Neonatal Intensive Care News and Research

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Study: 20% of very-low-birth-weight babies born in California not referred for follow-up care

The tiniest babies need special follow-up care when they go home from the hospital after birth. But, of the thousands of very-low-birth-weight babies born in California during 2010 and 2011, 20 percent were not referred to the state's high-risk infant follow-up program, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

23 Jan 2015

Voices of loved ones telling familiar stories can help awaken unconscious brain, speed coma recovery

"Can he hear me?" family members are desperate to know when a loved one with a traumatic brain injury is in a coma.

23 Jan 2015

Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island receives 2015 Women's Choice Award

Today it was announced that Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, a Care New England Hospital, has received the 2015 Women's Choice Award as one of America's Best Hospitals for Obstetrics. This evidence-based designation identifies the country's best health care institutions based on robust criteria that consider female patient satisfaction, clinical excellence and what women say they want from a hospital.

14 Jan 2015

Loyola to be included in "Guinness World Records" 2015 edition for neonatal care

Loyola University Medical Center will be included in the "Guinness World Records" 2015 edition for caring for the world's smallest baby.

2 Jan 2015

Deeper cooling does not reduce NICU death among newborns with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

Among full-term newborns with moderate or severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (damage to cells in the central nervous system from inadequate oxygen), receiving deeper or longer duration cooling did not reduce risk of neonatal intensive care unit death, compared to usual care, according to a study in the December 24/31 issue of JAMA.

24 Dec 2014

Two-drug combination before surgery benefits women with triple-negative breast cancer

A breast cancer specialist and clinical researcher at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island presented research yesterday at the 2014 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium showing that adding either the chemotherapy drug carboplatin or the blood vessel-targeting drug bevacizumab to the standard treatment of chemotherapy before surgery helped women who have the basal-like subtype of triple-negative breast cancer.

15 Dec 2014

Key steps to improve care for pregnant mothers and babies affected by CDH

A new study has revealed key steps for hospitals to improve care for pregnant mums and babies affected by a life-threatening condition.

12 Dec 2014

Multiple factors influence survival of extremely premature infants

Multiple factors influence how well a severely premature infant (23 weeks gestation) will do after birth and over the long-term, according to researchers at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. These findings were published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Perinatology.

10 Dec 2014

New study details weight loss patterns of breastfed newborns

Using weights obtained from over 100,000 Northern California babies, a new study is the first to detail the weight loss patterns of exclusively breastfed newborns. The results show that some breastfed babies lose weight faster and for a longer period than was previously recognized.

2 Dec 2014

Pathology specialist publishes invited commentary on breast cancer gene screening

There has been much recent debate on the benefits and risks of screening for breast cancer using BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in the general adult population.

27 Nov 2014

Study: Critically ill newborns may be exposed to DEHP chemicals in medical products

Hospitalized premature infants are exposed to unsafe levels of a chemical found in numerous medical products used to treat them, raising questions about whether critically ill newborns may be adversely affected by equipment designed to help save their lives.

14 Nov 2014

Endothelin gene expression linked to vision loss in premature babies

A gene known to play a major role in constricting blood vessels also appears to be a major player in the aberrant blood vessel growth that can destroy the vision of premature babies.

11 Nov 2014

Maternal nutrition before conception important to improve offspring’s health, say researchers

Researchers from the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, believe the key to making future generations healthier could lie before the mother becomes pregnant.

21 Oct 2014

New book offers advice on how to meet contraceptive needs of women with chronic medical problems

Women with chronic medical conditions can be at higher risk for complications during pregnancy and therefore require specialized preconception and contraceptive care and counseling. However, many medical providers are hesitant to prescribe contraception to these women due to concerns about the safety of various contraceptives with co-existing medical disorders.

16 Oct 2014

SSEF protocol reduces incidence of NEC or death in infants with extremely low birth weight

A standardized slow enteral feeding (SSEF) protocol significantly reduces the incidence of necrotizing enterocoltis (NEC), or death of intestinal tissue, and death in infants with extremely low birth weight, according to a new study.

15 Oct 2014

Single-family room environment can optimize care for preterm infants

The prevalence of preterm birth - the birth of an infant prior to 37 weeks of pregnancy - is a significant health problem that has increased over the past two decades. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, preterm birth affects nearly 500,000 babies each year, or one of every eight born in the U.S. While medical care has improved survival rates for preterm infants, questions remain about ways to positively impact the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants.

23 Sep 2014

Improvements in NICU nursing care could boost health outcomes for underweight black infants

The health outcomes and quality of care for underweight black infants could greatly improve with more nurses on staff at hospitals with higher concentrations of black patients, according to a new study co-led by a Rutgers researcher.

22 Sep 2014

UVA Center for Telehealth receives 2014 Governor's Technology Award

The University of Virginia Center for Telehealth received a 2014 Governor's Technology Award for making it easier to access high-quality care and health education for patients across Virginia.

21 Sep 2014

Hospitals see sharp declines in rates of CLABSIs and ventilator-associated pneumonias

Hospitals across the country have seen sharp declines in rates of central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) and ventilator-associated pneumonias (VAPs) among critically ill neonates and children, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics.

9 Sep 2014

MedStar Washington Hospital Center celebrates major safety milestone

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at MedStar Washington Hospital Center recently celebrated a major safety milestone: two years without a single Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection (CLABSI) in its smallest and most vulnerable babies.

8 Sep 2014