Neonatal Anemia
KEY POINTS 1. Anemia is an abnormal, and an unhealthy, reduction in the blood hemoglobin concentration or the hematocrit. There are limitations in our current definitions of anemia, which are…
PEDIATRICS
Caring for Families Who Have Previously Endured Multiple Perinatal Losses
KEY POINTS 1. Parents with a history of multiple previous fetal/neonatal losses may find it difficult to care for a critically ill newborn infant. The fear of losing yet another…
Neonatal Randomized Controlled Trials
KEY POINTS 1. Neonates and infants often are treated with medicines that have not been approved by regulatory authorities for use in this age group. 2. The inclusion of infants…
Current State of Perinatal Palliative Care: Clinical Practice, Training, and Research
KEY POINTS 1. Perinatal palliative care (PPC) programs are increasing across the U.S. These services exist in a wide variety of settings from health care institutions to community- or faith-based…
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Neonates
KEY POINTS 1. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a potentially life-saving technology for newborns with refractory cardiopulmonary failure of reversible etiology. 2. ECMO involves draining deoxygenated venous blood, extracorporeal oxygenation…
Intestinal Surgery in the Newborn—Atresias, Volvulus, and Everything Else
KEY POINTS 1. The processes leading to duodenal atresia and distal atresia are unknown but reflect a general defect in intestinal development. In the past, duodenal atresia was thought to…
Necrotizing Enterocolitis
KEY POINTS 1. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a disease of premature infants that results in life-threatening intestinal ischemia and necrosis. 2. Suspect NEC presents in a stable, formula-fed premature neonate…
Developmental Anomalies of the Globe and Ocular Adnexa in Neonates
KEY POINTS 1. Major structural abnormalities of the eye in neonates include anophthalmos (no ocular tissues), microphthalmos (small, disorganized eye), nanophthalmos (small but relatively normally structured eye), and buphthalmos (whole…
Neonatal Immunity
KEY POINTS 1. The fetal-neonatal immune system becomes activated at birth to play a role in host defense and eliminate environmental pathogens but also to tolerate self-antigens, nutrients, and commensals….
Newborn Spine Deformities
KEY POINTS 1. Spina bifida usually can be diagnosed prenatally with screening and in the early neonatal period by physical exam. Early diagnosis and intervention may improve outcomes. 2. Assessment…
