Paul Thiessen

Cortisol, behavior, and heart rate reactivity to immunization pain at 4 months corrected age in infants born very preterm

ObjectivePain response may be altered in infants born very preterm owing to repeated exposure to procedures in the neonatal intensive care unit. Findings have been inconsistent in studies of behavioral and cardiac responses to brief pain in preterm versus full-term infants following neonatal intensive care unit discharge. To our knowledge, cortisol reactivity to pain has not been compared in preterm and full-term infants. We examined pain reactivity to immunization in preterm and full-term infants. MethodCortisol, facial behavior, and heart rate reactivity before, during, and after immunization were examined in infants born preterm at extremely low gestational age (ELGA 24 to 28 wk), very low gestational age (VLGA 29 to 32 wk), and full-term, at corrected age 4 months. ResultsIn all groups, cortisol, behavior, and heart rate increased during immunizations. Cortisol concentrations were lower in preterm ELGA and VLGA boys, compared with full-term boys. In contrast, facial and heart rate responses to immunization did not differ between preterm and full-term infants. DiscussionAlthough earlier reports found differences in pain processing in preterm infants earlier and later in development, the present findings indicate that pain responses, indexed by behavior and heart-rate, do not seem to differ in preterm compared with full-term infants at 4 months corrected age. Importantly, however, stress regulation seems altered in preterm male infants. As cortisol impacts development and functioning of the brain, altered stress regulation has important implications beyond pain systems.

The impact of prenatal diagnosis on neural tube defect (NTD) pregnancy versus birth incidence in British Columbia.

The birth incidence of neural tube defect (NTD) cases in British Columbia (B.C.), and elsewhere in North America, is reported to be declining. This decline is being attributed to folic acid (FA) supplementation and food fortification, but 2nd trimester prenatal screening of pregnancies for NTDs and other congenital anomalies has increased during this timeframe, as well. This descriptive, population-based study evaluates the impact of prenatal screening of NTD-affected pregnancies on (1) pregnancy outcome and (2) reporting of NTD births to the provincial Health Status Registry (B.C.H.S.R.); and it assesses (3) the use of periconceptional FA supplementation. NTD cases were ascertained from medical records of health centres providing care to families with NTD-affected pregnancies and newborns; and from NTD cases reported to the B.C.H.S.R. In 1997–1999, the B.C.H.S.R. published a NTD incidence of 0.77/1000. In this study, 151 NTD-affected pregnancies were identified, with an incidence of 1.16/1000. Partial Reporting of induced abortions in a NTD incidence 45.5% low than the actual incidence. Medical records were available for review on 144/151 pregnancies. Prenatal screening identified 86.1% (124/144) of NTD-affected pregnancies, with 72.6% (90/124) resulting in pregnancy termination, and 27.4% (34/124) continuing to term. Use of FA supplementation in the periconceptional period was recorded in 36.4% of pregnancies (39/107). Thus in B.C. the decline in the NTD incidence is due predominantly to pregnancy terminations following prenatal diagnosis, which reduces the NTD incidence by 60%, from 1.16/1000 to 0.47/1000. Continued efforts for primary and the option of secondary prevention of NTDs are recommended in order to improve newborn health in B.C. and elsewhere. These interventions need to be monitored, however, for optimal health care planning.

Neutrophilic Dermatoses in Two Children with Idiopathic Neutropenia: Association with Granulocyte Colony‐Stimulating Factor (G‐CSF) Therapy

Painful neutrophilic skin lesions were observed in two children receiving granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF) for treatment of idiopathic neutropenia. A girl with cystic fibrosis and cyclic neutropenia developed an erythematous papular eruption without fever or neutrophilia 7 months after commencing therapy with G‐CSF. A skin biopsy specimen revealed microscopic, sterile, neutrophilic abscesses. A boy with chronic neutropenia and recurrent inflammatory skin lesions developed multiple erythematous nodules following administration of G‐CSF. A biopsy specimen showed neutrophilic panniculitis. We believe that these skin eruptions belong to a spectrum of neutrophilic dermatoses that can be induced or aggravated by G‐CSF therapy.

Auricular acupuncture for chemically dependent pregnant women: a randomized controlled trial of the NADA protocol

BackgroundThe prevalence of maternal drug use during pregnancy in North America has been estimated to be as high as 6-10%. The consequences for the newborn include increased risk for perinatal mortality and ongoing physical, neurobehavioral, and psychosocial problems. Methadone is frequently used to wean women off street drugs but is implicated as a cause of adverse fetal/neonatal outcomes itself. The purpose of our study was to test the ability of maternal acupuncture treatment among mothers who use illicit drugs to reduce the frequency and severity of withdrawal symptoms among their newborns.MethodsWe randomly assigned chemically dependent pregnant women at BC Women’s Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia to daily acupuncture treatments versus usual care. By necessity, neither our participants nor acupuncturists were blinded as to treatment allocation. Our primary outcome was days of neonatal morphine treatment for symptoms of neonatal withdrawal. Secondary neonatal outcomes included admission to a neonatal ICU and transfer to foster care.ResultsWe randomized 50 women to acupuncture and 39 to standard care. When analyzed by randomized groups, we did not find benefit of acupuncture; the average length of treatment with morphine for newborns in the acupuncture group was 2.7 (6.3) compared to 2.8 (7.0) in the control group. Among newborns of women who were compliant with the acupuncture regime, we observed a reduction of 2.1 and 1.5 days in length of treatment for neonatal abstinence syndrome compared to the non-compliant and control groups, respectively. These differences were not statistically significant.ConclusionsAcupuncture may be a safe and feasible treatment to assist mothers to reduce their dosage of methadone. Our results should encourage ongoing studies to test the ability of acupuncture to mitigate the severity of neonatal abstinence syndrome among their newborns.Clinical Trial Registrationhttp://www.clinicaltrials.gov registry: W05-0041

Functional Deterioration following Placode Untethering in Myelomeningocele

Placode untethering in myelomeningocele patients can result in improvement and/or stabilization of neurological function, spinal curvature and pain. This paper reviews the outcome of untethering procedures in 24 patients to determine the frequency of subsequent functional deterioration. Decreased range of movement, joint stiffness and changes in muscle tone were the commonest indications for surgical intervention, occurring in 15 patients. Untethering resulted in improvement in 8 patients, stabilization of progression in 6 and continued deterioration in 1 patient. Two patients previously untroubled with spasticity became symptomatic within 3 months of the procedure. Changes in ambulation were present preoperatively in 9 patients. Stabilization was observed in 4 and improvement in 5. One of the patients, who had improved, deteriorated during the 1st year of follow-up. Alterations in bladder capacity and continence occurred in 7 patients. Improvement was seen in 2 patients, deterioration in 2 and no change in 3. Of the patients who improved, 1 subsequently deteriorated again within the 2nd postoperative year. Of those patients who had stable bladder function preoperatively, 6 subsequently deteriorated despite untethering. Pain was a less frequent symptom, occurring in 6 patients. Six patients became pain-free within 3 months of untethering. Two patients who did not have pain preoperatively had pain at the operative site persisting for up to 3 months postoperatively. Of the 20 patients having a single untethering procedure to date, 11 have further symptoms that can be attributed to retethering.

Neonatal Acute Physiology Parameters Index (NAPPI) - An Efficient Illness Severity Score for Neonates

Neonatal Acute Physiology Parameters Index (NAPPI) - An Efficient Illness Severity Score for Neonates

Evaluating functional and health outcomes for patients with spina bifida 5 and 10 years post-transition into adult care

Background In BC, pediatric patients with spina bifida are followed by a multidisciplinary clinic at BC Children’ sH ospital. Upon graduation, patients transition into the adult healthcare system where they must coordinate their own care. The purpose of this study is to determine the functional and health outcome of graduates transitioning from the spina bifida clinic at BC Children’s Hospital. Materials and methods Graduates of up to 10 years (1999-2008) from the pediatric spina bifida clinic were mailed a questionnaire. It consisted of 11 sections, including two standardized questionnaires on quality of life (QOL), the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short-form (SF-36) and Spina Bifida-specific Health Related QOL (SBHRQOL). Results

Video Diversion Improves Success Rate of Fundoscopic Examination in Children: a Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND Fundoscopy is an important component of the neurological examination as it can detect pathologies such as high intracranial pressure. However, the examination can be challenging in young children. This study evaluated whether playing a video during eye examination improves the success, duration, and ease of pediatric fundoscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a prospective, multipractitioner, multiclinic, randomized controlled trial. Patients aged one to four years were recruited in the emergency department, neurology clinic, spinal cord clinic, and general pediatric clinic. Eye examination was randomized to video or non-video-assisted fundoscopy. Successful examinations were defined as visualizing the fundus within 60 seconds. Time to visualize optic disc was recorded and difficulty of examination was assessed using a 10-point Likert scale. RESULTS We recruited 101 subjects with a mean age of 2.8 years. Overall, there was a 20% absolute improvement in the success rate of visualizing the optic disc in the video versus non-video group (P < 0.001, 95%CI: 7.8% to 31%). Time to visualize optic disc was also improved (Δ5.3 seconds, P < 0.01, 95%CI: 1.4 to 9.1 seconds). Practitioners and caregivers noticed a 33% (P < 0.01, 95%CI: 21% to 44%) and 42% (P < 0.01, 95%CI: 30% to 56%) relative improvement in the ease of examination with video, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The use of videos improved the ease, duration, and, most importantly, the success of fundoscopy in younger children. This simple, inexpensive adjunct has great potential to improve the ease and efficacy of this aspect of the neurological examination and allow fundoscopic examination to be effectively performed earlier in the age-appropriate vision screening protocols.

OC11.06: Prenatal diagnostic features of closed spinal dysraphism

rostrum height (= thickness), a four-fold increase in the genu height, a two-fold increase in the body height and a three-fold increase in the splenium height. A total number of 18 cases with corpus callosum pathology could be detected. Conclusions: 3-D neurosonography serves as an excellent tool to detect normal growth pattern of fetal corpus callosum. This knowledge will help to detect abnormal growth patterns of the corpus callosum.

High Therapeutic Intensity in the NICU Is Associated with Increased Neonatal Mortality Independently of Illness Severity and Other Risks

High Therapeutic Intensity in the NICU Is Associated with Increased Neonatal Mortality Independently of Illness Severity and Other Risks