Management of apnoea in extremely preterm infants - a European Survey.

Introduction Episodes of apnoea are common in extremely preterm infants and usually treated with caffeine and respiratory support. Understanding differences in apnoea definitions, monitoring practices, and use of respiratory stimulants is essential to improve future treatment. Methods Between March and July 2024, one lead consultant at European tertiary neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) was invited to complete to a web-based survey on respiratory practices in extremely preterm infants.

Sex Differences in Wheezing During the First Three Years of Life After Delivery via Caesarean Section.

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that delivery by caesarean section predisposes to wheezing in early childhood, but the effect may differ between boys and girls. Such sex-specific differences remain insufficiently explored to date, particularly considering the wide range of perinatal and antenatal confounding factors. In this study, we aimed to investigate sex-specific differences in the association between delivery by caesarean section and preschool wheezing.

Burden of respiratory syncytial virus disease in infants and the potential value of maternal immunization in Greece.

Objective: The objective was to assess the burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of maternal vaccination using the bivalent RSV prefusion F-protein (RSVpreF) vaccine to prevent RSV infections among Greek infants.

Methods: A Markov model was adapted from the perspective of a public payer to simulate the health and economic outcomes of RSV from birth to 1 year of age. Key inputs for the model, including vaccine efficacy, utility values, epidemiological data, and direct medical costs [prices in euros (€), 2024], were obtained from official sources.

An Unusual Cause of Neonatal Infection: A Case Report of Meningitis and Sepsis.

Neonatal meningitis is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and long-term consequences. Despite the use of newer techniques, the diagnosis remains challenging, especially in cases caused by rare pathogens. is widely known as the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis.

Quality of Life of Adolescents and Young Adults After Testicular Prosthesis Surgery During Childhood: A Qualitative Study and Literature Review.

Background/objectives: To evaluate the quality of life (QoL) of adolescent and young adult males who had testicular prosthesis surgery during their childhood, as well as their own and their parents' inner perceptions and feelings. To our knowledge, this is the first qualitative study and one of few with an integrated approach on the QoL of pediatric testicular prosthesis recipients.

Methods: Recipients and their parents were interviewed regarding their life with the testicular prosthesis.

Respiratory Function in Ventilated Newborn Infants Nursed Prone and Supine.

Objectives: Prone positioning has been associated with improved oxygenation in ventilated newborn infants but the physiological basis of this improvement has not been previously studied. We aimed to test the hypothesis that respiratory function measured by composite physiological indices would be improved in the prone compared to the supine position.

Study Design: Prospective observational study of ventilated newborns in a tertiary neonatal unit studied prone and supine at random order.

Missed or Delayed Diagnosis of Heart Disease by the General Pediatrician.

Missed or delayed heart disease diagnoses pose a major challenge in pediatric primary care. Many cardiac conditions present with subtle or nonspecific symptoms that resemble benign childhood illnesses, making their prompt recognition difficult. This review describes congenital and acquired heart diseases prone to diagnostic delays, including critical congenital heart disease, coarctation of the aorta, atrial and ventricular septal defects, myocarditis, Kawasaki disease, heart failure, and pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Neonatal Sepsis: A Comprehensive Review.

Neonatal sepsis remains a significant cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality globally. At present, no clear consensus definition for sepsis in neonates exists, even though a positive blood culture is considered as the gold standard for definitive diagnosis. The accurate and timely diagnosis of sepsis in neonates presents significant difficulties, since "culture negative" or "suspected" sepsis varies widely worldwide.

A Survey on the Organization and Operation of Level II/III Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Greece: A Comparison Between 2004 and 2022.

Background/objectives: Limited data exist on the organization and operation of Level II/III Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) in Greece; this retrospective cross-sectional survey explored their structure and functioning in 2004 and 2022.

Methods: A structured questionnaire was utilized, along with demographic and perinatal data obtained from the Hellenic Statistical Authority.

Results: Between 2004 and 2022, live births decreased by 28%, while the prematurity rate rose from 6.

Postpartum Interventions to Increase Maternal Vaccination Uptake: Is It Worth It?

Background/objectives: Vaccination of pregnant and postpartum women for pertussis, influenza and COVID-19 not only protects themselves but also offspring. Despite the benefits of this approach, vaccination uptake remains suboptimal in pregnancy. Where the opportunity to be vaccinated in pregnancy is missed, the offer of vaccination in the post-partum period may be an alternative strategy.

Antifungal Drug Usage in European Neonatal Units: A Multicenter Weekly Point Prevalence Study.

Background: Data on antifungal prescribing in neonatal patients are limited to either single-center or single-country studies or to 1-day recording. Therefore, we assessed antifungal longitudinal usage in neonatal units (NUs) within Europe.

Methods: CALYPSO, a prospective weekly point prevalence study on antifungal drug usage in NUs in 18 hospitals (8 European countries), was conducted in 2020 during a 12-week period.

Optimizing Oxygen Delivery by Low-Flow Nasal Cannula to Small Infants: A Bench Study.

Background: In infants treated with a low-flow nasal cannula (LFNC), the oxygen concentration delivered to the lungs (i.e., the effective FiO) is difficult to estimate.

Meeting the need for effective and standardized neonatology training: a pan-European Master's Curriculum.

Neonatology is a pediatric sub-discipline focused on providing care for newborn infants, including healthy newborns, those born prematurely, and those who present with illnesses or malformations requiring medical care. The European Training Requirements (ETR) in Neonatology provide a framework for standardized quality and recognition of equality of training throughout Europe. The latest ETR version was approved by the Union of European Medical Specialists (UEMS) in April 2021.

A Case Report of Meningitis in an Infant: A Rare Entity not to Forget.

Introduction: Salmonellae are gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic Enterobacteriaceae consisting of two species, and . Invasive diseases, such as meningitis, result in hospitalization, short and long-term complications, and high mortality rates.

Case Presentation: A 4-month-old baby girl was admitted to a district hospital because of diarrhea and fever.

Daptomycin Use for Persistent Coagulase-Negative Staphylococcal Bacteremia in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

During the last two decades, the incidence of late-onset sepsis (LOS) has increased due to improved survival of premature neonates. Persistent bacteremia (PB) in LOS is defined as more than two positive blood cultures obtained on different calendar days during the same infectious episode. Although rare, PB should be treated aggressively to prevent adverse outcomes.

Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) in children with obesity or type 1 diabetes as a marker of endothelial dysfunction: a cross-sectional study.

Pediatric obesity and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) represent two common chronic diseases associated with chronic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and long-term complications. The aim of the present study was to assess the possible diagnostic and prognostic value of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), a marker of inflammation and impaired endothelial function, in children with the diseases. In this cross-sectional study, children and adolescents with T1DM (N = 41) or obesity (N = 37), aged < 18 years old, and without proteinuria were included, together with children of similar age and without evident morbidity that served as controls (N = 42).

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Performance of Children Born Non-Extremely Preterm.

Data on exercise tolerance of children born non-extremely preterm are sparse. We aimed to explore the cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) characteristics in this population. We studied 63 children (age 7-12 years) born at 29-36 weeks of gestation (34 were late preterm, 29 were preterm) and 63 age-matched, term-born controls.

Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1), Activin-A and Clusterin in Children and Adolescents with Obesity or Type-1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Unlabelled: Inflammation plays a crucial role in diabetes and obesity through macrophage activation. Macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), activin-A, and clusterin are chemokines with known roles in diabetes and obesity. The aim of this study is to investigate their possible diagnostic and/or early prognostic values in children and adolescents with obesity and type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

Flow-resistive loading and diaphragmatic muscle function in term and preterm infants.

Purpose: We aimed to assess diaphragmatic function in term and preterm infants with and without history of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), before and after the application of inspiratory flow resistive loading.

Methods: Forty infants of a median (range) gestational age of 34 (25-40) weeks were studied. BPD was defined as supplemental oxygen requirement for >28 days of life.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C): A nationwide collaborative study in the Greek population.

Unlabelled: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare but severe hyperinflammatory condition that may occur following SARS-CoV-2 infection. This retrospective, descriptive study of children hospitalized with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) in 12 tertiary care centers from 3/11/2020 to 12/31/2021. Demographics, clinical and laboratory characteristics, treatment and outcomes are described.

The effects of cerebral oximetry in mechanically ventilated newborns: a protocol for the SafeBoosC-IIIv randomised clinical trial.

Background: The SafeBoosC project aims to test the clinical value of non-invasive cerebral oximetry by near-infrared spectroscopy in newborn infants. The purpose is to establish whether cerebral oximetry can be used to save newborn infants' lives and brains or not. Newborns contribute heavily to total childhood mortality and neonatal brain damage is the cause of a large part of handicaps such as cerebral palsy.