Neonatal/Perinatology

Although phototherapy is an established and valuable treatment for infants with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, some investigations have raised concerns that the treatment is associated with cancer.

Findings of a new study should alleviate concern that immunization puts preterm infants at risk for clinical deterioration.

The parents of a healthy 6-month-old boy with eczema bring him to the office for evaluation of a rapidly progressive rash on his arms, legs, face, and back. He had a low-grade fever and loose stools for 2 days last week.

Sometimes babies briefly stop breathing. Sometimes they can turn shades of blue. Sometimes, these things are not serious. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recommending a new, less threatening label for such events, in hopes of reducing unnecessary treatment and stress.

Both mode of delivery and feeding method are significantly associated with intestinal microbial community composition, according to a study in 102 full-term infants, whose gut microbiota investigators analyzed using stool samples taken at the age of 6 weeks.

Counseling parents about safe infant sleeping recommendations is an important step for preventing sudden infant death syndrome. Yet, many providers, including pediatricians, do not give families with infants basic advice regarding the AAP-recommended infant sleep practices.

New guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics addresses current methods for assessing and treating neonatal pain, but also calls for additional research and the development of more evidence-based interventions.

Infant mortality rates can be affected by changes in cigarette taxes and prices.

Retinopathy of prematurity-the leading cause of blindness in children-could be prevented with breast milk, according to a new report.

Breastfeeding may not make smarter babies, according to a new report from the UK, but CDC says it still makes healthier babies overall and hospitals have more work to do in order to provide optimal support for nursing mothers.

The CDC now recommends that high-risk infants undergo postvaccination serologic testing between 9 and 12 months, updated from 9-18 months. The new vaccination interval can better cover at risk infants from HBV infection and also help ensure a higher adherence to the immunoprophylaxis protocol.

Of 32 neonates who died suddenly at a hospital in the United Kingdom and whose deaths remained unexplained after a thorough postmortem, 12 (37.5%) were born to mothers with a history of methadone use or use of drugs of addiction during pregnancy.

Individualized parental counseling focused on presenting a wide range of information and options is key factor in effective collaborative care for extremely preterm infants, says AAP.

White blood cell (WBC) count, even extreme leukocytosis, does not predict serious bacterial infection (SBI), according to a recent study.

A new study questions the traditional belief that the sensitivity of the urinalysis (UA) for diagnosing urinary tract infection (UTI) is not optimal in young infants.

Infants who sleep in sitting or carrying devices such as car seats, swings, slings, or bouncers run a risk of suffocation, warns a new study.

Children born by acute or elective cesarean delivery are more likely than infants delivered vaginally to develop respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection requiring hospitalization.

Although nearly 80% of mothers initiate breastfeeding, only 50% of mothers are still breastfeeding at 6 weeks, and less than 15% are exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months.

Infants have borne the brunt of the worst outbreak of pertussis, or whooping cough, in almost 70 years in California, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

The American Academy of Pediatrics Subcommittee on Bronchiolitis has published a new clinical practice guideline on diagnosing and managing bronchiolitis in infants aged 1 to 23 months.

Disadvantaged mothers who receive regular home visits by nurses during pregnancy and through their child’s second birthday are less likely to die from all-cause mortality and their children are less likely to die from preventable causes than their counterparts who do not have such visits.

Distinguishing between gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in infants is critical to providing appropriate treatment and avoiding overclassifying infants with GERD that leads to overtesting and overtreatment.

A “broader perspective” and a “comprehensive multidimensional assessment” are necessary to establish a causal link between intrapartum hypoxic events and neonatal encephalopathy, according to the latest report from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Task Force on Neonatal Encephalopathy.

Obstetricians, gynecologists, and pediatricians joined forces to issue a new task force report on identifying the causes of newborn brain injuries. In doing so, they hope to unearth prevention strategies for neonatal encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, and other neurologic problems.

The interim final rule on infant formula quality and nutrition announced recently by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will set standards going forward.

Only 12% of uninsured parents take breastfeeding classes, according to a new poll.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently published an interim final rule, revising its infant formula regulations to help ensure the quality of these manufactured foods.

Prophylactic use of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 during the first 3 months of life significantly reduces colic, regurgitation, and constipation, according to a recent study.

Questions now address medical ethics regarding risk in clinical care versus risk in research.

Sickle cell trait (SCT) is the most common genetic order in the United States, affecting 5% to 6% of Hispanics, 10% of persons of African origin, 2% of Asians, and 1% of northern Greeks. Worldwide, 5.5 million people are estimated to carry SCT, and the World Health Organization estimates that in 2008, 3% of pregnant women were carriers. Despite this prevalence, most SCT carriers are unaware they carry the trait.