Clinical Consideration of Premature Twins Conceived by in Vitro Fertilization and those of Naturally Conceived / 대한주산의학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare neonatal outcome of premature twins conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF) to those of naturally conceived. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed neonatal outcome of sixty pairs of premature twins conceived by IVF (IVF twin group) and 34 pairs that naturally conceived (natural twin group). Maternal and obstetric characteristics were also compared. All were born before 35 weeks of gestation between January 2000 and December 2004 at Pochon-Cha Hospital and admitted to neonatal intensive care unit. Student t-test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: For obstetrical characteristics, maternal age and rates of nulliparous were sibnificanty twin group. But, other parameters (preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, pregnancy-induced hypertension, gestational diabetes mellitus) were similar between two groups. For neonatal outcome, gestational age, duration of hospital stay, Apgar score, neonatal mortality and morbidity were reviewed. All parameters were no significant differences in IVF twin group compare to natural twin group CONCLUSIONS: In our study, IVF twin group had no significant differences in obstetric characteristics (except for maternal age and parity) and neonatal outcome compare to natural twin group.

The Levels of Zinc and Neuron-specific Enolase in Febrile Convulsion / 소아과

PURPOSE: To determine the role of zinc in febrile convulsion and to evaluate whether febrile convulsion causes neuronal damage, serum and cerebrospinal fluid(CSF), zinc and CSF neuron-specific enolase(NSE) levels were measured in patients with febrile convulsion, epilepsy and aseptic meningitis. METHODS: Three groups were formed as follows: group I:53 children with febrile convulsion; group II:34 children with epilepsy; and group III, 40 children with aseptic meningitis. Serum and CSF zinc and CSF NSE levels were measured in each groups. RESULTS: The serum zinc levels of groups I, II and III had a mean of 74.71+/-18.26 microgram/dL, 104.35+/-31.43 microgram/dL and 87.03+/-24.47 microgram/dL, respectively, and the values of group I were significantly lower than those of the other two groups. The CSF zinc levels of groups I, II and III were found to have a mean 27.72+/-17.93 microgram/dL, 44.73+/-26.72 microgram/dL and 54.44+/-28.43 microgram/dL, respectively. In group I, the CSF zinc levels were significantly lower than those of other two groups. The CSF NSE levels of groups I, II and III had a mean of 11.61+/-2.96 ng/mL, 16.51+/-5.46 ng/mL and 14.60+/-3.02 ng/mL respectively and the values of group I were significantly lower than those of others. CONCLUSION: We confirmed that low zinc levels in serum and CSF are participants in the pathogenesis of febrile convulsion, but we could not find out the evidence of neurologic damage in patients with febrile convulsion using NSE levels in CSF.