ABSTRACT
In a three-year period, 3.8% (43) of 1,123 infants discharged from one neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) subsequently died, the vast majority before 1 year of age. Sudden infant death syndrome was responsible for 28% of the deaths, congenital heart disease for 25% of the deaths, chronic lung disease for 16%, and trauma, infections, and chromosomal disorders each accounted for 5% of the deaths. Postdischarge death rates in the three-year study period remained stable, while infant mortality in the NICU decreased from 26.5% to 16.3%. This study suggests that decreasing mortality among infants treated in NICUs is not necessarily reflected in improved postdischarge death rates and that the vast majority of deaths in these infants are currently not preventable.
Subject(s)
Infant Mortality , Intensive Care Units, Neonatal , Adult , Female , Heart Defects, Congenital/epidemiology , Heart Defects, Congenital/mortality , Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499 , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Infant, Newborn, Diseases/epidemiology , Infant, Newborn, Diseases/mortality , Lung Diseases/epidemiology , Lung Diseases/mortality , Male , Patient Discharge , Sudden Infant Death/epidemiology , WashingtonABSTRACT
Consumption of Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) needles causes reproductive dysfunction in mice during early and late gestation. Consumption during early gestation results in considerable embryotoxicity which is not a result of starvation. Temporary loss of coordination and lethargy are observed in the females. Consumption of the pine needle diet results in a weight loss which persists throughout gestation. Feeding the pine needle diet from the tenth day of gestation results in spleen atrophy observable by day twelve and adrenal hypertrophy by day thirteen. The adrenal hypertrophy is characterized by an increase in the medullary component of the gland from the normal 12% medulla present on day ten to approximately 35% medulla present in the glands of those females surviving past day fourteen. Few fetal deaths are observed prior to day fifteen but the incidence of fetal death reaches 80% by day sixteen of gestation. If the dead fetuses are not aborted, maternal death follows fetal death by approximately two days; however, if the dead fetuses are aborted the females survive.
Subject(s)
Fetal Death/veterinary , Plant Poisoning/veterinary , Pregnancy Complications/veterinary , Rodent Diseases/etiology , Animals , Body Weight , Diet , Female , Fetal Death/etiology , Mice , Mice, Inbred Strains , Organ Size , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications/etiology , Pregnancy Complications/mortality , Rodent Diseases/mortalityABSTRACT
An infectious microorganism, identified as Listeria monocytogenes, has been isolated from the bloodstream of pregnant mice fed a diet containing Pinus ponderosa needles. When the isolate was injected into pregnant mice, reproductive dysfunction and other changes, including speckled livers, spleen atrophy, and hemorrhagic intestines, appeared to mimic the signs of the disease in pregnant mice fed pine needles. Moreover, these pathological changes are similar to those observed in cattle and other mammals experiencing abortions or toxemia, or both, attributed to the ingestion of P. ponderosa needles, suggesting that L. monocytogenes may be a part of the etiology of "pine needle abortion."
