Objective To investigation the relation of leptin to birth weight and insulin in preterm and term neonates and to explore whether a functional “adipoinsular axis” might exist in preterm and term neonates. Methods A total of 264 preterm and term newborns were recruited and categorised according to gestation length. Anthropometric measurements were performed at birth. Leptin, fasting glucose and insulin were measured at 3 days of life. Results Serum leptin was significantly higher in term than in preterm. The relation between serum leptin and gestation followed a non-linear pattern; The slope of the curve began to increase after 34 weeks gestation. Serum leptin was associated with birth weight and insulin in newborn more than 32 weeks gestation(r=0.240, 0.227, P

Objective To study the serum and gastric juice levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in response to early minimal enteral nutrition (MEN) in premature infants with severe illness and evaluate the clinical significance of early MEN. Methods Premature infants with critical score

Objective To explore the relationship between maternal homocysteine (HCY), folic acid, 5, 10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genotypes(677C→T) and occurrence of congenital heart disease (CHD) in offspring. Methods HPLC technique was used to measure the level of total plasma HCY in 32 mothers of CHD children and 23 mothers of normal children, radio immunoassay was used to measure folic acid, and MTHFR genotypes were detected by PCR RELP analysis. Results The incidence of hyperhomocysteinemia(Hhe) (34%,11 cases) in CHD maternal group was significantly higher than that in normal maternal group( P

Objective To explore the reason of low incidence of neonatal GBS infection in China. Methods The serum level of GBS type III specific antibody in 102 randomly selected prenatal mother and their neonatal cord blood were measured using ELISA method. Sixty-two neonates less than 7 days old and 32 children between 2 months and 13 years old served as control. Results The average level of GBS type III specific antibody in the mother was 21.59 mg/L, and that in the paired cord serum was 17.90 mg/L, which was correlate with their mother(r=0.83,P

Objective To investigate the relationship between angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and the severe morbidity of neonates. Methods According to the Neonatal Critical Score (draft), neonates were divided into three groups:control group (n=116), non-critical group (n=237) and critical group (n=98). ACE genotype was determined by PCR. Results The DD genotype was significantly higher in critical group compared with the other two. The critical score on first day of hospitalization was significantly lower in DD genotype than ID or II (93.52?6.99 vs 96.43?5.80 and 96.22?6.41, P

Objective To Discuss the influence of intrauterine environment to neonatal insulin sensitivity. Methods Two hundred and eight new borns were selected into our study and divided into 4 groups, they are full term adequate for gestational age(AGA) group(133 cases), full term small for gestational age(SGA) group(30 cases), preterm AGA group(87 cases) and preterm SGA group(30 cases). In the morning of the 3rd day after birth their serum glucose, insulin and lipid concentration were examined before milk, and the ratio of insulin to glucose were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS 9.0 software. Results The mean ratio of insulin to glucose are 1.243?0.703 in full term SGA group and 0.259?0.837 in full term AGA group, while in preterm SGA group and preterm AGA group the mean ratio of insulin to glucose are 1.190?0.683 and 0.497? 0.080, it shows that each SGA group has significantly higher insulin to glucose ratio than the AGA group( P

Objective To study the level of umbilical plasma erythropoietin (EPO) in normal and abnormal pregnancy and analyze the influence factors of EPO. Methods EPO concentration in 106 umbilical plasma were measured by enzyme immonoassay. Samples were divided into four groups: control group with healthy full term newborns; hypertension group with neonates born to mothers with hypertension; diabetiec group with neonates born to mothers with diabetes; asphyxia group with neonates with fetal distress or asphyxia. The relationship between the concentration of EPO and gestational age, mode of delivery and pregnant complications were analysed. Results Mothers with hypertension, diabetes, fetal distress or neonatal asphyxia were important factors influencing umbilical blood EPO production ( P

Objective To study the feasibility, efficacy and safety of laryngeal mask airway (LMA) in neonatal resuscitation. Methods Totally, 369 neonates requiring positive pressure ventilation at birth were randomized into two groups by offering either LMA resuscitation (205 cases) or bag-mask ventilation (BMV) resuscitation (164 cases). The effect in the two groups were observed. Results (1) No significant difference was observed in Apgar scores at 1 min between LMA group and BMV group, but the neonates having higher Apgar scores at 5 min in LMA group were more than in BMV group (x2 =-3. 39,P=0. 001). The successful resuscitation rate of LMA group was higher than that of BMV group (99.02%vs 84. 15% ,x2 =28. 76, P＜0. 01), the total ventilation time of LMA group was shorter than that of BMV group [(36.4±23.7) s vs (66.2±35.4) s] (t=-8.66, P＜0. 01). Among severe asphyxia neonates,seven of nine were successfully resuscitated by LMA, while in BMV group six neonates with severe asphyxia were all switched to endotracheal intubation ventilation. In neonates with Apgar score of 4 to 5 at 1 min after birth, the successful resuscitation rate of LMA group was higher than that of BMV group (100% vs 42. 86%, x2 =23.04, P＜0.01), the ventilation time of LMA group was shorter than that of BMV group [(54.6±33.6) s vs (136.4±42.0) s] (t= -4. 45, P＜0.01). In neonates with Apgar score of 6 to 7 at 1 min after birth, there was no significant difference in the successful resuscitation rate between LMA and BMV group. (2) The successful rate of LMA insertion at first attempt was 98.54% (202/205) and the average insertion time was (7.8 ± 2. 2) s. The adverse effects included vomiting(4 cases)and regurgitation (3 cases). Conclusions In neonatal resuscitation, LMA can be easily inserted. Compared to BMV, LMA is a better choice in resuscitation for neonates with moderate or severe asphyxia and preferable for those medical staffs who are unfamiliar with endotracheal intubation, or even as a substitute of endotracheal intubation ventilation.

Objective To assess the preventive effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHu EPO) on the anemia of premature birth infant. To determine whether prophylactic treatment with rHu EPO and iron would reduce the postnatal hemoglobin (Hb) decline and blood transfusion of premature infants. Methods Fifty one infants of less than 35 weeks of gestation and 2000 g of birth weight from multicenter were randomly assigned to EPO group ( n =31) and control group ( n =20). Infants in EPO group received rHuEPO 250 IU/(kg?t) intravenously or subcutaneously once every second day, started between 2 and 10 days of age, maintained for 4 weeks. Oral iron and vitamin E supplements were given to all infants. Hb, hematocrit (Hct), reticulocyte counts (Ret), serum iron and erythropoietin (EPO) were detected in both groups. Results Postnatal decline of Hb and Hct were less in EPO group than that in the control group at the end of study (129.9?21.0 vs 103.2?14.3, P

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum prolactin(PRL) level and neonatal seizures and to evaluate the clinical significance of PRL as a neonatal seizures marker to diagnose neonatal seizures. Methods Thirty five newborn infants with acute encephalopathy were divided into two groups: the ictal group included infants with typical clinical symptom and/or electrographic seizures and the nonictal group are those without electrographic seizures or clinical behaviors. The control group included 17 newborns. Serum PRL levels were determinded by immulite assay system at 15～30 min postictally; 2 h postictally and 2～4 days after the end of seizures. Results In the ictal group, serum PRL levels were significantly higher at 15～30 min[(302.6?93.5) ?g/L] than that of 2 h [(128.1?71.4) ?g/L], nonictal[(101.2?31.4)?g/L and (89.9?36.2) ?g/L] and control group[(73.3?20.7) ?g/L and (68.6?29.5)?g/L], P