[Use of a polyethylene bag: a way to improve the thermal environment of the premature newborn at the delivery room]. / Utilisation d'un sac en polyéthylène: un moyen d'améliorer l'environnement thermique du prématuré en salle de naissance.

BACKGROUND: Early interventions, such as occlusive wrapping of very low birth weight infants at delivery reduce postnatal temperature fall. This new intervention was implemented in our hospital on January 2000. The aim of this study was to investigate retrospectively the effect of polyethylene wrap, applied immediately at birth, on thermoregulation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Matched pair analysis was conducted for 60 infants delivered inborn at less than 33 weeks' gestation and 60 premature infants who were born during the second half of 1999 fulfilling the same criteria. The only difference in the management (medical and environmental) was wrapping with a polyethylene bag in the delivery room. Rectal temperature and other vital parameters were taken, after removal of wraps, on admission to NICU. RESULTS: The perinatal characteristics of both groups were comparable. Use of wrapping resulted in a significantly higher admission rectal temperature (difference in means = 0.8 degree C, p < 0.0001), this difference was also significant in infants < 30 weeks. The incidence of hypothermia (< 35.5 degrees C) was less frequent in infants enclosed in plastic bags (8.3% vs 55%). No side effects (skin burns, infection or hyperthermia) were attributable to the intervention. The heart rate was higher in the wrapping group (163 +/- 16 vs 150 +/- 17 b/min, p < 0.01), as well as the capillary glycemia (62 +/- 26 vs 45 +/- 30 mg/dl, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference on arterial pressure. CONCLUSION: Occlusive wrapping with a polyethylene bag at birth prevented low rectal temperature in premature infants in the immediate postnatal period. This method is easy, practical and effective, and does not interfere with current practice for resuscitation.

[Jargon of the neonatal intensive care unit]. / Le jargon de la réanimation néonatale.

Jargon, the specialized vocabulary and idioms, is frequently used by people of the same work or profession. The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) makes no exception to this. As a matter of fact, NICU is one place where jargon is constantly developing in parallel with the evolution of techniques and treatments. The use of jargon within the NICU is very practical for those who work in these units. However, this jargon is frequently used by neonatologists in medical reports or other kinds of communication with unspecialized physicians. Even if part of the specialized vocabulary can be decoded by physicians not working in the NICU, they do not always know the exact place that these techniques or treatments have in the management of their patients. The aim of this article is to describe the most frequent jargon terms used in the French NICU and to give up-to-date information on the importance of the techniques or treatments that they describe.

[Early cardiovascular effects of corticotherapy for bronchopulmonary dysplasia]. / Effets cardiovasculaires précoces de la corticothérapie pour dysplasie bronchopulmonaire.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze the time course of cardiovascular effects in glucocorticoid-treated premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). METHODS: In a retrospective case study, 63 ventilator-dependent very-low-birth-weight neonates (mean gestational age = 27.9 +/- 2 weeks and mean birth weight = 920 +/- 275 g) treated with dexamethasone (52%) or betamethasone (48%) were studied. The average value for each study day was calculated for systolic arterial blood pressure and heart rate. RESULTS: At initiation of treatment, blood pressures increased significantly from pre-treatment to day 1 and continued to increase during the first week: as a percentage of pre-treatment baseline the mean increase for systolic arterial blood pressure was 19% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 16, 22) on day 2 (P < 0.001). The maximum amplitude of variation was observed before day 2 for 75% of the study group. As a group as a whole, the heart rate value significantly decreased on day 1 (mean difference = -14.6 beats/min; 95% CI = -16.5, -12.6; P < 0.001), and then reached pre-treatment value within one week. Cardiovascular response was independent of gestational age, birth weight and postnatal age at the beginning of treatment. CONCLUSION: During postnatal steroid therapy a rise in blood pressure is a common side effect, but bradycardia is mentioned very occasionally. The present study shows a marked increase in blood pressure during the first 48 hours concomitant with a decrease in heart rate. The inverse relationship between systolic arterial blood pressure and heart rate suggests a baroreflex response.

[APN: evaluation behavioral scale of acute pain in newborn infants]. / DAN: une échelle comportementale d'évaluation de la douleur aiguë du nouveau-né.

AIM: This study was designed to validate a behavioral acute pain rating scale for term and preterm neonates (APN). METHODS: From January through June 1996, neonates requiring a heel lance or a venous puncture for blood sampling at the intensive care unit and the nursery of Poissy Hospital were recruited into the study. After a pilot study, a pain rating scale was developed. The scale score pain ranged from 0 to 10 and it evaluated three items: facial expression, limb movements, and vocal expression with ratings per item ranging from 0 to 4, 0 to 3 and 0 to 3, respectively. Two observers evaluated independently each infant during a painful procedure (puncture for a blood sample) and during a dummy procedure (rubbing the thigh softly). RESULTS: Forty-two neonates born between 25 and 41 weeks gestational age were included in the study. Medians (quartiles) of gestational age, birth weight, and corrected postmenstrual age at time of investigation were 34 (29-39) weeks, 1,850 (1,055-3,093) g, and 35.5 (31-39) weeks, respectively. Ten infants were intubated. The scale showed to be sensitive because all possible scores were obtained; during painful procedures scores ranged from 1 to 10, with 95% of scores > or = 3 while during dummy procedures they ranged from 0 to 5, with 88% of scores < or = 2. The medians (95% confidence interval) of scores were for painful procedures 5 (5 to 7) and for dummy procedures 1 (0 to 1). This indicates a good specificity of the scale. High intercorrelation of items (internal consistency) was confirmed by a Cronbach's coefficient alpha of 0.88. Inter-rater agreement was high since the Krippendorff R test was 91.2. CONCLUSION: This behavioral acute pain rating scale for newborns demonstrated a good specificity and sensitivity, internal consistency and inter-rater reliability. This scale could be used to test the analgesic effects of different therapies during painful procedures.

[The fate of very early premature babies. Mortality, morbidity and 2-year follow-up in a population of 96 very early premature babies]. / Devenir des grands prématurés. Mortalité, morbidité et suivi à 2 ans d'une population de 96 grands prématurés.

The neonatal fate, and outcome at 2 years in a population of 96 premature babies born after no more than 28 weeks of amenorrhea is described. Mortality was directly influenced by the gestational age (< 26 WA = 52% vs. > or = 26 WA = 21.1%, p < 0.01) and the birth weight (< 1,000 g = 41.5% vs. > 1,000 g = 20%, p < 0.05). Two other factors with a harmful impact were identified: retarded growth (neonatal mortality doubled) and fetal multiplicity (increased fourfold). Investigation of the neonatal morbidity highlights the importance of respiratory, neurological and digestive problems. Assessment of the longer-term outcome has shown an 11.3 p. cent incidence of handicap. An estimation of the prognosis on the basis of gestational age is proposed.

[Thrombosis of the right atrium after umbilical venous catheterization. Favourable outcome after early thrombectomy]. / Thrombose de l'oreillette droite après cathétérisme veineux ombilical. Evolution favorable après thrombectomie précoce.

A case of right atrial thrombosis after venous umbilical catheterization in a 21 day-old premature newborn is reported. The initiating factors of such an accident and its clinical signs are evocated. The authors emphasize the value of a systematic ultrasonographic supervision of newborns with central catheters for a long period of time and the value of surgical thrombectomy.

[Multiple pregnancies. Neonatal morbidity and mortality]. / Grossesses multifoetales. Morbidité et mortalité néonatales.

The increase in the number of multiple pregnancies and the high incidence of prematurity in this type of pregnancy justifies a pediatric evaluation. A retrospective study (1985-1989) compared the perinatal and neonatal characteristics of children resulting from 14 multifetal (at least 3 fetuses) pregnancies, with a gestational age of less than 34 weeks, with 27 children resulting from monofetal pregnancies of the same duration. Neonatal morbidity and mortality appeared to be similar in both groups. Thus at this very early time of onset of labour (mean gestational age of 30 weeks), fetal multiplicity expressed itself neither by any particular neonatal pathology nor by malnutrition.

[Hydrops fetalis associated with Noonan syndrome]. / Anasarque néonatale associée à un syndrome de Noonan.

A case of Noonan syndrome associated with hydrops fetalis has been reported; it is recalled that morphological anomalies common to both Turner and Noonan syndromes depend on similar lymphatic anomalies. In the present case it is therefore proposed that the malformations of Noonan syndrome and hydrops fetalis proceed from the same lymphatic anomalies.