Intrauterine Growth Retardation of Unknown Etiology. I. Serum Complement and Circulating Immune Complexes in Mothers and Infants

ABSTRACT: Complement (C) and circulating immune complexes (CIC) levels were measured in 22 full-term pregnant women and 15 of their small-for-gestational-age (SGA) offspring in order to seek evidence supporting an immunological etiology for placental lesions related to idiopathic intrauterine growth retardation. We used 19 normal full-term pregnant women and 18 of their infants with birthweight above the 25th centile of the ponderal curve as a control population for this study. C levels were significantly lower in mothers of SGA infants than in controls (146.6 ± 46.6 and 183.6 ± 36.6 respectively, p < 0.01). CIC were present in the sera of 5 out of 22 mothers of the SGA group and in 3 out of the 15 infants sera. No CIC were found in the sera of mothers or infants from the control group. Placental lesions were observed in 14 out of the 22 (64%) cases studied in the SGA group and in 1 of 11 (9%) of the controls. Two placentas from SGA infants showed acute atherosis, and deposits of IgM and C₃ were found in their vessel walls. These data are in favor of an immunological mechanism for intrauterine growth retardation of unknown etiology.     

Oxidative stress and sleep apnoea in clinically healthy infants in the first year of life

Summary Question of the study   Respiratory instability as well as tissue damage by free radicals (oxidative stress) have been hypothesized to play a role in cases of sudden and unexpected infant death in the first year of life. The ratio of the oxidized/reduced form of redox compounds in the circulation could be used as a marker of oxidative stress. Therefore, the sleep apnoea rate and redox status of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) (percentage of the oxidized form in total CoQ10) were measured in a population of clinically healthy infants in their first year of life in order to study whether a physiological parameter of respiratory instability is related to a biochemical parameter of oxidative stress. Patients and methods   Between May and December 1999, 323 infants in the first year of life were referred to a paediatric sleep laboratory. Sleep apnoea rate, periodic breathing and parameters of oxygenation (SaO₂ and TcPO₂) were calculated based on polysomnographic recordings. The CoQ10 redox status was calculated based on high-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis. Results   Statistical analysis showed an age-dependent decrease in apnoea rate ( r = – 0.38) and CoQ10 redox status ( r = – 0.40). An increased CoQ10 redox status (median: 16.6 %; range: 7.3 – 29.7 %) was found in infants with high apnoea rates above the 90^th percentile of a reference group in comparison with infants with apnoea rates below the 90^th percentile of a reference group (median: 10.4 %; range: 5.1 – 20.4 %; P = 0.031). Conclusions   These findings may indicate that high apnoea rates are accompanied by increased formation of free radicals in clinically healthy infants in the first year of life.     

Confirmation of the association between high levels of immunoglobulin E food sensitization and eczema in infancy: an international study

Background Studies of Australian infants have reported that more than 80% of those with moderate atopic eczema (AE) have high levels of IgE food sensitization (IgE‐FS) that are commonly associated with IgE food allergy. Objectives To explore the relationship between high levels of IgE‐FS and AE in a large cohort of young children with eczema participating in a multi‐centre, international study. Methods Two thousand one hundred and eighty‐four subjects (mean age 17.6 months, range 11.8–25.4; 1246 males) with active eczema from atopic families from 94 centres in 12 countries were studied. Clinical history, Scoring Atopic Dermatitis index as a measure of eczema severity and CAP‐FEIA measurements for total IgE and IgE antibody levels to cow milk, egg and peanut were entered into a database. If CAP‐FEIA levels exceeded previously reported age‐specific cut‐off levels for 95% positive predictive values (PPVs) for food allergy, subjects were defined as having high‐risk IgE‐FS (HR‐IgE‐FS). Results Serum was available from 2048 patients; 55.5% were atopic. The frequency of HR‐IgE‐FS to milk, egg and/or peanut was the greatest in patients whose eczema developed in the first 3 months of life and the least in those whose eczema developed after 12 months (P<0.0001). In a regression analysis to allow for potential confounding factors, children with HR‐IgE‐FS had the most severe eczema and the youngest age of onset (P<0.001); 64% of infants with severe eczema of onset‐age <3 months had HR‐IgE‐FS. Conclusion Early‐onset severe eczema in infancy was associated with HR‐IgE‐FS. Clinical implications Food allergies should be routinely assessed in infants with moderate or severe eczema. Capsule summary In eczematous infants, the earlier the age of onset, and the greater the severity of eczema, the greater the frequency of associated high levels of IgE‐FS.     

胎龄小于34周早产儿分娩时挤压脐带断脐方式的研究

目的 分析胎龄＜34周早产儿不同断脐方式下血红蛋白、胆红素及相关并发症差异,为早产分娩行挤压脐带断脐法(UCM)提供临床依据。方法 回顾性分析115例经阴道分娩的胎龄＜34周的早产儿,根据断脐方式分为UCM组(n=59)和立即断脐(ICC)组(n=56),比较两组早产儿娩出后血红蛋白变化趋势和输血量、住院期间经皮胆红素值及光疗时间以及颅内出血、早产儿视网膜病变、支气管肺发育不良和坏死性小肠结肠炎的发生率。结果 UCM组出生后1 h内、出生后1周左右和出院前血红蛋白显著高于ICC组(t=2.246、2.123、1.886,P＜0.05),住院期间ICC组早产儿输血次数及每人次输血量显著多于UCM组(χ²=2.145,t=2.160,P＜0.05)。两组经皮胆红素达峰时间均为3～6 d,UCM组经皮胆红素值显著高于ICC组(t=2.231、2.654、2.686、2.038,P＜0.05),两组光疗时长差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05)。早产儿住院期间发生颅内出血、视网膜病变、支气管肺发育不良及坏死性小肠结肠炎等并发症两组间差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05)。结论 与正常断脐相比,挤压脐带可增加胎龄＜34周早产儿的血容量和血红蛋白量,减少住院期间输血次数及输血量,且不增加患儿病理性黄疸和并发症的风险,可作为胎龄＜34周早产儿首选的断脐方法。     

Optimal Household Water Access Fosters the Attainment of Minimum Dietary Diversity among Children Aged 6–23 Months in Malawi

Along with sanitation and hygiene, water is a well-known driver of child undernutrition. However, a more direct role of household (HH) water access in shaping dietary diversity remains unexplored. We assessed the association between HH water access and achievement of minimum dietary diversity (MDD) among young children. We utilized nationally-representative cross-sectional data from the 2015/16 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey, which included 4727 mother–child dyads, respectively, (26.8 ± 6.8 years, range 15–49 years) and (13.9 ± 4.9 months, range 6–23 months). HH water access was categorized as (1) basic or no access, (2) intermediate, or (3) optimal. MDD was defined as feeding a child, during the previous day, at least four of the food groups defined by the World Health Organization. Only 27.7% of the children achieved MDD standards; most of the children who achieved MDD were from HHs with optimal water access (58.4%, p < 0.001). However, only 5.9% of the mother–child dyads were from HHs with optimal water access. After adjusting for covariates, children from HHs with optimal water access had higher odds of achieving MDD than those from HHs with basic or no water access (aOR = 1.74, CI = 1.24–2.46). Our results highlight the need to incorporate water-based strategies into national nutritional policies to increase dietary diversity among Malawian infants and young children.     

Regional Differences in the Prevalence of Anaemia and Associated Risk Factors among Infants Aged 0–23 Months in China: China Nutrition and Health Surveillance

Infantile anaemia has been a severe public health problem in China for decades. However, it is unclear whether there are regional differences in the prevalence of anaemia. In this study, we used data from the China Nutrition and Health Surveillance (CNHS) to assess the prevalence of anaemia and the risk factors associated with its prevalence in different regions. We included 9596 infants aged 0–23 months from the CNHS 2013 database. An infant was diagnosed with anaemia if he/she had a haemoglobin concentration of <110 g/L. We used multivariate logistic regression to investigate the potential risk factors associated with the development of anaemia. We found that anaemia was present in 2126 (22.15%) of the infants assessed. Approximately 95% of these cases were classified as mild anaemia. Based on the guidelines laid out by the World Health Organization, 5.5% and 43.6% of the surveillance sites were categorized as having severe and moderate epidemic levels of anaemia, respectively. The prevalence of infantile anaemia in Eastern, Central and Western China was 16.67%, 22.25% and 27.44%, respectively. Premature birth, low birth weight, breastfeeding and residence in Western China were significantly associated with higher odds of developing anaemia. Female sex and having mothers with high levels of education and maternal birth age >25 years were associated with lower odds of developing anaemia. In conclusion, we observed significant regional disparities in the prevalence of infantile anaemia in China. Western China had the highest prevalence of infantile anaemia, and rural regions showed a higher prevalence of anaemia than urban regions.     

Vitamin D Status and Factors Associated with Vitamin D Deficiency during the First Year of Life in Preterm Infants

We aimed to investigate the changes in vitamin D levels and factors associated with vitamin D deficiency (VDD) during the first year of life in Korean preterm infants. We enrolled 333 preterm infants who were born at Kyungpook National University Children’s Hospital between March 2013 and December 2019. 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels and medical records were collected at birth, 6 months, and 12 months of age. The mean gestational age was 33.4 ± 2.3 weeks and mean 25-OHD levels at birth were 18.2 ± 13.5 ng/mL. The incidence of VDD was 82.8%, 30.6%, and 27.0% at birth, 6 months, and 12 months, respectively. The incidence of severe VDD (25-OHD < 10 ng/mL) was 31.5%, 1.5%, and 0%, at birth, 6 months, and 12 months, respectively. Among infants with severe VDD, the deficiency persisted in 49.6% at 6 months, and 35.3% at 12 months. The strongest predictor of VDD during follow-up was 25-OHD concentration at birth. Vitamin D supplementation at 400 IU/day did not affect vitamin D levels during the first year of life. Therefore, it is important to prevent neonatal VDD through maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy. Further research is needed to determine the optimal vitamin D supplementation dose for Korean preterm infants.     

呼吸机持续气道正压通气联合枸橼酸咖啡因治疗早产儿呼吸暂停给药时间与临床疗效的关系

目的:观察呼吸机持续气道正压通气支持下的不同枸橼酸咖啡因给药时间对早产儿呼吸暂停(AOP)疗效的影响。方法:选取91例出生胎龄<32周的原发性呼吸暂停患儿,按照枸橼酸咖啡因给药时间的不同将患儿分为早期组(51例,出生24 h内在呼吸机持续气道正压通气下完成枸橼酸咖啡因给药)和常规组(40例,72 h内在呼吸机持续气道正压通气下给予枸橼酸咖啡因治疗)。比较两组患儿的呼吸机应用时间、给药时间、吸氧天数以及呼吸暂停改善情况,记录呼吸指标变化和不良反应发生情况。结果:早期组呼吸机使用时间、给药时间、吸氧天数、3 d后呼吸暂停次数及住院时间均明显低于常规组,差异有统计学意义(t=5.561,t=2.901,t=2.821,t=3.180,t=2.987;P<0.05)。经枸橼酸咖啡因治疗3 d后,两组患儿β-内啡肽水平及二氧化碳分压较治疗前均有显著降低,且早期组较常规组下降更为明显(t=0.408,t=3.294;P<0.05);氧分压及血氧饱和度均较治疗前有显著回升,早期组较常规组升高更显著(t=6.4758,t=2.121,t=2.409;P<0.05)。早期组的治疗有效率为86.2%(44/51),常规组为72.5%(29/40),两组比较差异具有统计学意义(Z=-2.149,P<0.05)。早期组不良反应事件发生率为13.7%(7/51),常规组为15.0%(6/40),两组比较差异无统计学意义。结论:呼吸机持续气道正压通气可以改善患儿呼吸功能,有助于患儿更好的渡过呼吸暂停危险期,早期给予枸橼酸咖啡因可促进患儿更快的恢复,显著缩短治疗时间,但不会增加不良事件的发生。     

嘉兴市0~3岁儿童养育风险现状分析

目的 了解嘉兴市0~3岁婴幼儿养育风险现状及家庭养育中存在的问题,为婴幼儿家庭养育提供针对性的家庭养育建议。 方法 采用横断面调查方法,2020年6月1日-7月31日期间在嘉兴地区所有儿童保健门诊体检的0~3岁儿童为研究对象,家长现场用手机填写0~6、6~12、12~36月龄段《养育风险问卷》以及自拟的《家庭基本情况调查问卷》问卷星,根据风险因素给予家庭干预指导。 结果 共调查9 384例0~3岁婴幼儿家庭,养育风险筛查阳性率0~6月龄为30.48%,6~12月龄为39.11%,12~36月龄为45.63%。小于6月龄婴幼儿养育风险因素前三位的是儿童不吃母乳(10.61%)、家中玩具少于3个(8.34%)、儿童至少有2周新生儿期住院史(7.93%);6~12月龄婴幼儿养育风险因素前三位的为没有给儿童吃富含铁的食物 (23.73%)、儿童有营养性疾病(9.64%)、儿童每天吃奶少于3次(6.53%);12~36月龄婴幼儿养育风险因素前三位的为儿童很少每天吃瘦肉或鸡蛋(22.46%)、家中没有图画书(14.85%)、每天很少跟儿童一起玩耍(9.87%)。多因素Logistic回归分析显示父亲学历为高中大专、本科及以上(OR=0.784,95%CI:0.697~0.881;OR=0.701,95%CI:0.599~0.820); 母亲学历为高中大专、本科及以上(OR=0.815,95%CI:0.724~0.917;OR=0.628,95%CI:0.539~0.732)是保护因素;性别男性为危险因素(OR=1.160,95%CI:1.066~1.262)。 结论 现阶段0~3岁婴幼儿普遍存在养育风险,各级专业人员亟需加强健康教育,指导家庭科学养育,规避家庭养育中可避免的风险,保障婴幼儿身心健康。     

早期被动操结合主动运动训练对早产/低体重儿体格及智能发育的影响研究

目的 分析早期被动操结合主动运动训练对早产/低体重儿体格及神经心理发育的影响,为其在早产/低体重儿体格及神经心理发育中的促进作用提供循证依据。方法 选取 2017年7月—2019年7月在金安区妇幼保健院高危儿门诊建档的218名早产/低体重儿作为研究对象,根据家长是否按照要求坚持对早产/低体重儿进行早期(校正6月龄前)被动操及主动运动训练的频率和持续时间不同进行分组,采用Gesell发育量表对研究对象进行神经心理发育评估,比较各组校正6月龄、12月龄时体格发育及Gesell评分情况。结果 早期被动操及主动运动训练频率越高及持续时间越长,早产/低体重儿在校正6月龄与12月龄时其体格测量值及智能发育商数越高,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05)。与训练频率≤1 d/周组相比,除校正6月龄头围外,训练频率2～3 d/周组及≥4 d/周组的早产/低体重儿在校正6月龄及12月龄时体重、身长和头围测量值及适应能力、大运动、精细动作能区发育商数更高(P＜0.05);与持续时间0～2个月组相比,持续时间5～6个月组的早产/低体重儿在校正6月龄及12月龄时体重、身长及适应能力、精细动作、社交行为等能区发育商数更高(P＜0.05)。结论 家长坚持给予早产/低体重儿做被动操及主动运动训练对其体格和神经心理发育具有一定的促进作用。