Alexandra Kreissl

Probiotics ( Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum ) prevent NEC in VLBW infants fed breast milk but not formula

Background:Specific probiotics prevent necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). A mixture of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria (Infloran) was highly effective in Asian very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. We analyzed the effect of Infloran on NEC, NEC severity, and the influence of enteral feedings (breast milk vs. formula) on NEC prevention in a cohort of European VLBW infants.Methods:Infloran was implemented for routine use at our department. VLBW infants receiving probiotics were prospectively followed (2010–2012) and compared with historic controls (2008–2009). Data on NEC, neonatal morbidity, feeding tolerance, and descriptive parameters on NEC cases were analyzed.Results:Infloran had no statistically significant impact on NEC (controls: 24/233 (10.3%); probiotics: 16/230 (7%); P = 0.2). However, NEC was significantly reduced in infants of the probiotics group who were fed any breast milk (20/179 (11.2%) vs. 10/183 (5.5%); P = 0.027), whereas it was ineffective in infants exclusively fed formula (4/54 (7.4%) vs. 6/44 (13.6%); P = 0.345). Occurrence of severe NEC (IIIb), time until full feeds, and gastric residuals were similar.Conclusion:Infloran was of lower efficacy in a European VLBW cohort and showed a reduction of NEC only in infants fed breast milk. Future studies should investigate the influence of feeding formula or breast milk on the effect of probiotics.

Head circumference catch-up growth among preterm very low birth weight infants: effect on neurodevelopmental outcome.

Abstract Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine whether head circumference (HC) catch-up is associated with improved neurocognitive development. Design: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 179 preterm very low birth weight (VLBW) (BW≤1500 g) infants. The infants were born in 2000–2002 and were followed to the age of 5.5 years. The association between HC catch-up and neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed and perinatal risk factors, infant characteristics and nutritional practices associated with HC catch-up were determined. Results: HC catch-up occurred in 59 (34%) infants and was positively correlated with neurodevelopmental outcome. The likelihood of HC catch-up increased with increasing birth weight and gestational age. HC catch-up occurred more often with breast milk feeding during hospitalization and with supplemental formula feeding at discharge, but decreased in prevalence with longer duration of breastfeeding after discharge. HC catch-up was more likely to occur in first-born infants and in families with high socioeconomic status. Most HC catch-up occurred between birth and three months corrected age. Conclusion: Among preterm-VLBW infants, there is a close relation between HC growth and neurodevelopmental outcome. Efforts to improve neurocognitive outcomes should focus on factors associated with HC catch-up.

Human Milk Analyser shows that the lactation period affects protein levels in preterm breastmilk.

This study measured the composition of preterm human breastmilk, particularly the protein content, with the MIRIS Human Milk Analyser, compared our results with published values and determined the relationship between protein content and lactation period.

Comparison of bacterial counts in expressed breast milk following standard or strict infection control regimens in neonatal intensive care units: compliance of mothers does matter

Bacterial counts in 1466 expressed breast milk (EBM) samples from women following one of two infection control regimens (standard vs strict) were investigated. Overall, 12% of samples yielded Gram-negative bacteria, with no significant differences between the standard [11.9% (94/788)] and strict [12.1% (82/678)] regimens (P = 0.92). Significantly more samples were contaminated when expressed at home (standard regimen home/hospital: 17.9% vs 6.1%; strict regimen home/hospital: 19.6% vs 3.4%; P < 0.001). Bacterial contamination of EBM was not associated with the regimen, but was associated with the location of breast milk expression. Attempts to improve personal hygiene during milk collection seem to be of limited value. Good hygiene of collection and storage equipment is likely to be the most important way to ensure the microbiological quality of EBM.

Does Visceral Osteopathic Treatment Accelerate Meconium Passage in Very Low Birth Weight Infants?- A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Background To determine whether the complementary approach of visceral manipulative osteopathic treatment accelerates complete meconium excretion and improves feeding tolerance in very low birth weight infants. Methods This study was a prospective, randomized, controlled trial in premature infants with a birth weight <1500 g and a gestational age <32 weeks who received a visceral osteopathic treatment 3 times during their first week of life or no treatment. Results Passage of the last meconium occurred after a median of 7.5 days (95% confidence interval: 6–9 days, n = 21) in the intervention group and after 6 days (95% confidence interval: 5-9 days, n = 20,) in the control group (p = 0.11). However, osteopathic treatment was associated with a 8 day longer time to full enteral feedings (p = 0.02), and a 34 day longer hospital stay (Median = 66 vs. 100 days i.e.; p=0.14). Osteopathic treatment was tolerated well and no adverse events were observed. Conclusions Visceral osteopathic treatment of the abdomen did not accelerate meconium excretion in VLBW (very low birth weight)-infants. However infants in the osteopathic group had a longer time to full enteral feedings and a longer hospital stay, which could represent adverse effects. Based on our trial results, we cannot recommend visceral osteopathic techniques in VLBW-infants. Trial registration Clinical trials.gov: NCT02140710

Within-assessor reliability and minimal detectable change of gait kinematics in a young obese demographic

INTRODUCTION Three-dimensional gait analysis (3DGA) in obese populations is a difficult task due to a great amount of subcutaneous fat. This makes it more challenging to identify anatomical landmarks, thus leading to inconsistent marker placement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability for kinematic measurements of obese children and adolescents. METHODS Nine males and two females with an age-based BMI above the 97th percentile (age: 14.6±2.6years, BMI: 33.4±4.4kg/m2) were administered to two 3DGA sessions. To quantify reliability of discrete parameters the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,k), standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC) were calculated. To quantify waveform similarity, the coefficient of multiple correlation (CMC) and the linear fit method (LFM) were used. RESULTS From 28 kinematic parameters, 23 showed acceptable ICCs (≥0.70) and the remaining parameters demonstrated moderate values. These were peak hip extension during stance (0.58), mean pelvis rotation (0.60), mean anterior pelvic tilt (0.64), peak knee flexion during swing (0.67) and peak hip abduction during swing (0.69). The SEM was below 5° for all parameters. The MDC for the sagittal, frontal, and transversal plane were on average 7.5°±2.2, 4.6°±1.3 and 6.0°±0.9 respectively. Both the LFM and CMC showed, in general, moderate to good reliability except for pelvis tilt and hip rotation. CONCLUSION Data demonstrated acceptable error margins especially for the sagittal and frontal plane. Low reliability for the pelvis tilt indicates that great effort is necessary to position the pelvic markers consistently during repeated sessions.

Is the reliability of 3D kinematics of young obese participants dependent on the hip joint center localization method used

The aim of this study was to investigate if the test-retest reliability for three-dimensional (3D) gait kinematics in a young obese population is affected by using either a predictive (Davis) or a functional (SCoRE) hip joint center (HJC) localization approach. A secondary goal was to analyze how consistent both methods perform in estimating the HJC position. A convenience sample of ten participants, two females and eight males with an age-based body mass index (BMI) above the 97th percentile (mean±SD: 34.2±3.9kg/m2) was recruited. Participants underwent two 3D gait analysis sessions separated by a minimum of one day and a maximum of seven days. The standard error of measurement (SEM) and the root mean square error (RMSE) of key kinematic parameters along with the root mean square deviation (RMSD) of the entire waveforms were used to analyze the test-retest reliability. To get an estimate of the consistency of both HJC localization methods, the HJC positions determined by both methods were compared to each other. SEM, RMSE, and RMSD results indicate that the HJC position estimations between both methods are not different and demonstrate moderate to good reliability to estimate joint kinematics. With respect to the localization of the HJC, notable inconsistencies ranging from 0 to 5.4cm were observed. In conclusion, both approaches appear equally reliable. However, the inconsistent HJC estimation points out, that accuracy seems to be a big issue in these methods. Future research should attend to this matter.

Administration of Fortifier by Finger Feeder During Breastfeeding in Preterm Infants

Objective To evaluate the acceptance, adherence, and feasibility of fortifier administration by finger feeder during breastfeeding and to determine weight, length, and head circumference gains after discharge for preterm infants. Design Observational pilot study. Setting A Level III NICU and its outpatient clinic in Vienna, Austria. Participants Infants born at younger than 34 weeks gestation were included. Methods Mothers were screened in a tertiary NICU and trained by certified lactation consultants to administer fortifier with a finger feeder during breastfeeding. Data on finger feeder use at home were collected by self‐reported feeding diaries and questionnaires. Results In total, data from 24 mother–infant dyads were analyzed. The acceptance rate was 67%. In 41.7%, more than 50% of meals were fortified. Mothers did not report problems in preparation, but 33% of the infants stopped latching on or drooled milk during finger feeder use. Conclusion Use of a finger feeder to administer fortifier to preterm infants enabled mothers to exclusively breastfeed their infants and meet their nutritional needs. The development of further methods to augment preterm infant nutrition that do not interfere with breastfeeding is of great interest.

Starting enteral nutrition with preterm single donor milk instead of formula affects time to full enteral feeding in very low birthweight infants

This study compared the impact of using either single donor breastmilk or formula to start enteral feeding in preterm infants, on the time to full enteral feeding, growth and morbidity. The milk was provided by other preterm mothers.

A Mixed Lipid Emulsion for Prevention of Parenteral Nutrition Associated Cholestasis in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objectives To examine whether a mixed lipid emulsion reduces the incidence of parenteral nutrition associated cholestasis (PNAC) in extremely low birth weight (ELBW, <1000 g) infants. Study design This double‐blind randomized trial of 230 ELBW infants (June 2012‐October 2015) was performed at a single level IV neonatal intensive care unit. Patients received either a mixed lipid emulsion composed of soybean oil, medium chain triglycerides, olive oil, and fish oil‐(intervention) or a soybean oil‐based lipid emulsion (control) for parenteral nutrition. The primary outcome measure was PNAC (conjugated bilirubin >1.5 mg/dL [25 &mgr;mol/L] at 2 consecutive measurements). The study was powered to detect a reduction of PNAC from 25% to 10%. Results Reasons for noneligibility of 274 infants screened were refusal to participate (n = 16), death (n = 10), withdrawal of treatment (n = 5), higher order multiples (n = 9), and parents not available for consent (n = 4). Intention to treat analysis was carried out in 223 infants (7 infants excluded after randomization). Parenteral nutrition associated cholestasis was 11 of 110 (10.1%) in the intervention and 18 of 113 (15.9%) in the control group (P = .20). Multivariable analyses showed no statistically significant difference in the intention to treat (aOR 0.428, 95% CI 0.155‐1.187; P = .10) or per protocol population (aOR 0.457, 95% CI 0.155‐1.347; P = .16). There was no statistically significant effect on any other neonatal morbidity. Conclusions The incidence of parenteral nutrition associated cholestasis was not significantly reduced using a mixed lipid emulsion in ELBW infants. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01585935.