Effect of Nutritional Intervention by the Nutrition Support Team on Postnatal Growth in Preterm Infants

Purpose@#Nutritional intervention by an interdisciplinary nutrition support team (NST) can potentially improve postnatal growth outcomes in preterm infants. This study aimed to measure the growth impact of a nutritional intervention package performed by an NST in a quality improvement effort in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). @*Methods@#Fifty-two infants born below 2,000 g and admitted to NICU participated in the Quality Improvement (QI) program between March 2016 and February 2017. The nutritional intervention was applied according to newly established nutritional guidelines on parenteral and enteral nutrition, and an NST performed a weekly nutritional assessment. The Z-scores of weight, height, and head circumference were calculated according to the gestational age and sex. The clinical impact on postnatal growth was compared between the QI and pre-QI groups. The pre-QI group included 69 infants admitted in the same NICU between 2014 and 2015. @*Results@#The time to the initiation of enteral nutrition decreased significantly (P＜0.001). Changes in weight (P=0.027), head circumference (P=0.003), Z-scores between birth, and 40 weeks postconceptional age (PCA) were significantly larger in the QI than the pre-QI group. The percentage of infants weighing below the 10th percentile at one month after birth and at 40 weeks PCA was higher in the pre-QI than the QI group. @*Conclusion@#The implementation of evidence-based best practices for preterm nutrition resulted in significant improvements in the growth outcomes in preterm infants.

Effect of Nutritional Intervention by the Nutrition Support Team on Postnatal Growth in Preterm Infants

Purpose@#Nutritional intervention by an interdisciplinary nutrition support team (NST) can potentially improve postnatal growth outcomes in preterm infants. This study aimed to measure the growth impact of a nutritional intervention package performed by an NST in a quality improvement effort in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). @*Methods@#Fifty-two infants born below 2,000 g and admitted to NICU participated in the Quality Improvement (QI) program between March 2016 and February 2017. The nutritional intervention was applied according to newly established nutritional guidelines on parenteral and enteral nutrition, and an NST performed a weekly nutritional assessment. The Z-scores of weight, height, and head circumference were calculated according to the gestational age and sex. The clinical impact on postnatal growth was compared between the QI and pre-QI groups. The pre-QI group included 69 infants admitted in the same NICU between 2014 and 2015. @*Results@#The time to the initiation of enteral nutrition decreased significantly (P＜0.001). Changes in weight (P=0.027), head circumference (P=0.003), Z-scores between birth, and 40 weeks postconceptional age (PCA) were significantly larger in the QI than the pre-QI group. The percentage of infants weighing below the 10th percentile at one month after birth and at 40 weeks PCA was higher in the pre-QI than the QI group. @*Conclusion@#The implementation of evidence-based best practices for preterm nutrition resulted in significant improvements in the growth outcomes in preterm infants.

Human Neural Stem Cells: Translational Research for Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury is a major cause of neonatal mortality and long-term neurodevelopmental disabilities. Although promising neuroprotective interventions have been studied, the current management of HI brain injury has been limited to supportive measures and induced hypothermia. In addition to engrafting, migrating toward the damage sites and differentiating into multiple lineages, multipotent neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) also provide trophic/immunomodulatory factors and integrate into the host neurons upon implantation into an HI-injured brain. However, NSPC-based therapies have shown poor cell survival and integration, poor differentiation or restricted differentiation into the glial lineages. Furthermore, to achieve full functional recovery following brain injury, the optimization of cell therapy is needed to recapitulate the precise migration of stem cells to the region of interest and the neural rewiring present in the brain microenvironment. Therefore, the efficacy of NSPCs in the treatment of CNS injury is currently insufficient. Human NSPCs (hNSPCs) were isolated from the forebrain of an aborted fetus at 13 weeks of gestation with full parental consent and the approval of the Institutional Review Board of the Yonsei University College of Medicine. Here, to enhance the regenerative ability of hNSPCs in HI brain injury, cells were either pretreated with pharmacological agents or engineered to serve as vehicles for gene delivery. Furthermore, when combined with a poly (glycolic acid)-based synthetic scaffold, hNSPCs provide a more versatile treatment for neonatal HI brain injury. Finally, hNSPCs transfected with zinc-doped ferrite magnetic nanoparticles for controlling both cell migration and differentiation offer a simple and smart tool for cell-based therapies.

Successful Treatment of Neonatal Pylorospasm with Intravenous Atropine

Pylorospasm is a cause of delayed gastric emptying in young infants. As in patients with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, most pylorospasm patients present with projectile vomiting. However, unlike that in case of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, no persistent pyloric stenotic lesions are present. As such, follow-up using serial gastrointestinal fluoroscopy or ultrasonography can be helpful in diagnosing patients with clinical signs of gastroparesis. Most cases can be treated conservatively, but some patients require pharmacologic treatment. Antispasmodics have been proposed as a treatment for pylorospasm, but their use in neonates and infants has rarely been reported. Herein, we present a case of pylorospasm diagnosed in the neonatal period and successfully treated with intravenous atropine.

Rare Form of Schwannoma as a Purely Hemorrhagic Cystic Tumor Located in an Intermuscular Plane

Schwannomas are mostly solid tumors, some of which may contain cystic degenerations or hemorrhages. However, a schwannoma seen as a purely hemorrhagic cystic tumor is very rare. A 63-year-old woman was referred to the hospital due to a slow-growing mass (present for about 5 years) on her right thigh. She complained about vague pain but without neurologic symptoms such as numbness or tingling sensations. MR images showed an oval lesion with defined margins surrounded by the rectus femoris, vastus lateral, and the vastus intermedius. It was characterized as a multilocular cystic lesion composed of hemorrhagic fluid. In addition, the benign hemorrhagic cystic lesion was differentially diagnosed by radiological techniques as a hemorrhagic ganglion cyst. The lesion was surgically excised and, based on pathological features, was diagnosed as being a schwannoma. We report a purely hemorrhagic cystic schwannoma located in an intermuscular plane.

Rare Form of Rheumatoid Nodule around Ischial Tuberosity Mimicking Ischiogluteal Bursitis

We are reporting about a case of a rheumatoid nodule, beneath the ischial tuberosity, mimicking ischiogluteal bursitis. Rheumatoid nodules are frequently seen, at the subcutaneous soft tissues of repetitive mechanical irritation points, and prominent bones. There have been no reported cases of rheumatoid nodules, extending just beneath the ischial tuberosity bone. A 68-year-old woman with a seven-year history of rheumatoid arthritis, suffered for six months, from right buttock swelling and discomfort in seating. A cystic lesion postero-inferior to the ischial tuberosity, was noted in the MRI scan, which was thought to be ischiogluteal bursitis, because of its characteristic location and appearance. Histopathologic analysis and gross findings on the operation, revealed no evidence of bursitis.

Rare Form of Rheumatoid Nodule around Ischial Tuberosity Mimicking Ischiogluteal Bursitis

We are reporting about a case of a rheumatoid nodule, beneath the ischial tuberosity, mimicking ischiogluteal bursitis. Rheumatoid nodules are frequently seen, at the subcutaneous soft tissues of repetitive mechanical irritation points, and prominent bones. There have been no reported cases of rheumatoid nodules, extending just beneath the ischial tuberosity bone. A 68-year-old woman with a seven-year history of rheumatoid arthritis, suffered for six months, from right buttock swelling and discomfort in seating. A cystic lesion postero-inferior to the ischial tuberosity, was noted in the MRI scan, which was thought to be ischiogluteal bursitis, because of its characteristic location and appearance. Histopathologic analysis and gross findings on the operation, revealed no evidence of bursitis.

A patient with Cushing disease lateralizing a pituitary adenoma by inferior petrosal sinus sampling using desmopressin: a case report

A 14-year-old girl was referred for evaluation of the etiology of Cushing syndrome. During the previous 2 years, she had experienced weight gain, secondary amenorrhea, growth retardation, and back pain. Random serum cortisol level, 24-hour urinary free cortisol excretion, and overnight and low-dose dexamethasone suppression tests suggested Cushing syndrome. Midnight adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level and high-dose dexamethasone suppression test confirmed Cushing disease. Pituitary magnetic resonance imaging was suspicious for microadenoma. To eliminate ectopic ACTH syndrome, and lateralize the pituitary tumor, inferior petrosal sinus sampling (IPSS) was performed by desmopressin use to stimulate ACTH. Finally, the patient was diagnosed with Cushing disease due to ACTH-secreting pituitary microadenoma, lateralized to the left side; subsequently underwent transsphenoidal surgery. Here we report a case of a 14-year-old girl diagnosed with Cushing disease with a pituitary tumor lateralized by IPSS using desmopressin, which is very rare in pediatric Cushing disease.

Efficacy and Safety of Kangaroo Mother Care in Preterm Infants in Korea / 대한주산의학회잡지

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the safety of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) and to analyze its medical and psychological effects. METHODS: Forty five preterm infants, admitted to Gangnam Severance Hospital NICU from October 2012 to September 2013, were recruited. KMC was performed for 1 hour daily until the discharge by either mother or father. The medical effects in KMC group were compared with historical control group. Psychological effects in KMC group were made a comparison with the non-KMC group. RESULTS: The mean gestational age was 31.3+/-3.5 weeks, and the mean birth weight was 1,080+/-250 g. KMC was started at the mean age of 18.3+/-8.4 days. No event of hypothermia, bradycardia, desaturation, or hypotension occurred. There was no event of death or sepsis. Four patients (9%) had apnea but recovered after the tactile stimulation. Duration of the hospitalization in KMC group was significantly shorter than control group (P=0.041). Spielberger's anxiety scale decreased from 49.7 to 48.5. Muller's maternal attachment inventory increased from 98.4 to 99.5. Reduction of the self-happiness score improved from 5% to 70%. The score for Spielberger's anxiety scale tended to be lower in the KMC group than in the control group without statistically significant. Muller's maternal attachment inventory score was significantly higher in the KMC group. CONCLUSION: KMC is a safe method to Korean preterm infants. Due to reduction of hospitalization and beneficial psychological effect, we believe that offering KMC to more preterm infants as a supplement therapy will be useful.