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When should we transfuse preterm babies, and why?

Posted on 13 August 2020 by Keith Barrington

I was one of the investigators in the PINT trial (Kirpalani H, et al. The Premature Infants in Need of Transfusion (PINT) study: a randomized, controlled trial of a restrictive (low) versus liberal (high) transfusion threshold for extremely low birth … Continue reading →

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Outcomes of infants born at 22 weeks gestation; attitudes are the best predictor of survival

Posted on 10 August 2020 by Keith Barrington

Among the most immature infants, mortality and morbidity are common even if they receive active neonatal intensive care, a new systematic review has attempted to find out how common. Backes CH, et al. Proactive Neonatal Treatment at 22 Weeks of … Continue reading →

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Omega-3 fatty acids, hype, and hope, and disappointment.

Posted on 7 August 2020 by Keith Barrington

Omega-3 fatty acids seem to be important for many functions, and currently many babies, especially preterm babies appear to be deficient compared to babies born at term. There has been much research into these dietary components, and they certainly are … Continue reading →

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Screening for early-onset neonatal sepsis in the UK. NICE or not?

Posted on 4 August 2020 by Keith Barrington

Evaluating a screening procedure for a rare serious phenomenon, such as early-onset neonatal sepsis, is tricky. A perfect screening process would catch all of the cases that require treating at an early stage and would be completely specific, thus eliminating … Continue reading →

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RSV prevention, fewer jabs for babies?

Posted on 4 August 2020 by Keith Barrington

With all the hype regarding COVID-19 and a vaccine that may or may not be coming soon, we can use the story of RSV as an object lesson. Why do we give passive immunization to preterm infants against RSV rather … Continue reading →

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Why are so many mothers hypothyroid, and what should pediatricians do about it?

Posted on 27 July 2020 by Keith Barrington

I don’t know if, like me, you are surprised by how often when admitting a baby, or doing an antenatal consult, mothers are taking thyroxine. It seems that there is an epidemic of hypothyroidism during pregnancy, and I am not … Continue reading →

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Treating seizures in the newborn: phenobarbitone unexpectedly not so bad!

Posted on 28 May 2020 by Keith Barrington

Or perhaps “probably better than the current fashionable alternative” might be a better title. Phenobarbitone (or phenobarbital, I will call it PHE) is one of the oldest anticonvulsants out there, and because of little good data, remains the drug of … Continue reading →

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Antenatal steroids : good, bad, or both?

Posted on 27 May 2020 by Keith Barrington

Antenatal steroids prior to very preterm birth save lives. Antenatal steroids prior to planned late preterm delivery reduce respiratory distress and increase hypoglycaemia. Might there be other long-term effects on brain structure? There are now some animal models which suggest … Continue reading →

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Do estimates of survival change decisions made?

Posted on 26 May 2020 by Keith Barrington

Kidszun A, et al. Effect of Neonatal Outcome Estimates on Decision-Making Preferences of Mothers Facing Preterm Birth: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Pediatr. 2020. This is a short report of an interesting idea, published as a research letter. The authors … Continue reading →

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