Effects of Ponderal Index on Neonatal Mortality and Morbidities in Extremely Premature Infants

Background@#To evaluate how intrauterine stress affects extremely premature infants in terms of intrauterine growth restriction. We hypothesized that extremely premature infants with mildly-low ponderal index (MPI) would have better neonatal outcomes. @*Methods@#We selected 2,721 subjects of 23 to 28 weeks of gestation between 2013 and 2015 from Korean Neonatal Network database. They were divided into 4 groups based on ponderal index (PI) percentile; PI ≤ 3rd as severely-low PI (SPI, n = 82), 3rd 90th as high PI (HPI, n = 270). @*Results@#The mortality in MPI and API groups was comparable (16.3% vs. 16.9%). It was significantly lower than that in the SPI and HPI groups (30.5% and 24.9%, respectively;P = 0.001). The MPI and API groups had better neonatal morbidities compared with the SPI and/or HPI groups, while the MPI group (8.2%) showed a lower incidence of severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) than the other groups (SPI, 21.3%; API, 15.0%; HPI, 19.7%, respectively; P = 0.004). The MPI group had a trend of a bottom in neonatal mortality and morbidities in extremely premature infants. @*Conclusion@#The MPI and API groups had lower mortality, massive pulmonary hemorrhage, severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia or death, pulmonary hypertension and neonatal seizure rates than the SPI and/or HPI groups, while the MPI group showed a lower incidence of severe IVH than the other groups. We speculate that the lower incidence of neonatal morbidities and mortality in the MPI group indicating mild intrauterine stress might accelerate fetal maturation resulting in better outcomes in extremely premature infants.

Rapidly Progressive Pericardial Effusion and Cardiac Tamponade in a Term Infant with an Umbilical Venous Catheter: A Case Report

Pericardial effusion (PCE) in neonates has various clinical presentations depending on the amount and speed of fluid accumulation and can cause cardiac tamponade (CT). We report a case of rapidly accumulating PCE and near-fatal CT with an umbilical venous catheter successfully resolved by emergent echo-guided pericardiocentesis in a term infant who had been hospitalized with meconium aspiration syndrome and persistent pulmonary hypertension. This case report suggests that if a patient with an intracardiac umbilical catheter shows sudden cardiopulmonary instability, the possibility of PCE and CT should be considered. Furthermore, if necessary, emergency drainage of the PCE and removal of the umbilical catheter should be immediately performed.

Effects of Lipopolysaccharide on Oligodendrocyte Differentiation at Different Developmental Stages: an In Vitro Study

Background@#Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exerts cytotoxic effects on brain cells, especially on those belonging to the oligodendrocyte lineage, in preterm infants. The susceptibility of oligodendrocyte lineage cells to LPS-induced inflammation is dependent on the developmental stage. This study aimed to investigate the effect of LPS on oligodendrocyte lineage cells at different developmental stages in a microglial cell and oligodendrocyte coculture model. @*Methods@#The primary cultures of oligodendrocytes and microglia cells were prepared from the forebrains of 2-day-old Sprague–Dawley rats. The oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) co-cultured with microglial cells were treated with 0 (control), 0.01, 0.1, and 1 µg/mL LPS at the D3 stage to determine the dose of LPS that impairs oligodendrocyte differentiation. The co-culture was treated with 0.01 µg/mL LPS, which was the lowest dose that did not impair oligodendrocyte differentiation, at the developmental stages D1 (early LPS group), D3 (late LPS group), or D1 and D3 (double LPS group). On day 7 of differentiation, oligodendrocytes were subjected to neural glial antigen 2 (NG2) and myelin basic protein (MBP) immunostaining to examine the number of OPCs and mature oligodendrocytes, respectively. @*Results@#LPS dose-dependently decreased the proportion of mature oligodendrocytes (MBP+ cells) relative to the total number of cells. The number of MBP+ cells in the early LPS group was significantly lower than that in the late LPS group. Compared with those in the control group, the MBP+ cell numbers were significantly lower and the NG2+ cell numbers were significantly higher in the double LPS group, which exhibited impaired oligodendrocyte lineage cell development, on day 7 of differentiation. @*Conclusion@#Repetitive LPS stimulation during development significantly inhibited brain cell development by impairing oligodendrocyte differentiation. In contrast, brain cell development was not affected in the late LPS group. These findings suggest that inflammation at the early developmental stage of oligodendrocytes increases the susceptibility of the preterm brain to inflammation-induced injury.

Identification of a likely pathogenic variant of YY1 in a patient with developmental delay

Gabriel–de Vries syndrome, caused by the mutation of YY1, is a newly defined genetic syndrome characterized by developmental delay, facial dysmorphism, and intrauterine growth retardation. A 7-month-old girl presented developmental delay and subtle facial dysmorphism including facial asymmetry, micrognathia, and low-set ears. Whole exome sequencing identified a de novo heterozygous missense variant in the YY1 (c.1220A>G; p.His407Arg) gene. Here, we examined the clinical and genetic characteristics of an infant with a novel likely pathogenic variant of YY1. This case expands the phenotypic spectrum of Gabriel–de Vries syndrome.

Identification of a likely pathogenic variant of YY1 in a patient with developmental delay

Gabriel–de Vries syndrome, caused by the mutation of YY1, is a newly defined genetic syndrome characterized by developmental delay, facial dysmorphism, and intrauterine growth retardation. A 7-month-old girl presented developmental delay and subtle facial dysmorphism including facial asymmetry, micrognathia, and low-set ears. Whole exome sequencing identified a de novo heterozygous missense variant in the YY1 (c.1220A>G; p.His407Arg) gene. Here, we examined the clinical and genetic characteristics of an infant with a novel likely pathogenic variant of YY1. This case expands the phenotypic spectrum of Gabriel–de Vries syndrome.

Respiratory Severity Score as a Predictive Factor for the Mortality of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

PURPOSE: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is rare but potentially fatal. The overall outcome is highly variable. This study aimed to identify a simple and dynamic parameter that helps predict the mortality of CDH patients in real time, without invasive tests. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 59 CDH cases. Maternal and fetal information included the gestational age at diagnosis, site of defect, presence of liver herniation, and lung-to-head ratio (LHR) at 20 to 29 weeks of gestational age. Information regarding postnatal treatment, including the number of days until surgery, the need for inhaled nitric oxide (iNO), the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and survival, was collected. The highest respiratory severity score (RSS) within 24 hours after birth was also calculated. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed that a younger gestational age at the initial diagnosis (P < 0.001), a lower LHR (P=0.001), and the presence of liver herniation (P=0.003) were prenatal risk factors for CDH mortality. The RSS and use of iNO and ECMO were significant factors affecting survival. In the multivariate analysis, the only remaining significant risk factor was the highest preoperative RSS within 24 hours after birth (P=0.002). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.9375, with a sensitivity of 91.67% and specificity of 83.87% at the RSS cut-off value of 5.2. The positive and negative predictive values were 82.14% and 92.86%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Using the RSS as a prognostic predictor with simple calculations will help clinicians plan CDH management.

Two Cases of Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich Syndrome Diagnosed in Perinatal Period

Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich syndrome (HWWS) is a very rare congenital anomaly of the urogenital tract involving Mullerian ducts and Wolffian ducts, and is characterized by the triad of uterine didelphys, unilateral obstructed hemivagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis. Generally it is diagnosed at puberty after menarche due to recurrent pelvic pain or abdominal mass. We report 2 cases of female newborns whose fetal ultrasonography (USG) showed unilateral renal agenesis and were diagnosed with HWWS by postnatal evaluation. Both cases were female newborns who were born at term by vaginal delivery. They had no perinatal problems except suspicious findings of unilateral renal agenesis from fetal USG. Abdominal ultrasonography and pelvic MRI were performed after birth, and they were diagnosed with HWWS. The potential complications of this syndrome such as pyosalpinx, pelvic adhesions and increased risk of abortion or infertility can occur, but without complication, the prognosis is very good with simple surgical treatment. If renal agenesis is detected in a fetus or a newborn, possible anomalies of urogenital tract such as HWWS should be considered; and postnatal evaluation should be performed, as a simple surgical treatment before menarche can prevent unnecessary complications of disease.

The Associations of Parental Education Level and Employment Status on the Risks of Low Birth Weight

PURPOSE: Neonatal morbidity is strongly related to birth weight, and low birth weight (LBW) is known to be associated with childhood and even adult outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the associations of parental socio-economic status (SES) on the risks of low birth weight in the Republic of Korea. METHODS: Data on 450,574 singleton births were obtained from the National Birth Registration (NBR) database of 2008 and analyzed. Parental educational level and parental employment status were considered for the analysis. The place of birth, sex, marital status, parental age, and parity were included in the analysis of the unconditional multiple logistic regressions. LBW was defined as birth weight less than 2,500 g. RESULTS: 15,782 (3.5% of total subjects) of LBW infants were identified. The group with the lowest educational level (below high school) had the highest odds ratio of LBW, in both the father and mother, in the multivariable analysis [odds ratio (OR) 1.38 and 1.35, respectively]. Regarding paternal employment status, unemployed group had statistically significantly higher OR compared to the non-manual group (OR 1.14). Maternal employment status was analyzed not to have significant effect on the risk of LBW. CONCLUSION: The study confirmed that low parental SES in educational level or employment status increased the likelihood of LBW.