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Serum malondialdehyde concentration in babies with hyperbilirubinaemia

AIM To determine lipid peroxide concentrations in the first 10 days of life. METHODS Malondialdehyde concentrations were investigated in neonates with or without hyperbilirubinaemia during the first 10 days of life. RESULTS Serum malondialdehyde concentrations were higher in infants with hyperbilirubinaemia than in controls. A positive correlation was found between malondialdehyde and bilirubin concentrations in the study group. When the study group was categorised according to the presence of haemolysis, a significant correlation was found between malondialdehyde and bilirubin concentrations in those infants with hyperbilirubinaemia due to haemolysis. There was no such correlation in those without haemolysis. CONCLUSION Exchange transfusion rapidly produces variable changes in pro-oxidant and antioxidant plasma concentrations in neonates, which may be responsible for free radical metabolism. The fall in malondialdehyde concentration is probably directly related to its exogenous removal by exchange transfusion.

Spontaneous Neonatal Chylothorax Treated with Octreotide in Turkey: A Case Report

Chylothorax, which is usually idiopathic, is the most common form of pleural effusion encountered in neonates. Herein we report a 2-week-old infant who had spontaneous chylothorax and was treated with octreotide. Neonatal chylothorax responded well to octreotide treatment, which appeared to shorten the duration of hospitalization. We conclude that octreotide should be considered in the treatment of neonatal chylothorax.

Does individual room implemented family-centered care contribute to mother-infant interaction in preterm deliveries necessitating neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization?

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of individual room care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on the factors that influence mother-preterm infant interaction. Mothers in group I had hospitalization with their preterm infants in an individual room in the NICU. Mothers in group II were not hospitalized but had opportunity to visit their babies and spend time with them whenever they wanted. On the postdischarge third month, mothers were assessed for parental stress, postpartum depression, and perception of vulnerability. Although the mean depression, stress, and vulnerability scores were higher in group II, there was no significant difference between the groups (P > 0.05). Postpartum depression rate was more than double in group II, but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.06). Individual room care in the NICU cannot prevent maternal stress, postpartum depression, and perception of vulnerability related to having a high-risk preterm infant by itself alone.

Infection-associated hemophagocytic syndrome due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in preterm infants.

Infection-associated hemophagocytic syndrome due to bacteria is rare and its appearance in preterm babies is uncommon. The signs, symptoms, laboratory values, and clinical status of three preterm babies with infection-associated hemophagocytic syndrome due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa are described and differences between preterm and infant cases are discussed in this report.

Burkitt's lymphoma cell leukemia.

To the best of our knowledge, only 8 cases of Burkitt’s lymphoma cell leukemia were diagnosed whilst the patient was alive. This is a report of one more case and a review of the literature.

Symptomatic thrombosis in Turkish neonates.

Objective: To investigate the association of two common prothrombotic mutations, factor V G1691A (FV G1691A) and prothrombin G20210A (PT G20210A), in neonates with thrombosis. Methods: Twenty-six neonates with thrombosis were assessed with the spectrum of assays for thrombophilia, including the two DNA-based prothrombotic factors. Results: Eight patients (31%) had the FV G1691A mutation in heterozygous state. PT G20210A mutation was detected in four patients (15%). Overall, two common prothrombotic factors were detected in 12 neonates (46%) and an underlying disease or a triggering event in 18 neonates (69%). Thrombosis was considered to be idiopathic in five neonates (19%). Conclusions: The pathogenesis of thrombosis in neonates is multi-factorial. Along with underlying diseases or triggering events, congenital prothrombotic factors (FV G1691A and PT G20210A) showed a trend toward a higher frequency in neonates with thrombosis. These data indicate that mutations associated with underlying disorders in neonates may contribute to the development of thromboembolic disease.

Lethal hydrops fetalis due to congenital dyserythropoietic anemia in a newborn: Association of a new skeletal abnormality

Congenital dyserythropoietic anemias (CDAs) area group of hereditary refractory anemias characterized by ineffective erythropoiesis, typical morphological abnormalities of erythroblasts, a low or no reticulocyte response, hyperbilirubinemia, and splenomegaly. A massive hydropic newborn born with a very severe anemia (Hb 4.8 g/dL), diffuse edema, hepatosplenomegaly, ascites, pulmonary edema and respiratory distress, and shortness and hallux varus deformity of the great toe of the right foot was diagnosed to have congenital dyserythropoietic anemia on the basis of the hematological (macrocytosis, anisopoikilocytosis, fragmented red cells and erythroblastosis in the peripheral blood, and erythroid hyperplasia with erythroblastosis and erythroblasts with double nuclei and thin chromatin bridges connecting these nuclei in the bone marrow) and serological (negative acidified serum lysis test and no agglutination with anti-i antibodies) findings. In this article the seventh case of neonatal congenital dyserythropoietic anemia presenting with a very severe(lethal) form of hydrops fetalis and a new (hallux varus) deformity of the great toe of the right foot is presented. Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hydrops fetalis presenting with a very severe anemia and a skeletal abnormality of the great toe.

Bone speed of sound curves of twin and singleton neonates.

AIM To evaluate associations between prenatal risk factors, neonatal characteristics and bone development. METHODS Tibial speed of sound (SOS) of 317 neonates whose gestational ages ranged between 25 and 41 weeks and birth weight between 580 and 4,350 g was measured using quantitative ultrasound. RESULTS Bone SOS values correlated significantly with gestational age and birth weight. Small for gestational age (SGA) infants had higher bone SOS values than appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants. Infants born to multiple pregnancies had lower SOS values than singleton infants so two separate bone SOS curves were made: for singleton infants born AGA (n = 152), and for infants of multiple pregnancies born AGA (n = 104). Infants of preeclamptic mothers had significantly higher SOS values than the infants of mothers without preeclampsia. CONCLUSION This is the first study reporting bone SOS values of Turkish neonates. Prenatal risk factors, such as preeclampsia, multiple pregnancy, and being SGA, affect the bone development of the fetus.

Plasma carnitine levels in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome

Abstract  Background : Antenatal carnitine administration has been shown to induce fetal lung maturity by increasing pulmonary surfactant in animal and human studies. In this study, the aim was to investigate the status of carnitine in maternal and neonatal plasma of preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in the first hours of life.

Plasma Ionized Magnesium Levelsin Neonatal Respir atory Distress Syndrome

Measurement of ionized magnesium (IMg) provides an accurate assessment of the free form of Mg, which is the physiologically active form and is most reflective of the biologically active and not easily measurable intracellular Mg fraction. Plasma levels of IMg were measured by ion-selective electrode method in premature newborns with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and relationships and correlations between IMg levels and various demographic, prognostic and laboratory characteristics were investigated by comparing the premature newborns with (study group; n = 19) and without RDS (control group; n = 20) in the present study. The values of the postnatal arterial pH and base excess and plasma IMg levels were significantly different between the study and control groups, and the number of newborns with any morbidity was significantly higher in the study group. Within the study group there were significant negative correlations between the plasma IMg levels and the values of the umbilical cord arterial pH (r = -0.621, p = 0.005) and base excess (r = -0.746, p = 0.001), and the value of the postnatal arterial base excess (r = -0.585, p = 0.008). The newborns who died later had higher plasma IMg levels than those who survived (0.89 +/- 0.45 vs. 0.63 +/- 0.24 mmol/l, p = 0.026). These findings suggest that increase of plasma IMg may be due to extracellular movement of Mg, which is a principally intracellular ion, as a result of acidosis, hypoxia and probable cellular injury during the early course of RDS. The exact pathophysiological mechanism responsible for IMg increase, and whether determination of plasma IMg level, including umbilical cord blood IMg measurement, can be used as an early or predictive indicator of RDS in the diagnosis remain to be determined in further large-scale studies.