Cost of neonatal care according to gestational age at birth and survival status

Article Abstract:

The money spent on extremely premature babies is a small percentage of the total costs to treat newborn babies. Of the $10.2 billion spent annually on neonatal care in the US, only 12% is spent on extremely premature babies.

Analysis, Economic aspects, Medical care, Cost of, Health care costs, Neonatology

---

Maternal corticosteroid and tocolytic treatment and morbidity and mortality in very low birth weight infants

Article Abstract:

The combined use of tocolytics and corticosteroids appears to improve very premature infant mortality and decrease seizures. Tocolytics are drugs that inhibit uterine contractions. Corticosteroids aid in fetal maturation. A total of 773 low birthweight infants delivered at 24 to 28 weeks were studied for the effectiveness of tocolytics and corticosteroids. Tocolytics appeared to increase the risk of intraventricular hemorrhage, but corticosteroids used with tocolytics lessened the deleterious effects. Corticosteroids administered to mothers who delivered preterm infants was linked to a 65% lower risk of intraventricular hemorrhage, 50% lower death risk, and 60% lower risk of seizures.

Health aspects, Care and treatment, Patient outcomes, Mortality, Corticosteroids, Adrenocortical hormones, Premature birth, Tocolytic agents

---

Pregnancy outcome and intelligence at age five years

Article Abstract:

Being underweight at full-term or being born prematurely appears to adversely affect intelligence at 5 years old in the children of low-income black women. Researchers compared the results of intelligence tests in 546 children who were either full-term and appropriate weight, full-term and underweight, or born before 34 weeks gestation. Underweight full-term babies' I.Q.s averaged 4 points less and premature babies' I.Q.s averaged 6 points less than full-term appropriate weight babies, and mental retardation was more common. A positive home environment, preschool attendance, and higher maternal language skills increased the average I.Q. by 5 to 7 points.

Testing, Cognition, Toddlers, Infant development, Cognitive tests, Intelligence tests

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Influenza and the rates of hospitalization for respiratory disease among infants and young children. Safety of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in children 6 to 23 months old
• Abstracts: A multicenter, placebo-controlled pilot study of intravenous immune globulin treatment of antiphospholipid syndrome during pregnancy
• Abstracts: Increased polymorphonuclear infiltration and iatrogenic amniotic band after closure of fetoscopic access sites with a bioactive membrane in the rabit at midgestation
• Abstracts: The Preterm Prediction Study: sequential cervical length and fetal fibronectin testing for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.