Pilot study of home phototherapy for neonatal jaundice monitored in maternity ward during the enforced Italy-wide COVID-19 national lockdown.

In Italy, where neonatal jaundice treatment is required, it is largely carried out in hospitals. However, it is possible to safely administer home phototherapy (HPT). We report our pilot center's experience of HPT and its potential benefits during the COVID-19-enforced national lockdown. This is an observational study performed at the Policlinic Abano Terme, a suburban hospital that covers a large catchment area near the Euganean Hills in Northeast Italy with around 1000 deliveries per year. HPT was started after regular nursery discharge, and the mothers brought the neonates back to the hospital maternity ward each day to check infants' bilirubin levels, weight, and general state of health, until it was deemed safe to stop. The efficacy of HPT in bilirubin reduction, hospital readmission rates, and parental satisfaction were evaluated. Thirty infants received HPT. In 4 of these infants, HPT was associated with total serum bilirubin (TSB) between 75 and 95th percentile (high-intermediate-risk zone) and in 26 infants HPT was associated with TSB > 95th percentile (high-risk zone) of the Bhutani nomogram. Among these 30 infants, 27 (90%) completed the HPT with a progressive decrease of TSB levels with 4 neonates requiring a second course and 3 infants requiring a third course of 24-h HPT. Three (10%) neonates failed HPT and were readmitted after one 24-h phototherapy course. No abnormalities of breastfeeding, body weight (defined as > 10% decrease), temperature, nor COVID infections were detected following HPT consultation in the neonatal ward. Home treatment efficacy with varying degrees of parental satisfaction occurred in all but 3 cases that involved difficulties with the equipment and inconsistent lamp manipulation practices. CONCLUSION: Our pilot study suggests that HPT for neonatal jaundice can be carried out effectively and with parental satisfaction as supported by daily back bilirubin monitoring in the maternity ward during the enforced COVID-19 national lockdown in Italy. WHAT IS KNOWN: • No high-quality evidence is currently available to support or refute the practice of phototherapy in patients' own homes. WHAT IS NEW: • Phototherapy can be delivered at home in a select group of infants and could be an ideal option if parents are able to return with their infants to the hospital maternity ward for daily follow-up. • It can be as effective as inpatient phototherapy and potentially helps in delivering family-centered care.

Fluid status changes during the transition in infants of diabetic mothers.

In animal and human neonates, expansion of the extracellular fluid volume is associated with "wet" lung and poor respiratory outcomes. To define fluid status changes during the transition from fetal to neonatal life in infants of diabetic mothers (IDM), we conducted a single-centre (Policlinico Abano Terme, Abano Terme, Italy) study of 66 IDM and a 1:2 matched control group from January 1 to September 30, 2020. Fluid status changes were assessed by computing Δ Hct from umbilical cord blood at birth and capillary heel Hct at 48 h, accounting for body weight decrease. IDM presented with significantly lower cord blood Hct levels in comparison to controls (47.33 ± 4.52 vs 50.03 ± 3.51%, p < 0.001), mainly if delivered by elective cesarean Sect. (45.01 ± 3.77 vs 48.43 ± 3.50%, p = 0.001). Hct levels at 48 h were comparable (55.18 ± 5.42 vs 54.62 ± 7.41%, p = 0.703), concurrently with similar body weight decrease (- 217.21 ± 113.34 vs - 217.51 ± 67.28 g, p = 0.614). This supports significantly higher ∆ Hct in IDM (5.13 ± 5.24 vs 7.29 ± 6.48, p < 0.01) and extra circulating fluid loss of 2-3%.Conclusion: Gestational diabetes is associated with an excess of circulating fluids during the transition from fetal to neonatal life, challenging the current assumption that is per se at risk of wet lung. What is Known: • In neonates, evidence suggests that expansion of the extracellular fluid volume prior to the postnatal diuresis is associated with poor respiratory outcomes. What is New: • Gestational diabetes is associated with an excess of circulating fluids during the transition from fetal to neonatal life, challenging the current assumption that is per se at risk of wet lung.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Intact Cord Milking versus Immediate Cord Clamping in Term Infants Born by Elective Cesarean Section.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated whether intact umbilical cord milking (UCM) is more effective than immediate cord clamping (ICC) in enhancing placental transfusion after elective cesarean delivery. STUDY DESIGN: In a randomized trial, volume of placental transfusion was assessed by Δ hematocrit (Hct) between neonatal cord blood and capillary heel blood at 48 hours of age, corrected for the change in body weight. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in cord blood mean Hct values at birth (UCM, 44.5 ± 4.8 vs. ICC, 44.9 ± 4.2%, p = 0.74). Conversely, at 48 hours of age, the UCM group had significantly higher capillary heel Hct values (UCM, 53.7 ± 5.9 vs. ICC, 49.8 ± 4.6%, p < 0.001), supporting a higher placental transfusion volume (Δ Hct, UCM 9.2 ± 5.2 vs. ICC 4.8 ± 4.7, p < 0.001), despite comparable neonatal body weight decrease (UCM, -7.3 vs. ICC, -6.8%, p = 0.77). CONCLUSION: Higher Δ Hct between cord blood at birth and capillary heel blood at 48 hours of age, corrected for the change in body weight, suggests that intact UCM is an efficacious and safe procedure to enhance placental transfusion among neonates born via elective cesarean delivery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03668782.

Umbilical cord bilirubin level and pre-discharge hyperbilirubinemia risk.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether arterial umbilical cord bilirubin (aUCB) level at delivery predicts predischarge neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, facilitating a safe discharge from the hospital. METHODS: Prospective analysis of hospital biochemistry records identified near term and term infants with recorded aUCB and predischarge, at 36 h of life, capillary heal bilirubin (cHB), to identify those with a cutoff of bilirubin levels >9 mg/ml, >75th percentile on the nomogram of Bhutani et al. RESULTS: Of 616 study neonates, median (IQR) aUCB and cHB levels were 1.5 mg % (IQR 0.7-2.2) and 7.7 mg % (IQR 6.6-8.9), respectively. The values resulted statistically correlated (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.26, p < .0001) and an increment of 1 mg/dl in aUCB was associated with an increment (Regression coefficient, 95% confidence interval) of mean cHB 0.49 (0.33-0.65, p < .0001). Among these, 143 (23.2%) neonates developed bilirubin levels >9 mg/ml at 36 h of life and multivariable analysis confirmed that cHB levels (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.22-1.82; p < .0001) and vaginal delivery (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.33-4.36; p = .005) were significantly associated with bilirubin levels >9 mg/ml. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that aUCB should be added to the list of major risk factors for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Infant feeding initiation practices in the context of COVID-19 lockdown.

OBJECTIVE: Limited information is available regarding barriers to breastfeeding during the COVID-19 lockdown. STUDY DESIGN: This study was designed as a non-concurrent case-control study on breastfeeding initiation practices, defined according to WHO, in women giving birth during lockdown, between March 8 and May 18, 2020, in the COVID-19 'hotspot' in Northeastern Italy (study group), with an antecedent puerperae-matched group (control group). Exclusive, complementary, and formula feeding practices were collected from maternal charts at hospital discharge, on the second day post-partum, when puerperae filled out the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). RESULTS: The COVID-19 study group presented significantly lower exclusive breastfeeding rates than the control group who members gave birth the previous year (-15%, p = 0.003), as a consequence of the significantly higher prevalence of complementary feeding practices in the former (+20%, p = 0.002). Conversely, the COVID-19 study group showed significantly higher EPDS scores (8.03 ± 4.88 vs. 8.03 ± 4.88, p < 0.005) and higher anhedonia (0.56 ± 0.65 vs. 0.18 ± 0.38, p < 0.001) and depression (0.62 ± 0.60 vs. 0.39 ± 0.44, <0.001) subscale scores. In the general linear model analysis, women practicing exclusive breastfeeding showed significantly lower EPDS scores in comparison with those practicing complementary (p = 0.003) and formula feedings (p = 0.001). Furthermore, the highest EPDS scores were observed in women adopting formula feeding, mainly during the COVID-19 quarantine (p = 0.019). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that hospital containment measures adopted during lockdown in the 'hotspot' COVID-19 epidemic area of Northeastern Italy have a detrimental effect on maternal emotions and on breastfeeding exclusivity practices.

Determinants and effects of fluid status changes in caesarean delivered neonates.

AIM: Evidence suggests that caesarean section is associated with a reduced placental transfusion and poor iron-related haematological indices, both in cord and peripheral blood, compared with vaginal delivery. We assessed determinants and effects of fluid status changes on placental transfusion in neonates delivered by elective (ElCD) and emergency (EmCD) caesarean section. METHODS: Placental transfusion was estimated by ∆ haematocrit (Hct) increase from birth to 48 hours of life, accounting for contemporaneous ∆ body weight decrease, in 143 women/infant pairs, 62 who underwent ElCD and 81 EmCD, respectively. RESULTS: Cord blood Hct levels at birth of ElCS neonates were significantly lower than those of EmCD neonates (44.58 + 4.87vs 49.93 + 4.29, P = .01). At 48 hours of life, capillary heel Hct levels of ElCD and of EmCD neonates were comparable. ElCD had a higher ∆ body weight decrease (ElCD -7.25 ± 1.74% vs EmCD -6.31 ± 2.34% [P: .011]) and ∆ Hct increase ([ElCD + 5.93 ± 4.92 vs EmCD + 3.59 ± 5.29, [P: .011]). In a linear regression model analysis, gestational age in ElCD neonates had a significant effect on the differences in arterial cord blood Hct, body weight at birth and body weight decrease at 48 hours after birth. CONCLUSION: Early-term surgical delivery is a determinant of transient dilutional anaemia in ElCD neonates, lacking neuroendocrine response of labour and delivery.

Correction to: Morphine-induced supraventricular tachycardia in near-term fetus.

The original article [1] contained an error whereby all authors' names were mistakenly inverted.

Morphine-induced supraventricular tachycardia in near-term fetus.

BACKGROUND: Fetal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), characterized by fetal heart rate between 220 and 260 bpm, is a rare but most commonly encountered fetal cardiac arrhythmia in pregnancy that may be associated with adverse perinatal outcome. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a 36/6 week near term fetus who presented morphine-induced SVT after maternal treatment of a renal colic. Following emergency cesarean section, the neonate had resolution of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The pathophysiology of morphine-related SVT, previously documented in experimental animal models, and for the first time reported in the human fetus, is presented.

Short hospitalization after caesarean delivery: effects on maternal pain and stress at discharge.

PURPOSE: To characterize predischarge maternal pain and stress after caesarean delivery and short hospitalization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a descriptive study with 60 women in the postoperative period of caesarean section and 60 control women after vaginal delivery. Pain and stress were measured by McGill Pain Questionnaire (MGPQ) and by the Stress Measure (Psychological Stress Measure (PSM)), respectively, at mother-infant dyad discharge, scheduled at 36 hours after delivery. RESULTS: Caesarean section was the delivery modality with the highest MGPQ pain and sensorial, evaluative and mixed pain descriptive categories scores. The pain location involved lower abdomen, with associated localizations at back, breast and shoulders. Conversely, vaginal delivery was the delivery modality with the highest stress scores. CONCLUSION: This study provides important information on the quality of care implications of early discharge practices in puerperae after caesarean delivery, a critical time characterized by qualitatively and quantitatively high pain and stress.

Prepregnancy Body Mass Index Shift Across Gestation: An Association with Breastfeeding Practices?

BACKGROUND: Research has shown that mother's obesity and underweight are major risk factors for reduced initiation, duration, and exclusivity of breastfeeding. OBJECTIVE: We compared breastfeeding practices from discharge until the third postnatal month in women, accounting to prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and its shift across gestation. STUDY DESIGN: Data on maternal shifts in BMI category from prepregnancy to gestational BMI by gestational weight gain (GWG) were defined according to 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines. Logistic regression models were estimated to assess the effect of prepregnancy and gestational BMI on breastfeeding, adjusting for clinically relevant factors. RESULTS: The analysis included 658 women. According to prepregnancy BMI, 84 (12.8%) mothers were underweight, 444 (67.4%) were normal weight, 94 (14.3%) were overweight, and 36 (5.5%) were obese. Although in the range defined by IOM 2009, GWG shifted across the BMI categories in 445 (67.6%). Thus, while underweight women shifted in higher BMI categories, normal weight women category halved (230, 35%), and both overweight women (301, 45.7%) and obese women (127, 19.3%) tripled. Breastfeeding patterns at discharge, at first month, and at third month were comparable among prepregnancy and gestational BMI groups, except for prepregnancy BMI groups at third month (p 0.03). At multivariable analysis, neither prepregnancy BMI nor gestational BMI was associated with reduced exclusive breastfeeding within 3 months after discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Prepregnancy BMI and gestational BMI, in women with adequate GWG, do not affect exclusive breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity until the third month postpartum. Women need information and support to gain adequate weight during pregnancy.

Umbilical cord blood acid-base analysis and the development of significant hyperbilirubinemia in near-term and term newborns: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The recognition, follow-up, and early treatment of neonatal jaundice has become more difficult, since the earlier discharge of newborns from hospitals has become common practice. Since intrapartum hypoxic stress has been pointed as predisposing factor for the occurrence of hyperbilirubinemia risk, we tested the association with the cord blood acid-base index tests. METHODS: A cohort of healthy term and near-term newborns underwent umbilical cord hemogasanalysis at birth and capillary heel total serum bilirubin (TSB) pre-discharge, scheduled at 36 h of life, to define the risk of significant hyperbilirubinemia, defined as >9 mg/dL TSB level, ≥ 75th percentile on nomogram of Bhutani et al. RESULTS: It was found that among 537 studied neonates, 133 (24.8%) had pre-discharge TSB levels of >9 mg/dL. When the cord blood gas analysis index tests were compared, their acidemia levels were significantly higher than those of neonates with normal TSB levels: HCO3- (20.71 ± 2.37 vs. 21.29 ± 2.25 mEq/L, p < 0.010), base deficit (-3.52 ± 3.188 vs. -2.68 ± 3.266 mEq/L, p < 0.010), and lactacidemia (3.84 ± 1.864 vs. 3.39 ± 1.737 mEq/L, p < 0.012), respectively. However, logistic regression analysis showed that base deficit was the strongest index of the pre-discharge hyperbilirubinemia risk (OR, 95% CI 0.593; 0.411-0.856), and the hyperbilirubinemia risk increased by 40% with the decrease of 1 mEq/L of base deficit. CONCLUSIONS: Umbilical cord blood acidemia and lactacidemia are significant indexes of adaptive mechanisms at birth. The base deficit provides the strongest association with future development of high bilirubin on an hour specific bilirubin nomogram generating risk stratification score in term and near-term neonates.

Lactate in cord blood and its relation to fetal gluconeogenesis in at term deliveries.

BACKGROUND: In the human fetus, an increased lactate and glucose level can be anticipated when hypoxia and stress are present and is likely to be a function of both anaerobic metabolism and catecholamine-mediated glycogenolysis/glycolysis. AIM: We assessed if measurement of lactate in cord artery blood after vaginal and cesarean delivery may predict glucose concentration. STUDY DESIGN: Umbilical artery cord blood lactacidemia, acidemia, and glucose concentration was tested by 'mini-lab' Radiometer ABL90 FLEX analyzers (Radiometer®, Copenhagen, Denmark) after vaginal delivery (VD), spontaneous (n=493) and by vacuum extractor (n=41) or by cesarean delivery (CD), elective (n=120) and emergency (n=68) in at term, vigorous neonates delivered from March to December 2012 at the 2nd level maternity ward of Policlinico Abano Terme, Abano Terme (Italy). RESULTS: Cord blood lactacidemia and glucose levels were significantly higher in VD by vacuum extractor than in all other groups (5.32±1.96mmol/L, p=0.050 and 103.6±30.5mg/dL, p<0.001, respectively) and significantly lower in elective CD group (1.77±0.99mmol/L, p<0.001 and 69.8±13.0mg/dL, p<0.001). The cord blood lactate concentration was significantly and positively correlated with glucose levels (r=0.434, p<0.001), but significantly and negatively correlated with pH (r=-0,662, p<0.001), NaHCO3(-) (r=-0,802, p<0.001), and base excess (BE) (r=-0,698, p<0.001). However, in multivariate linear regression analysis, only BE, PaCO2 and cord blood lactate were significant predictive variables (R(2)=0.410; p<0.001) of glucose levels at birth. CONCLUSION: Cord blood artery lactate and glucose concentration are significantly and positively correlated at birth in healthy, at term vaginally and cesarean delivered neonates, but BE is the best indicator of activated fetal gluconeogenesis.

Prenatal exposure to serotonin reuptake inhibitors: a case report.

Two premature twins (33 weeks gestation) were born to a woman who had used paroxetine during pregnancy for an anxiety-depression disorder. They were admitted to the NICU, where they showed prolonged RDS, cardiovascular malformations, and facial dysmorphisms. Soon after birth, they also presented abnormal neurobehavioral and motor signs, which partially disappeared during the following weeks, although alterations of tone persisted even at discharge. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants are considered the primary treatments for depression and anxiety in pregnancy. Since intrauterine exposure to these drugs has been associated with poor neonatal adaptation, low birth weight, RDS, neurobehavioural symptoms, and potential teratogenic effects, further studies are needed to assess risks and mechanism of action of SSRIs. Meanwhile, it is advisable to evaluate for each patient the real risk/benefit ratio of continuing or suspending treatment during pregnancy.

A case of Poland Syndrome associated with dextroposition.

Classical Poland Syndrome (PS) is characterized by unilateral, partial or complete absence of the sternocostal head of the major pectoral muscle and brachysyndactyly of fingers on the same side. We report the case of a newborn infant with dextrocardia and PS located on the left side. This association is very rare: to date only 19 cases have been described in scientific literature. In all reported cases, as in the present, the Poland defect involved the left side and was associated to rib defects, whereas most cases of PS are on the right side and few have rib defects. This case supports the view that dextrocardia follows the loss of volume of the left hemithorax caused by Poland sequence and that the combination of PS and dextrocardia is not coincidental.

Prophylactic ibuprofen for the prevention of intraventricular hemorrhage among preterm infants: a multicenter, randomized study.

OBJECTIVE: Ibuprofen enhances cerebral blood flow autoregulation and was shown to protect neurologic functions after oxidative stresses in an animal model. For these reasons, we hypothesized that the prophylactic use of ibuprofen would reduce the occurrence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and its worsening toward grades 2 to 4 among preterm infants. To confirm this hypothesis, we planned the present prospective study. METHODS: This was a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial in which preterm infants with gestational ages of <28 weeks received ibuprofen or placebo within the first 6 hours of life. The infants were assigned randomly, at 7 neonatal care units, to receive ibuprofen (10 mg/kg, followed by 5 mg/kg after 24 and 48 hours) or placebo. Serial echoencephalography was performed 24 and 48 hours after the initial cerebral ultrasound study, on postnatal days 7, 15, and 30, and at 40 weeks' postconceptional age. Grade 1 IVH or no IVH was considered a successful outcome, whereas grade 2 to 4 IVH represented failure. The rates of ductal closure, side effects, and complications were recorded. RESULTS: We studied 155 infants. Grade 2 to 4 IVH developed for 16% of the ibuprofen-treated infants and 13% of the infants in the placebo group. The occurrence of patent ductus arteriosus was less frequent only on day 3 of life in the ibuprofen group. There were no significant differences with respect to other complications or adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that prophylactic ibuprofen is ineffective in preventing grade 2 to 4 IVH and that its use for this indication cannot be recommended.

Antenatal manifestation of congenital pancreatoblastoma in a fetus with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

Antenatal detection of an isolated abdominal cyst was found to be a pancreatoblastoma in a female fetus with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. Prenatal and post-natal features and management of this very rare tumour are discussed. Molecular investigation disclosed a mosaic paternal 11p15 uniparental disomy in the tumoral cells. The prognosis of a congenital pancreatoblastoma is good if complete surgical excision is achieved. However, the association with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome requires a prolonged follow-up because of the increased risk of developing malignant tumours.