Neonatal Intensive Care News and Research

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Researchers to study knowledge and satisfaction of women who choose DNA prenatal screening test

A recently available DNA-based prenatal blood test used to screen pregnancies for Down syndrome and similar chromosome abnormalities in high-risk women is moving a step closer to use in the general pregnancy population.

From Natera 25 Jul 2013

Studies find pediatrician slow to use interpreters when needed, fewer surgeries for doctors in training

Close to half of pediatricians do not use a professional interpreter when seeing patients and families with a limited understanding of English, according to a new study. ... Using family members is not recommended because they are more likely to make errors while translating or to withhold sensitive or painful information for emotional reasons, [Lisa DeCamp of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore] told Reuters Health by email (Doyle, 7/10).

12 Jul 2013

"Kangaroo care" delivers benefits beyond bonding and breastfeeding for tiniest newborns

New research in the Journal of Newborns & Infant Nursing Reviews concludes that so-called "kangaroo care" (KC), the skin-to-skin and chest-to-chest touching between baby and mother, offers developmentally appropriate therapy for hospitalized preterm infants.

11 Jul 2013

State highlights: Calif. bill to fine firms with workers on Medi-Cal fails; Pa. eyes disallowing apologies used against doctors in court-proceedings

A California proposal to fine large companies that have workers on Medi-Cal came up short in an initial vote in the Assembly amid strong business opposition. The proposed fines could reach about $5,000 per full-time employee who receives Medi-Cal, the state Medicaid program for the poor. The bill, AB 880, garnered 46 votes in the 80-member chamber Thursday, short of the 54 votes, or two-thirds majority, needed. The measure could come up for reconsideration as early as next week (Terhune, 6/27).

2 Jul 2013

Physician earns Outstanding District Service Award from ACOG

Patrick Sweeney, MD, MPH, PhD, a long-time member of the medical staff at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, was recently presented with the Outstanding District Service Award by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

25 Jun 2013

Study: Low birth weight babies with smaller brain volumes tied to academic deficits

An analysis of recent data from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 97 adolescents who were part of study begun with very low birth weight babies born in 1982-1986 in a Cleveland neonatal intensive care unit has tied smaller brain volumes to poor academic achievement.

11 Jun 2013

UCLA researchers show that bacteria ingested in food can affect brain function

UCLA researchers now have the first evidence that bacteria ingested in food can affect brain function in humans. In an early proof-of-concept study of healthy women, they found that women who regularly consumed beneficial bacteria known as probiotics through yogurt showed altered brain function, both while in a resting state and in response to an emotion-recognition task.

29 May 2013

NCKU collaborates with Quanta Computer to launch QOCA baby for neonatal care

National Cheng Kung University, southern Taiwan, has collaborated with Quanta Computer to launch a cloud solution expecting to provide neonatal intensive care unit doctors and parents access to a live video stream that they can watch anywhere from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

27 May 2013

Disruption of brain developmental processes caused by premature birth can affect cognitive function

Researchers from King's College London have for the first time used a novel form of MRI to identify crucial developmental processes in the brain that are vulnerable to the effects of premature birth.

21 May 2013

New guidelines to reduce early elective deliveries cut NICU admissions by 50%

New guidelines to reduce early elective deliveries at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies have cut by 50 percent the admission of late pre-term newborns (37-38 weeks gestation) into the neonatal intensive care unit, resulting in healthcare cost savings.

16 May 2013

Nationwide movement against early elective deliveries prompts U.S. hospitals to adopt new policies

A national movement to eliminate non-medically indicated (NMI) delivery before 39 weeks has prompted nearly two-thirds of all U.S. hospitals handling non-emergency births to adopt specific policies against the practice, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

7 May 2013

Study shows chemoresponse assay improves survival rates in women with ovarian cancer

This spring, a team of researchers has released results from an eight-year study that shows improved survival rates for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer who undergo cancer tumor testing to determine the best treatment.

26 Apr 2013

Women & Infants Hospital physician to study treatment options for heavy menstrual bleeding

Kristen A. Matteson, MD, MPH, of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Women & Infants Hospital and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, has earned a $1.6 million grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health to study the effectiveness of two treatments options for heavy menstrual bleeding.

23 Apr 2013

Dr. Jeffrey Maisels honored as 2013 Legends of Neonatology Hall of Fame inductee

M. Jeffrey Maisels, M.D., was honored as a 2013 Legends of Neonatology Hall of Fame inductee. He was chosen for a career spanning 47 years of clinical care and research involving management of the jaundiced newborn infant.

18 Apr 2013

UTHealth study explores ways to reduce infant exposure to secondhand smoke

A study to investigate whether a hospital-initiated behavioral therapy program conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit can reduce secondhand smoke in homes with infants at risk for pulmonary problems has been launched by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

11 Apr 2013

Women over 40 need to be vigilant about contraception even in perimenopause

Women reaching the age of 40 tend to be less vigilant about birth control because they think the risk of pregnancy is low - or that birth control can cause health problems - but a review of the evidence by a team that includes a Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island physician recently underscored the need to be vigilant about contraception even in perimenopause.

26 Mar 2013

Research roundup: Number of nurses linked to NICU infections; Comparing Medicare budget plans

Neonatal intensive care units – which provide care for infants who are critically ill – are costly and require a significant amount of nursing services.

25 Mar 2013

Study finds significant variation over diuretics use in BPD patients

Even though there is little data to support the extended use of diuretic medications to help reduce fluid build-up in the lungs of premature infants, researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital have found significant variation in how babies receive these medications at hospitals across the nation.

20 Mar 2013

Study: Health of critically ill newborns is endangered by insufficient nurse staffing

A new study reveals that the health of critically ill newborns is endangered by insufficient nurse staffing. The national study finds that very few neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) provide sufficient numbers of nurses to meet guidelines and that the most vulnerable babies are also the most understaffed.