Salim Moysés Jorge

Longitudinal evaluation of the development of salivary cortisol circadian rhythm in infancy

OBJECTIVE Although an outstanding characteristic of the adrenocortical function of children and adults is its circadian rhythm, little information is available about the age of appearance of such rhythm in infancy. The main obstacle has been the ethical difficulty in obtaining serial blood samples from healthy infants. We monitored the development of cortisol daily rhythm using non‐invasive salivary cortisol determination.

The emergence of salivary cortisol circadian rhythm and its relationship to sleep activity in preterm infants

OBJECTIVE The circadian rhythm of cortisol is established at between 8 and 12 postnatal weeks in term infants. However, there is limited information about the effect of prematurity on this rhythm. We evaluated the emergence of the salivary cortisol circadian rhythm in premature infants and its relationship to the onset of sleep daily rhythm.

Cup or Bottle for Preterm Infants: Effects on Oxygen Saturation, Weight Gain, and Breastfeeding

The impact of cup-feeding or bottle-feeding on weight gain, oxygen saturation, and breastfeeding rates of preterm infantswas studied in 34 bottle-fed and 44 cup-fed preterm infants. At initiation of oral feeding, postconceptional age and weight were 37.2 ± 2.2 weeks and 1676 ± 83 g for the bottle-fed group (BF) and 37.0 ± 1.6 weeks and 1637 ± 40 g for the cup-fed (CF) group, respectively. No significant differences between groups were found with regard to time spent feeding, feeding problems, weight gain, or breastfeeding prevalence at discharge or at 3-month follow-up. Possible beneficial effects of cup-feeding were lower incidence of desaturation episodes (13.6% vs 35.3%, CF vs BF, P= .024) and a higher prevalence of breastfeeding at 3 months among those still breastfeeding at the first follow-up visit (68.4% vs 33.3%, CF vs BF, P= .04).

Usefulness of blood and urine samples collected on filter paper in detecting cytomegalovirus by the polymerase chain reaction technique.

A rapid test for the diagnosis of congenital CMV infection is still needed. This study evaluated the usefulness of dried blood and urine samples collected on filter paper for detecting cytomegalovirus (CMV) by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay compared with the use of liquid urine. Samples were obtained from 332 infants aged 1-7 days. Liquid urine samples were collected into bags, cultured in human fibroblasts, and processed using a multiplex PCR technique. Dried urine samples were obtained by placing a piece of filter paper in contact with the infants genitals. The heels of neonates were punctured and capillary blood was blotted onto filter paper and dried. Dried blood and urine specimens were analyzed by multiplex PCR and nested-PCR assays. A diagnosis of congenital CMV infection was established by isolating the virus, and by detecting viral DNA in the liquid urine. Of the 332 liquid urine samples collected from 332 neonates, seven (2.1%) were positive for CMV and 325 were negative, by both cell culture and PCR assay. In dried samples, CMV DNA was detectable only with a nested PCR assay. Compared with known CMV infection status, 5/7 (71.4%) neonates were positive for congenital CMV infection using dried blood samples. All 325 uninfected neonates were negative. In the dried urine samples, 4/4 CMV-infected infants gave positive tests, and all 262 uninfected infants were negative. Although further improvements in sample collection and/or processing are still needed, PCR testing on dried urine or blood collected on filter paper is a promising approach in the diagnosis of neonatal CMV infection.

Colostrum Ingested during the First Day of Life by Exclusively Breastfed Healthy Newborn Infants

OBJECTIVE To determine the mass of colostrum ingested by exclusively breastfed newborn infants during the first 24 hours of extrauterine life. STUDY DESIGN Milk ingested during the first 24 hours of life by 90 healthy newborn infants was evaluated by use of a scale with high sensitivity. The masses were measured during 8-hour periods. Associations of the mass measured with prenatal and postnatal variables were tested. RESULTS The mass of colostrum ingested was evaluated in 307 feedings, with 3.4+/-1 feedings recorded per 8-hour period of observation. Mean gain per feeding was 1.5+/-1.1 g. The daily mass of milk ingested by newborn infants was estimated at 15+/-11 g. This volume did not show a tendency to increase during the first 24 postnatal hours, nor was it related to perinatal or postnatal factors or to breastfeeding time. CONCLUSIONS During the first 24 hours of life newborns ingested 15+/-11 g of milk.

Immunogenicity of Hepatitis B vaccine in preterm and full term infants vaccinated within the first week of life

The immunogenicity of a Hepatitis B vaccine was evaluated in 110 neonates (57 full term and 53 preterm) born to Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative mothers. Three 10 microg doses of recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine were administered: the first dose within the first week of life; the second between 1 and 2 months; and the third at 5-7 months of age. Anti-HBs antibody titres were measured 3 months after the third dose. The seroconversion rate in preterm infants (77%; 95% CI=64.7-87.1) was significantly lower than in full term infants (98%; 95% CI=91.6-99.9) while the mean anti-HBs titres among those infants that did seroconvert was lower in preterm (186.6 mIU ml(-1)) than in full term infants (537.5 mIU ml(-1)). More full term than preterm infants showed titres greater than 100 mIU ml(-1) (71.9 and 41.5%, respectively). We conclude that the administration of a recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth is less immunogenic in preterm infants weighing <1800 g at birth than in full term infants. Currently accepted recommendations for post exposure perinatal prophylaxis may be inadequate to protect preterm infants.

Prevalência do aleitamento materno em recém-nascidos de baixo peso

The present situation regarding the breast feeding of children born with a weight of 2,500 grammes or less (LWB) at the Hospital das Clinicas of the Medical School of the Universidade de S. Paulo in Ribeirao Preto (Brazil) was studied. The study was descriptive and the data were obtained through a longitudinal follow-up carried over the period from October 1985 to September 1986 inclusive. Of the 222 children included in the study, 30 (13.5%) infants were not breastfed. Thus the incidence of breast feeding among this population was of 86.5%. At 3 months 62.5% of these infants were still being breastfed. At 6 months this figure fell to 38.5% and only 25.0% were still being breast-fed at the end of 12 months. The average duration of breast feeding for the 192 children that had started it was of 4 months. An association was found between the level of literacy of the mothers and the duration of breast feeding. Birthweight was found to be associated with the incidence and duration of breast feeding in general, as well as with the incidence of exclusive breast feeding. These data are considerably lower than recent figures obtained from the populations of well-developed countries, especially than those of Finnish infants born with a weight of less than 1.500 g. Action programmes involving the community and/or the Institution must be implemented in order to improve these figures.

Simultaneous high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of retinol by fluorometry and of tocopherol by ultraviolet absorbance in the serum of newborns.

The simultaneous determination of retinol and tocopherol by isocratic HPLC in 100 microl serum from preterm newborns is described. Retinol (tR 2.02+/-0.04 min) and retinyl acetate were detected fluorometrically, and were baseline-resolved in 4 min. Tocopherol (tR 8.4+/-0.16 min) and tocopheryl acetate were detected by UV absorbance. Intra- and inter-assay RSD were: retinol, 5.6 and 8.1, and tocopherol, 3.6 and 6.7, respectively. This method is fast, selective and highly sensitive for retinol. It permits the measurement of serum concentrations of retinol and tocopherol with good accuracy and precision.

Evolução materno-fetal de gestantes diabéticas seguidas no HC-FMRP-USP no período de 1992-1999

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the frequency of maternal and fetal complications, type of delivery and metabolic control of diabetic pregnant women followed at HCFMRP-USP, between 1992 and 1999. Outcome data were obtained on 261 patients where 44 (16.3%) had type 1 (DM1), 82 (30.5%) had type 2 (DM2) and 143 (53.2%) had gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The occurrence of obesity prior to gestation was elevated in patients with GDM (47.6%) and DM2 (65.9%). Hypertension was also frequent in the latter group (46.3%). In spite of the late beginning of the prenatal care in all three groups, there was metabolic control improvement, observed through reduction of glycemias (DM1: 10h: 197±40 vs. 128±39mg/dl, p= 0.003; DM2: 7h: 147±53 vs. 102±19mg/dl, p= 0.001; 14h: 164±53 vs. 121±28mg/dl, p= 0.01; 20h: 201±55 vs. 147±43mg/dl, p= 0.01; DMG: 7h: 100±34 vs. 89±20mg/dl, p= 0.003; 10h: 144±49 vs. 122±29mg/dl, p= 0.03; 14h: 126±38 vs. 112±27mg/dl, p= 0.001), and HbA1 levels (DM1: 11.1±2.9 vs. 5.7±1.8%, p= 0.02). Hypoglycemia, urinary tract infections, vulvovaginites, hypertension and pre-eclampsia/ eclampsia were the most incident maternal complications. Hypoglycemia (29.5%, p< 0.0001), urinary tract infections (29.5%, p= 0.02), and abortions (11.4%, p= 0.003) were significantly more common in DM1 patients (11.4%) than in other groups. No maternal death was observed. Cesarea section was the mode of delivery predominantly used in all groups. Hypoglycemia, prematurity, jaundice and macrossomia were the most incident fetal complications. Prematurity (53.7%, p< 0.0001), natimortality (14.6%, p< 0.0001), and respiratory distress syndrome (13.9%, p= 0.003) were more frequent in newborns of DM1 patients. Although some degree of metabolic control improvement has been observed in all groups, a complete normalization of glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels has not been achieved, and probably contributed for the maternal and fetal complications rates observed.

Cutaneous application of vegetable oil as a coadjutant in the nutritional management of preterm infants.

Background The cutaneous application of vegetable oil as a therapeutic practice and dietary coadjuvant has been described mainly in adult patients at risk for essential fatty acid deficiency. In the current study, the effects of cutaneous soybean oil application on somatic growth and plasma linoleic and arachidonic acid levels were examined in enterally fed preterm newborns. Methods Sixty consecutive preterm infants were chosen from patients admitted to the nursery. Infants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the oil group, which was treated cutaneously with soybean oil, or the control group, which received no cutaneous treatment. Results After 30 days, a significant increase in anthropometric parameters was observed in infants who received cutaneous oil, mainly in infants small for gestational age. An increase in linoleic acid level and a decrease in arachidonic acid level were seen in both groups but do not justify the difference found in growth rates in the control and oil groups. Conclusions Preterm infants treated cutaneously with soy oil showed better somatic growth than the control group. The factors leading to the present results, especially the response of the infants who were small for gestational age merit further evaluation.