A cross-sectional study of enterovirus nucleic acid test with throat swabs for term late neonates during coronavirus disease 2019 / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the positive rate of enterovirus (EV) nucleic acid in throat swabs of term late neonates hospitalized during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic and the clinical characteristics of the neonates.@*METHODS@#A single-center cross-sectional study was performed on 611 term late infants who were hospitalized in the neonatal center from October 2020 to September 2021. Throat swabs were collected on admission for coxsackie A16 virus/EV71/EV universal nucleic acid testing. According to the results of EV nucleic acid test, the infants were divided into a positive EV nucleic acid group (8 infants) and a negative EV nucleic acid group (603 infants). Clinical features were compared between the two groups.@*RESULTS@#Among the 611 neonates, 8 tested positive for EV nucleic acid, with a positive rate of 13.1‰, among whom 7 were admitted from May to October. There was a significant difference in the proportion of infants contacting family members with respiratory infection symptoms before disease onset between the positive and negative EV nucleic acid groups (75.0% vs 10.9%, P<0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups in demographic data, clinical symptoms, and laboratory test results (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#There is a certain proportion of term late infants testing positive for EV nucleic acid in throat swabs during the COVID-19 epidemic, but the proportion is low. The clinical manifestations and laboratory test results of these infants are non-specific. Transmission among family members might be an important cause of neonatal EV infection.

Asymptomatic hypernatremia in exclusively breastfed neonates

Background: The aim of study was to identify the asymptomatic hyparnatremia in exclusively breastfed neonates and to study the factors associated with it.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2010 to October 2012 in Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, A. M. U., Aligarh. Consecutive term appropriate-for-gestational age and asymptomatic neonates who were exclusively breastfed since birth were enrolled.Results: A total of 1360 term neonates were screened, out of which 145 neonates in each early and late neonatal group were enrolled. Prevalence of hypernatremia in 290 patients was 4.48% (n=13) with mean serum sodium level of 156.6'5.5 mmol/L, ranging from 151 to 167 mmol/L. It was 16 times more common in early compare to late neonates (adjusted odds ratio=16.074, P=0.001), 6 times more common in primi mothers (adjusted odds ratio=6.037, P=0.010) and 7 times more common during summer season (May-August) (adjusted odds ratio=6.566, P=0.017). Other variables like sex, mode of delivery and blood urea levels do not show significant association with hypernatremia. There was a significant positive correlation of serum sodium level with blood urea (r=0.123, P=0.037) and serum creatinine levels (r=0.157, P=0.007), and a negative correlation with blood sugar levels, but it was not significant (r=-0.072, P=0.224).Conclusions: The prevalence of hypernatremia in exclusively breastfed term asymptomatic neonates is 4.8%, and is more common in early neonatal period, in summer season and in babies born to primi mothers. There was a significant positive correlation of serum sodium with blood urea and creatinine levels.