Collodion baby case series: the success of oral retinoic acid.

Ichthyosis is a clinical skin cornification disorder characterized by hyperkeratosis. Lamellar ichthyosis is a rare form of ichthyosis (collodion baby), which is autosomal recessive. Diagnostic clinical findings can be confirmed with skin biopsy and genetic analysis. The principles of treatment are moistening the skin, prevention of dehydration, and use of keratolytic agents. Systemic retinoic acid (0.5-1 mg/kg/day) is reported to provide dramatic benefits in the treatment of lamellar ichthyosis and congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma. In this study, the efficiency of oral retinoic acid treatment is presented to show a dramatic improvement in five patients who were diagnosed as collodion babies and admitted to The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after birth. None had other congenital problems. Only two patients were diagnosed as having sepsis. Hair loss was the only adverse effect of treatment in all five patients. With this series of collodion baby, we wanted to the draw the attention of physicians to the promising efficacy of retinoic acid.

Evaluation of Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology and Perinatal Extension II and Clinical Risk Index for Babies with additional parameters.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine mortality risk by calculating Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology and Perinatal Extension II (SNAP-PE-II) and Clinical Risk Index for Babies (CRIB) score, and evaluate prediction of the effects of antenatal corticosteroid and surfactant treatment on mortality. METHODS: This multicenter study was conducted simultaneously in five different centers in four different provinces in Southern Turkey between July 2012 and July 2013. A total of 1668 inborn subjects hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit within the first 12 h of delivery, and meeting the selection criteria, were included in the study, and CRIB and SNAP-PE-II were used to determine mortality. RESULTS: The SNAP-PE-II scoring system was applied to all patients, and the CRIB scoring system was used for 310 newborns with gestational age <32 weeks and weighing <1500 g. Of the 1668 patients, 188 died (mortality rate, 11.3%). Cut-off was found to vary with center, which changed specificity and sensitivity of the mortality scores. SNAP-PE-II significantly predicted mortality (P < 0.05) compared with CRIB. SNAP-PE-II also successfully predicted mortality in the group receiving antenatal corticosteroid compared with the group not receiving antenatal corticosteroid. CONCLUSION: SNAP-PE-II was a significant predictor of mortality in newborns with birthweight <1500 g compared with CRIB, and assessment of antenatal corticosteroid use in conjunction with SNAP-PE-II increased the accuracy of the prediction of mortality.

The propre-save study: effects of probiotics and prebiotics alone or combined on necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight infants.

OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy of probiotic and prebiotic, alone or combined (synbiotic), on the prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, controlled trial was conducted at 5 neonatal intensive care units in Turkey. VLBW infants (n = 400) were assigned to a control group and 3 study groups that were given probiotic (Bifidobacterium lactis), prebiotic (inulin), or synbiotic (Bifidobacterium lactis plus inulin) added to breastmilk or formula for a maximum of 8 weeks before discharge or death. The primary outcome was NEC (Bell stage ≥2). RESULTS: The rate of NEC was lower in probiotic (2.0%) and synbiotic (4.0%) groups compared with prebiotic (12.0%) and placebo (18.0%) groups (P < .001). The times to reach full enteral feeding were faster (P < .001), the rates of clinical nosocomial sepsis were lower (P = .004), stays in the neonatal intensive care unit were shorter, (P = .002), and mortality rates were lower (P = .003) for infants receiving probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotic than controls. The use of antenatal steroid (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.9) and postnatal probiotic (alone or in synbiotic) (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.2-0.8) decreased the risk of NEC, and maternal antibiotic exposure increased this risk (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.6). CONCLUSIONS: In VLBW infants, probiotic (Bifidobacterium lactis) and synbiotic (Bifidobacterium lactis plus inulin) but not prebiotic (inulin) alone decrease NEC.

Impact of oral versus intravenous ibuprofen on neurodevelopmental outcome: a randomized controlled parallel study.

OBJECTIVE: Although neurodevelopmental outcomes related to the management of patent ductus arteriosus with intravenous indomethacin and ibuprofen are known, little data on the long-term effects of oral ibuprofen can be found in the literature. METHOD: A follow-up study of 99 infants with birth weight ≤ 1,500 g and gestational age ≤ 32 weeks who received either oral or intravenous ibuprofen for patent ductus arteriosus was conducted to assess at 18 to 24 months (corrected age), abnormal neurological, neurosensory, and cognitive impairment were defined as follows:neurological outcomes included moderate/severe cerebral palsy, neurosensory outcomes included bilateral hearing loss and blindness in either eye, and cognitive impairment included mental developmental index score < 70. RESULTS: The 18- to 24-month (corrected age) long-term outcomes of 30 subjects who received oral ibuprofen were compared with 27 subjects who received intravenous ibuprofen by certified and experienced examiners who were blind to the definitions of the groups. The results revealed that the long-term outcomes of the treatment regimens did not significantly differ. CONCLUSIONS: Preterm infants who were treated with oral ibuprofen for patent ductus arteriosus had similar neurological, neurosensory, and cognitive outcomes to patients who received intravenous ibuprofen at 2 years of age.

Neurodevelopmental outcome among multiples and singletons: a regional neonatal intensive care unit's experience in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the neurodevelopmental outcome at 12-18 months' corrected age between multiples and singleton preterm infants. METHODS: We designed a prospective study of preterm infants (≤32 weeks gestation) born and hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit between November 2008 and November 2009, whose assessments were performed at 12-18 months' corrected age. Neurodevelopmental impairment was defined as the presence of any one of the following: moderate or severe cerebral palsy, severe bilateral hearing loss or bilateral blindness, mental developmental index score, or psychomotor developmental index score less than 70. Results were compared for both multiples and singleton infants. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-nine multiples and 211 singleton infants were assessed at 12-18 months' corrected age. The neurodevelopmental outcome including all parameters at 12-18 months' corrected age in multiples was not significantly different from singleton preterm infants. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple gestation in preterm infants is not associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairment at 12-18 months' corrected age compared with singleton preterm infants. For further information, long term and high participation in neurodevelopmental follow-up and evaluation at pre-school age will be needed.