Practice developments supporting change implementation in Wellington,New Zealand (NZ) for ‘continuity of care when transitioning complex preterm infants from NICU to home’

The discussion paper will focus on continuity of care relating to previous NZ research, specifically to transitioning complex preterm infants from NICU to home based on parent experiences, and on the practice developments that have occurred, to ensure optimal health outcomes. Previous NZ research discovered parent desire a consistent service delivery for the entire transition journey from NICU and at home.An informative and comprehensive opportunity has occurred for reflective professional practice, evaluation, development and implementation which have transpired in positive change through innovative practice developments and support change implementation in Wellington, NZ. This has resulted in the articulation of a model of care that has both embraced and integrated parental desires for a continuity of care process for complex preterm infants. This has been achieved by having the same Discharge Facilitator/Key Case Manager present within the NICU and external to the NICU for Home-based infants for the entire transition journey.The paper will focus and emphasis additional practice development changes and furthermore, will present a real purpose, for other countries to learn of such practice developments that have exemplified a celebratory success for families of Wellington, NZ.     

Contributions of the NICHD neonatal research network's generic database to documenting and advancing the outcomes of extremely preterm infants

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network (NRN) maintains a database of extremely preterm infants known as the Generic Database (GDB). Begun in 1987, this database now includes more than 91,000 infants, most of whom are extremely preterm (<29 weeks gestation). The GDB has been the backbone of the NRN, providing high quality, prospectively collected data to study the changing epidemiology of extreme prematurity and its outcomes over time. In addition, GDB data have been used to generate hypotheses for prospective studies and to develop new clinical trials by providing information about the numbers and characteristics of available subjects and the expected event rates for conditions and complications to be studied. Since its inception, the GDB has been the basis of more than 200 publications in peer-reviewed journals, many of which have had a significant impact on the field of neonatology.     

微创性肺表面活性物质治疗新生儿呼吸窘迫综合征的疗效及肺部影像学表现

目的探讨微创性肺表面活性物质(LISA)治疗新生儿呼吸窘迫综合征(NRDS)的疗效及肺部影像学表现。方法择取郑州市第二人民医院于2018年3月至2021年2月收治的70例NRDS患儿,随机分为两组。对照组实行INSURE治疗方案,观察组采用LISA治疗方案,比较两组临床治疗情况、血气分析指标、不良反应事件及肺部影像学表现。结果两组二次PS使用率、给药成功率、NAPAP时间及住院时间比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);而观察组72h内MV率为8.57%,低于对照组(28.57%,P<0.05);于T₂、T₃、T₄及T₅时点,两组PaO₂水平较T1时点均上升,PaCO₂、FiO₂水平则下降(P<0.05);于T₄、T₅时点,观察组FiO2水平低于对照组(P<0.05);两组不良反应及并发症发生率比较,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05);经影像学特征分析,两组共计7例重度病症(“雪花征”样肺实变,已累及所有分区)、48例中度病症(“雪花征”样肺实变,尚未累及全部肺野)及15例轻度病症(呈“磨玻璃征”样肺实变,累计范围不限),经PS治疗6h、12h及24h后,给予LUS复查,两组NRDS患儿肺脏影像学评分均低于治疗前(P<0.05)。结论LISA及INSURE治疗NRDS均可起到较好疗效,但LISA整体获益更高,血气指标有一定改善,可降低72h内MV使用率,且不增加不良反应事件风险。     

Imaging in neonatal respiratory disease

The purpose of this review is to describe the current state of the art in clinical imaging for NICU patients, divided into major areas that correspond to likely phenotypes of neonatal respiratory disease: airway abnormalities, parenchymal disease, and pulmonary vascular disease. All common imaging modalities (ultrasound, X-ray, CT, and MRI) are discussed, with an emphasis on modalities that are most relevant to the individual underlying aspects of disease. Some promising aspects of dynamic and functional imaging are included, where there may be future clinical applicability.     

An ethical rationale for perinatal palliative care

Perinatal palliative care has grown out of both an historical necessity in attending to babies in the NICU that face difficult odds of survival, the increasing technology that may avail life-extending, yet technology-dependent, care, and the growth of fetal diagnostic and treatment centers. This review looks ta the history and ethical rationale for making available services from Pediatric and Perinatal Palliative Care to families in the prenatal and postnatal periods caring for a loved one with life-limiting circumstances.     

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to transplant in neonates with fatal pulmonary conditions: A review

Neonates with progressive respiratory failure should be referred early for subspecialty evaluation and lung transplantation consideration. ECMO should be considered for patients with severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction and a high likelihood of death while on maximal medical therapy, either in the setting of reversible medical conditions or while awaiting lung transplantation. While ECMO offers hope to neonates that experience clinical deterioration while awaiting transplant, the risks and benefits of this intervention should be considered on an individual basis. Owing to the small number of infant lung transplants performed yearly, large studies examining the outcomes of various bridging techniques in this age group do not exist. Multiple single-centre experiences of transplanted neonates have been described and currently serve as guidance for transplant teams. Future investigation of outcomes specific to neonatal transplant recipients bridged with advanced devices is needed.     

The role of immune correlates of protection on the pathway to licensure,policy decision and use of group B Streptococcus vaccines for maternal immunization: considerations from World Health Organization consultations

The development of a group B Streptococcus (GBS) vaccine for maternal immunization constitutes a global public health priority, to prevent GBS-associated early life invasive disease, stillbirth, premature birth, maternal sepsis, adverse neurodevelopmental consequences, and to reduce perinatal antibiotic use. Sample size requirements for the conduct of a randomized placebo-controlled trial to assess vaccine efficacy against the most relevant clinical endpoints, under conditions of appropriate ethical standards of care, constitute a significant obstacle on the pathway to vaccine availability. Alternatively, indirect evidence of protection based on immunologic data from vaccine and sero-epidemiological studies, complemented by data from opsonophagocytic in vitro assays and animal models, could be considered as pivotal data for licensure, with subsequent confirmation of effectiveness against disease outcomes in post-licensure evaluations. Based on discussions initiated by the World Health Organization we present key considerations about the potential role of correlates of protection towards an accelerated pathway for GBS vaccine licensure and wide scale use. Priority activities to support progress to regulatory and policy decision are outlined.