Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Semin Thromb Hemost 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Laboratory of Haematology and Blood Bank Unit, "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

The aim of the present study was to assess the coagulation profile in neonatal critical illness using rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM), and to investigate its association with disease severity and its potential prognostic role in this clinical setting. Over a period of 67 months (July 2014-February 2020) 423 critically ill neonates with confirmed or suspected sepsis, perinatal hypoxia, or respiratory distress syndrome, hospitalized in our neonatal intensive care unit were included in the study. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were recorded on admission day and arterial blood was analyzed on ROTEM analyzer using the standard extrinsically activated rotational thromboelastometry assay (EXTEM). Read More

Am J Perinatol 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Department of Pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Objective:  The acute and traumatic events associated with having a newborn who requires admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may elicit long-term concerns for parents postdischarge. Cognitive processing of taxing events influences recurring stress responses, which can be inferred via biomarkers such as salivary cortisol (sCort) and skin conductance (SC). In addition, personal narratives provide an important insight into individual perceptions and coping strategies. Read More

Dev Neurosci 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Fetal Diagn Ther 2021 Jun 15:1-9. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Center for High Risk Pregnancy and Fetal Care, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy.

Introduction: The role of cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) or umbilicocerebral ratio (UCR) to predict adverse intrapartum and perinatal outcomes in pregnancies complicated by late fetal growth restriction (FGR) remains controversial.

Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective cohort study involving 5 referral centers in Italy and Spain, including singleton pregnancies complicated by late FGR, as defined by Delphi consensus criteria, with a scan 1 week prior to delivery. The primary objective was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the CPR and UCR for the prediction of a composite adverse outcome, defined as the presence of either an adverse intrapartum outcome (need for operative delivery/cesarean section for suspected fetal distress) or an adverse perinatal outcome (intrauterine death, Apgar score <7 at 5 min, arterial pH <7. Read More

Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021 Jun 11;70:54-60. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Laboratory for Heart Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystem Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0043, Japan. Electronic address:

The adult mammalian heart cannot regenerate after myocardial injury because most cardiomyocytes lack the ability to proliferate. In contrast, cardiomyocytes of vertebrates such as zebrafish and urodele amphibians, but also those of fetal and early neonatal mammals, maintain the ability to proliferate and therefore support regeneration of injured tissue and recovery of cardiac function. Whether evolutionarily conserved regulatory mechanisms of cardiomyocyte proliferation exist and, if so, whether they are modifiable to allow cardiac regeneration in adult mammals are questions of great scientific and medical interest. Read More

Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2021 Jun 12:100423. Epub 2021 Jun 12.

Obstetric Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna and IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria S.Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy.

The indications for induction of labor have been consistently on the rise. These indications are mainly medical (maternal or fetal), social or indications that are related to convenience or maternal preferences. With the increase in prevalence of these indications, the incidence rates of induction of labor are expected to continue to rise. Read More

Acta Paediatr 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Emergency Transport System, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.

Critically ill infants are often transferred to a referral hospital after they are assessed and stabilised by their local emergency department. The ideal composition and training of transport teams remains unclear. Transport generalists may be more available, but clinical complications during transfers can increase. Read More

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, UTHealth The University of Texas McGovern Medical School and the Fetal Center at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX.

Objective: Pre-operative short cervical length (CL) remains a major risk factor for preterm birth after laser surgery for twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). Interventions to prolong pregnancy remain elusive. The objective of this study is to compare secondary preventive methods used in the setting of short CL at the time of laser surgery by five North American Fetal Treatment Network (NAFTNet) centers. Read More

PLoS One 2021 15;16(6):e0253242. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.

Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus or GBS) is a commensal bacterium that can frequently behave as a pathogen, particularly in the neonatal period and in the elderly. The gut is a primary site of GBS colonization and a potential port of entry during neonatal infections caused by hypervirulent clonal complex 17 (CC17) strains. Here we studied the interactions between the prototypical CC17 BM110 strain and polarized enterocytes using the Caco-2 cell line. Read More

J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus protein A (spa) typing can be used to expand characterization of the epidemiology of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Jun;100(24):e26365

Neonatal Medicine, Shanxi Children's Hospital, Shanxi, China.

Background: Multiple clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of erythropoietin in improving neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). It is undoubtedly urgent to include only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for more standardized systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The purpose of this study is to examine whether erythropoietin reduces the risk of death and improve neurodevelopmental disorders in infants with HIE. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Jun;100(24):e26307

Department of Lymphatic Surgery, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University.

Introduction: 22q13.3 deletion syndrome is a well-known syndrome characterized by typical clinical findings including neonatal hypotonia, absent or severely delayed speech, intellectual disability, and other various features, and detection of a heterozygous deletion of chromosome 22q13.3 with the involvement of at least part of SHANK3. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Jun;100(24):e26092

Department of Obstetrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.

Rationale: Fetal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FAIT) is a serious life-threatening disease caused by platelet-antigen incompatibility between the mother and fetus. FAIT can lead to fetal thrombocytopenia, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), fetal death and severe neurological disorders after birth. Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis technology has not been widely used in China, and thus few cases of FAIT can be diagnosed prenatally. Read More

J Palliat Med 2021 Jul;24(7):1107-1108

Department of Internal Medicine, Palliative Care Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

Epilepsia 2021 Jun 14. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Objective: Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) during the first few months of life is challenging and necessitates aggressive treatment, including surgery. Because the most common causes of DRE in infancy are related to extensive developmental anomalies, surgery often entails extensive tissue resections or disconnection. The literature on "ultra-early" epilepsy surgery is sparse, with limited data concerning efficacy controlling the seizures, and safety. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol Res 2021 Jun 14. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand.

Aim: To construct the nomogram of fetal right portal vein (RPV) diameter at 30 to 35 weeks' gestation in Thai pregnant population and the use of RPV measurement to predicting small for gestational age (SGA) fetus.

Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study of singleton pregnancies at antenatal visit between 30 and 35 weeks of gestation in single center, Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital (BAH) was conducted from January to August 2020. Ultrasonography of fetal biometry and RPV diameter measurement were performed as well as immediate newborn birth weight measurement. Read More

medRxiv 2021 Jun 6. Epub 2021 Jun 6.

Background: Pregnant women with COVID-19 are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness as well as adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. Many countries are vaccinating or considering vaccinating pregnant women with limited available data about the safety of this strategy. Early identification of safety concerns of COVID-19 vaccines, including their components, or their technological platforms is therefore urgently needed. Read More

J Perinatol 2021 Jun 14. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

Department of Pediatric Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.

Objective: To evaluate the optimal timing of neonates with prenatally diagnosed congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).

Methods: Data from a retrospective cohort study conducted by the Japanese CDH Study Group between 2011 and 2018 were divided into two groups according to delivery timing: 36-37 and 38-41 weeks of gestation (wg). Death before 90 days as the primary outcome and the duration of hospitalization, oxygen therapy and tube feeding at discharge as the secondary outcomes were analyzed with generalized linear model applying inverse probability of treatment weighting method. Read More

Commun Biol 2021 Jun 14;4(1):730. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.

Astrocytes exert adverse effects on the brains of individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Although a neurogenic-to-gliogenic shift in the fate-specification step has been reported, the mechanisms and key regulators underlying the accelerated proliferation of astrocyte precursor cells (APCs) in DS remain elusive. Here, we established a human isogenic cell line panel based on DS-specific induced pluripotent stem cells, the XIST-mediated transcriptional silencing system in trisomic chromosome 21, and genome/chromosome-editing technologies to eliminate phenotypic fluctuations caused by genetic variation. Read More

Cell Death Discov 2021 Jun 14;7(1):143. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China.

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH), a common neonatal endocrine disorder, can result in cognitive deficits if delay in diagnose and treatment. Dentate gyrus (DG) is the severely affected subregion of the hippocampus by the CH, where the dentate granule cells (DGCs) reside in. However, how CH impairs the cognitive function via affecting DGCs and the underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated. Read More

J Neurosurg Anesthesiol 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.

Background: Volatile anesthetic exposure during development leads to long-term cognitive deficits in rats which are dependent on age and sex. Female rats are protected relative to male rats for the same exposure on postnatal day 7. Here we test our hypothesis that androgens can modulate chloride cotransporter expression to alter the susceptibility to neurotoxicity from GABAergic drugs using female rats with exogenous testosterone exposure. Read More

Can Fam Physician 2021 Jun;67(6):e144-e152

Clinician scientist in the Division of Pediatric Medicine at the Hospital for Sick Children, Chief Science Officer and Senior Scientist at ICES, and Professor of Pediatrics with a cross appointment at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and the Epidemiology Division of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.

Objective: To explore primary care providers' (PCPs') preferred roles and confidence in caring for infants receiving a positive cystic fibrosis (CF) newborn screening (NBS) result, as well as management of CF family planning issues, given that expanded NBS has resulted in an increase in positive results.

Design: Mailed questionnaire.

Setting: Ontario. Read More

Can Fam Physician 2021 Jun;67(6):439-448

Family physician and clinician scientist, Professor, and Sydney G. Frankfort Chair in Family Medicine in the Department of Family and Community Medicine with the Sinai Health System and the University of Toronto.

Objective: To explore primary care providers' (PCPs') role in result notification for newborn screening (NBS) for cystic fibrosis (CF), given that expanded NBS has increased the number of positive screening test results, drawing attention to the role of PCPs in supporting families.

Design: Cross-sectional survey and qualitative interviews.

Setting: Ontario. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2021 Jun 11. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Grace Centre for Newborn Intensive Care, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Locked Bag 4001, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Burnout in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses has been correlated with personality proneness to shame. However, the structural validities of the one-factor Burnout Measure (BM) and the two-factor Personal Feelings Questionnaire-2 (PFQ-2) used to assess burnout and shame-proneness, respectively, in these nurses were not evaluated.

Objectives: The aim of the study was (i) to perform factor analyses of the BM and the PFQ-2 and (ii) to determine the relationships of burnout dimensions retrieved by factor analysis with similarly validated dimensions of shame- and guilt-proneness in NICU nurses. Read More

J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2021 May 14. Epub 2021 May 14.

Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Surgery and Critical Care, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy.

Objectives: Systemic inflammation and bacterial infections are critical occurrences after pediatric cardiac surgery. Elevated white blood cell count and C-reactive protein cannot discriminate between these two conditions in the early postoperative period. The aim of this study was to understand whether procalcitonin (PCT) values within 48 hours of surgery could be a useful marker of postoperative infection. Read More

Curr Probl Cardiol 2021 May 9:100888. Epub 2021 May 9.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Electronic address:

Pregnancy with various physiological effects on cardiovascular system, makes mothers with borderline cardiovascular reserve at significant risk for adverse events during labor and early postpartum period. Cardiac imaging modalities, have shown that Coronavrus Disease 2019 disease is associated with subclinical myocardial injury in significant numbers of infected people, even in mild or asymptomatic disease and previous healthy ones. Herein, we have discussed the cardiovascular aspects of prepartum pregnant women with Coronavrus Disease 2019, especially patients with moderate to severe illness. Read More

J Pediatr Surg 2021 May 21. Epub 2021 May 21.

Comprehensive Colorectal Center, Children's Mercy-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, United States; Department of Surgery, Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City, MO, United States; University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, United States. Electronic address:

Introduction: Little is known about psychosocial and behavioral factors that impact the quality of life of patient's with anorectal malformations (ARM) and Hirschsprung disease (HSCR). We aimed to highlight the psychosocial, emotional, and behavioral themes that affect these patients.

Methods: A qualitative literature review of articles published between 1980 and 2019 was performed. Read More

Patient Educ Couns 2021 Jul;104(7):1503-1504

Division of Neonatology Berman Institute of Bioethics Johns Hopkins School of Medicine 200 N. Wolfe St., Rm. 2019 Baltimore, MD 21287 Fax: 410-955-0298. Electronic address:

Syst Rev 2021 Jun 14;10(1):176. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

Institute for Research in Operative Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Ostmerheimer Str. 200, Haus 38, 51109, Cologne, Germany.

Background: Caesarean sections often have no urgent indication and are electively planned. Research showed that elective caesarean section should not be performed until 39 + (0-6) weeks of gestation to ensure best neonatal and maternal health if there are no contraindications. This was recommended by various guidelines published in the last two decades. Read More

Trials 2021 Jun 14;22(1):392. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.

Background: Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) has been recommended as the best respiratory support for preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). However, the best NIV technique to be used as first intention in RDS management has not yet been established. Nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) may be synchronized (SNIPPV) or non-synchronized to the infant's breathing efforts. Read More