Delayed closure of the ductus arteriosus in term newborns with congenital hypothyroidism: effect of L-thyroxine therapy.

Congenital hypothyroidism is associated with an increased incidence of congenital defects (15.6%), frequently involving the heart (5.8%). Only a few studies have evaluated the association between congenital hypothyroidism and patent ductus arteriosus. We report on two term newborns affected by thyroid agenesis and patent ductus arteriosus that closed after starting L: -thyroxine substitutive therapy. This association suggests a close relation between hypothyroidism and patent ductus arteriosus. Hypothyroidism should be considered in term infants with patent ductus arteriosus, because thyroid hormone production is among the prerequisites for postnatal ductal closure.

Effect of a fermented formula on thymus size and stool pH in healthy term infants.

To investigate the effects of fermented formula (FF) with Bifidobacterium breve C50 and Streptococcus thermophilus 065 on thymus size and stool pH of healthy term infants, ultrasound examinations and evaluations of thymus sizes and thymus indices (TI) and measurements of stool pH were performed in the same 90 term neonates on the 3rd d of life and on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th mo of life. Thirty newborns were exclusively breast-fed while the remaining 60 were randomly assigned to receive either a FF or a standard formula (SF). The fecal pH of the breast-fed group was lower than the SF group (p < 0.05), although it was similar to that of the FF group on the third postnatal day, persisting for the entire 4 mo of the study. The difference in TI was statistically significant over repeated measurements among the groups. The FF infants showed a TI similar to the breast-fed newborns. Probiotic fermentation products have effects comparable to those of the bacteria composing the intestinal microflora supporting the idea that intestinal bacterial balance plays an important role in improving host immune responses.