Clinical presentation of hypernatremic dehydration in exclusively breast-fed neonates.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the clinical presentation of dehydration related to failure of lactation in exclusively breast-fed term infants. METHOD: A prospective study was performed between January 2000 and June 2003 in Al Qassimi Hospital in the Emirate of Sharjah. Enrollment criteria included term neonates whose birth weight of > 2000 g with no underlying organic illness causing poor feeding admitted for clinical manifestations of dehydration with weight loss of > 10% during the first 2 weeks of life. The control group, a non-randomized sample included healthy full term neonates, seen in Sharjah maternal and child health care center at 4-7 days old for their routine Guthrie screening test. For each dehydrated neonate we took two neonates as controls. Mother's age, parity, length of pregnancy, any pathologic conditions, breastfeeding history and her level of knowledge of lactation was recorded. Neonatal information included mode of delivery, percentage of weight loss, clinical examination, and stool and urine output the previous day. Data was analyzed with Student 't' test and chi-square test. RESULTS: Out of 17208 live births, 29 neonates between the ages of 2-13 days were admitted with weight loss of between 12 and 29% (dehydrated group). 27 patients had hypernatremic dehydration with serum sodium level ranging from 150 to 195 mmol/l. Mean age of admission was 4.9 days. Reasons for admission were: signs of dehydration (55%); hyperthermia (55%); hypoglycemia (27%) and jaundice (59%). The control group included 58 healthy neonates. Their birth weight and age were comparable to those in the dehydrated group. In comparison with the control group, delivery by cesarean section (P< 0.0001), lower level of maternal breastfeeding knowledge (P=0.03), transient inadequate breast milk quantity (P=0.005) and nipple anomalies (P=0.001) was significantly more common in the dehydrated group. Fewer voidings of urine (< 6 times /day) and stool (< 3 times/day) in the previous 24 hours before admission was more frequently observed in the dehydrated group (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Low level of maternal knowledge in lactation, cesarean section and failure of early postnatal follow up was associated with the neonatal dehydration. Decreased urine and stool frequency might be considered as a warning for failure of lactation.

Epidemiology and outcome of "early-onset" vs "late-onset" necrotizing enterocolitis.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that among neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), important epidemiologic and outcome differences exist between those with early-onset vs. those with late-onset NEC. METHODS: We reviewed all records of neonates cared for in the King Fahad University Hospital during the past ten years who had the diagnosis of NEC. We separated cases into two groups depending on age at diagnosis. Specifically, we termed "early-onset" those cases diagnosed during the first seven days of life, and "late-onset" those diagnosed thereafter. We compared, in the two groups, gestational age, clinical signs at onset, laboratory data, surgical findings, complications, and mortality. RESULTS: From 1989 to 1999, 37 cases of stage IIa (or higher) NEC were diagnosed; 25 "early-onset" and 12 "late-onset". Neonates with "early-onset" NEC were more mature (35.4 +/- 2.5 weeks gestation) than those with "late-onset" (27.7 +/- 2.8 weeks, P=0.0001), were more likely to have feedings begun in the first 48 hours of life (P = 0.0002), and more likely to have feeding increments of >25 ml/kg/day (P=0.03). Neonates with "late-onset" NEC were more likely to present with vomiting (P=0.003) and apnea (P=0.001), and were more likely to have ileal rather than colonic necrotic lesions, short bowel syndrome, and mortality (P=0.03). CONCLUSION: During the past 10 years at the King Fahad University Hospital, cases of early- and late-onset NEC have had distinct epidemiologic and outcome features. Recognizing these differences may be useful in prognostication and counseling.