Category Archives: Neonatal Research

Adaptation at birth and cord clamping

The guys in Melbourne have a great set up, the 2 universities collaborate, as well as working with colleagues from Sydney also. Stuart Hopper is a very innovative thinker who has re-examined a lot of older data about what happens … Continue reading

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Neonatal Updates #33

McElroy SJ, Underwood MA, Sherman MP: Paneth Cells and Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Novel Hypothesis for Disease Pathogenesis. Neonatology 2013, 103(1):10-20. (free access)I think this is an interesting idea that might be fruitful for the future. If the hypothesis is correct, … Continue reading

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Probiotics in the NICU: a ‘how-to’ guide

I have had several communications from people interested in starting the use of probiotics in their nurseries. There are often roadblocks, and some reluctance from either infection control, or pharmacy and therapeutics committees (or both). I will recount what we … Continue reading

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What we don’t know about neonatal endocrinology #3, the thyroid.

To finalize this litany of the unknown… We also need to know whether low thyroxine levels are common in the preterm (they are) what the consequences are (associated with worse long term outcomes) whether they are causative (don’t know) and … Continue reading

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What we don’t know about neonatal endocrinology #2, blood sugar regulation.

As a follow on to the previous post, also to highlight a thoughtful review article, we could ask whether blood sugar can be too low to be good for you  (I think there is not much doubt about that) how … Continue reading

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What we don’t know about neonatal endocrinology #1, the adrenals.

I once wrote a paper with the last author of this article, when we were both working in Edmonton, so I will have to be nice, I guess. Seriously, we do need to know a lot more about adrenal responses … Continue reading

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Probiotics work in Practice

For anyone who was at the latest PAS meeting, you probably heard about the presentation of Proprems. This is the latest RCT of probiotics, from Australia and New Zealand, using ABCDophilus, which is interestingly manufactured in New Jersey. The authors … Continue reading

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What’s up doc?

Carrots anyone? This is interesting, but I am afraid I can’t figure out a number of things in the manuscript. The authors report that they randomized 203 babies <33 weeks to get supplemented with carotenoids, they wanted to look at … Continue reading

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Surgeons like probiotics, breast milk, and eating quickly.

…for their patients of course, or to be more accurate, to reduce the chances of small preterm infants becoming their patients. A review of ways to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis, and then to treat it if it occurs, was just published. … Continue reading

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Hypotension

A new study from the NICHD neonatal network Batton B, Li L, Newman NS, Das A, Watterberg KL, Yoder BA, et al. Use of Antihypotensive Therapies in Extremely Preterm Infants. Pediatrics. 2013 May 6.,This prospective cohort study was specifically designed … Continue reading

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