Neonatal Medicine News

SAN FRANCISCO — In 1993, the CDC recommended routinely screening all pregnant women for Chlamydia trachomatis, or CT, which has significantly reduced the number of neonatal chlamydial conjunctivitis cases in the United States, according to research presented at IDWeek 2018.

Children who were exposed to efavirenz in utero to prevent HIV transmission from their infected mother were 60% more likely to acquire a neurological condition compared with children exposed to other regimens, according to research presented at IDWeek 2018.

Previous research suggests that nearly half of preterm infants younger than 32 weeks’ gestation are infected with Ureaplasma, a bacterium that is commonly found in the birth canal but is difficult to identify. Infection with Ureaplasma can lead to severe respiratory issues and can increase their likelihood of mortality. However, research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress suggests that azithromycin can effectively reduce the frequency of death in premature infants.

Peggy Honein, PhD, MPH, and Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, MD, have been awarded 2018 Service to America Medals — or “Sammies” — according to the CDC. The awards recognize the talent and achievements of federal employees based on their service to the public.

A national survey in Liberia conducted via text messages during the 2015 Ebola outbreak confirmed that hospital-based births decreased during the outbreak.

Federal funding for state- and local-level assistance programs significantly reduced infant, neonatal and postneonatal mortality in all 50 states, according to research published in BMJ Open.

Although rates of sudden unexpected infant deaths surpass the rate of other causes of childhood mortality in Chicago, these deaths are not reported at all by media outlets in the city, according to research published in the American Journal of Public Health. Researchers suggest that reporting on these deaths could provide parents with the necessary information to prevent them.

Very low birth weight infants receiving care in a neonatal ICU received less energy and protein when their feeds were fortified during the transition from enteral to parenteral delivery of nutrition, according to research published in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Male infants born to mothers with a history of trauma and higher third trimester cortisol levels had significantly lower birth weights, according to research findings.

A recent CDC report highlighted an alarming rate of congenital syphilis cases among infants in the United States. According to the agency, the rate of infection has increased by 153.3% since 2013.