• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.160-167
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of an oral stimulation program on premature infant's transition from tube feeding to bottle feeding, decrease in desaturation during feeding, and early discharge. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed in one neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of an university hospital. The control group data (n=69) were obtained from June 2008 to May 2009, and the experimental group data (n=67), from June 2009 to May 2010. The oral stimulation program (OSP) was provided daily before feeding for the experimental group until transition to bottle feeding was completed. Results: The OSP group began bottle feeding earlier and were on complete bottle feeding earlier than control group. Discharge delay due to feeding desaturation was lower than for the control group. Conclusion: The results indicate that OSP for premature infants was helpful in transition from tube feeding to bottle feeding and early discharge and thus can contribute health and development in premature infants.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.176-185
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• 2002

Knowing the accurate GA is critical in nursing care of high-risk newborns. A descriptive study was performed to examine the reliability and clinical applicability of the new Ballard examination (NBE) in high-risk infants. Method: A NBE was performed to measure GA by assessing the neuromuscular and physical maturity in the course of physical examination of a convenient sample of 50 high-risk infants. Results: 1) There was a highly correlation between both the GA by LMP (GA-LMP) and GA by NBE (GA-NBE) (r = .894, p = .000) 2) There was a greater positive relationship in neuromuscular maturity than physical maturity in the GA-NBE of the high-risk newborn (r = .657 versus r = .915, p <. 05). 3) The high-risk infants were thoes with congenital anomalies, prematurity, and RDS(Respiratory Distress Syndrome). Male infants showed a higher neuromuscular maturity, compared to female infants. 4) There was a positive correlation between neuromuscular, physical, total maturity, GA-LMP and GA-NBE in the birth weight, 1 minute Apgar score. Conclusion: The study supports the reliability an clinical relevance of NBE in assessment of the accurate GA in high-risk infants.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 2009

In recent years, reductions in infant mortality have mainly been accomplished by improving the survival of premature and low birth weight infants, however premature infants still remain at great risk. The purpose of this study was to review the maternal child health service related to premature infants and to provide a future direction for improving maternal child health (MCH) in Korea. We reviewed two MCH services which are directly related to premature infants: 1) a registry and financial support program for families with a premature infant, and 2) financial support to build neonatal intensive care units in rural public hospitals. Suggestions are made for the development of a national vital signs record system to identify high risk infants and to monitor the trends in infant mortality due to prematurity. Prevention efforts and preconception care for childbearing women is also an important strategy to reduce the rate of preterm births. Finally, we need consider long-term follow-up plans for premature infants for a successful transit to the special education system. Developing MCH policy related to premature infants that decreases the occurrence of premature may decrease infant mortality, and also improve maternal and child health services.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.94-98
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• 2009

Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is a foodborne anaerobic gram-positive rod and the third most common pathogen for neonatal meningitis. Although the mortality and morbidity of L. monocytogenes infections are high, thus causing serious problems in Western populations, neonatal listeriosis is relatively rare in Eastern countries, including Korea. Possible routes for intrauterine infection or vertical transmission of L. monocytogenes include infected placentas and the reproductive tract. Intrauterine infections may cause chorioamnionitis, preterm labor, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, or neonatal infection. A high index of suspicion and early empirical antibiotic treatment are critical to achieve a favorable prognosis for neonatal listeriosis. We managed a case of L. monocytogenes sepsis and pneumonia in a premature neonate born at 26 weeks of gestational age from an asymptomatic mother with culture-proven placental infection. The neonate was successively treated with ampicillin and gentamicin.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.57 no.12
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• pp.505-513
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• 2014

While the survival of extremely premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome has increased due to advanced respiratory care in recent years, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. NEC is more prevalent in lower gestational age and lower birth weight groups. It is characterized by various degrees of mucosal or transmural necrosis of the intestine. Its exact pathogenesis remains unclear, but prematurity, enteral feeding, bacterial products, and intestinal ischemia have all been shown to cause activation of the inflammatory cascade, which is known as the final common pathway of intestinal injury. Awareness of the risk factors for NEC; practices to reduce the risk, including early trophic feeding with breast milk and following the established feeding guidelines; and administration of probiotics have been shown to reduce the incidence of NEC. Despite advancements in the knowledge and understanding of the pathophysiology of NEC, there is currently no universal prevention measure for this serious and often fatal disease. Therefore, new potential techniques to detect early biomarkers or factors specific to intestinal inflammation, as well as further strategies to prevent the activation of the inflammatory cascade, which is important for disease progression, should be investigated.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.10
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• pp.1019-1025
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• 2006

Motor delay, when present, is usually the first concern brought by the parents of children with developmental delay. Cerebral palsy that is the most common motor delay, is a nonspecific, descriptive term pertaining to disordered motor function that is evident in early infancy and is characterized by changes in muscle tone, muscle weakness, involuntary movements, ataxia, or a combination of these abnormalities. A wide range of causative disorders and risk factors have been identified for cerebral palsy, and broadly classified into 5 groups; perinatal brain injury, brain injury related to prematurity, developmental abnormalities, prenatal risk factors, and postnatal brain injury. Delay in attaining developmental milestones is the most distinctive presenting complaint in children with cerebral palsy. A detailed history and thorough physical and neurologic examinations are crucial in the diagnostic process. The clinician should be cautious about diagnostic pronouncement unless the findings are unequivocal. Several serial examinations and history review are necessary. All children with cerebral palsy should undergo a neuroimaging study, preferably MRI, because an abnormality is documented on head MRI(89%) and CT(77%). The high incidence rates for mental retardation, epilepsy, ophthalmologic defects, speech and language disorders and hearing impairment make it imperative that all children with cerebral palsy be screened for mental retardation, ophthalmologic and hearing impairments, and speech and language disorders; nutrition, growth, and swallowing also should be closely monitored.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.7
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• pp.310-312
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• 2011

A preterm female infant born at 27 weeks of gestation with a birth weight of 990 g developed acute hypotonia, apnea, hypotension and bradycardia mimicking septic shock syndrome at 14h after birth. Laboratory tests indicated a severe hypermagnesemia of 45 mg/dL. The renal function, complete blood count and maternal blood concentrations of magnesium were normal, and the blood cultures were negative. The patient recovered with treatment including exchange transfusion. However, the etiology of the severe hypermagnesemia remains unknown.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.529-539
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• 1998

Prematurity is the main cause for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in neonates. The goal in the treatment of RDS is to maintain respiration with adequate oxygenation. ETS needs to be performed to remove lung secretions in the ventilated premature infants with RDS. Oxygen saturation(SpO$_2$) and heart rate(HR) were compared in 22 premature infants with RDS using two types of ETS : open ETS versus close ETS. The results showed there was no significant difference in the SpO$_2$ and HR responses between open ETS and close ETS. The SpO$_2$ and HR returned to the baseline within 1 minute after suctioning. But in some case, there was a significantly greater incidence in the decrease of SpO$_2$ below 90% occured in the open ETS than in the close ETS. It implies that closed ETS may be beneficial to the premature infants who tend to develop desaturation easily.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.591-601
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• 1998

미숙아에 있어 주로 표면활성제의 부족으로 인한 호흡곤란증은 미숙아 사망의 주원인이 된다. 호흡곤란증의 치료목적은 적절한 환기를 통해 체내 산소화를 유지시키는 것이다. 인공호흡기 치료를 받는 미숙아에게 필수적인 간호중재인 기관지 흡인술은 그 효과를 극대화하기 위해 흉곽진동법과 같이 사용될 수도 있다. 그러나 미숙아를 대상으로 하는 흉곽진동법은 그 중재의 안전성이나 효과에 대한 과학적 검증 없이 시행되고 있는 실정이다. 이에 본 연구는 호흡곤란증 미숙아에 있어 기관지 흡인술 이전에 행하여지는 흉곽진동법이 산소화와 기관지 분비물에 미치는 영향을 연구하기 위해 실시되었다. 이를 위해 20명의 호흡곤란증 미숙아를 대상으로 대상자내 반복실험연구가 설계되었다. 독립변수는 기관지흡인술이전에 흉곽진동이고 종속 변수는 산소 포화도, 심박동수, 그리고 기관지 분비물의 양이었다. 각 대상자는 무작위 순서에 따라 한번은 흉곽진동없이 흡인을, 나머지 한번은 흉곽진동과 흡인의 두 가지 형태의 흡인을 경험 하였다. 연구 결과, 기관지 흡인술이전에 흉곽진동을 실시하든, 안하든 산소포화도와 심박동수의 변화양상에는 차이가 없었다. 그러나, 융곽진동법을 실시한 경우가 실시안한 경우에 비해 더 많은 양의 기관지 분비물을 흡인하였다. 이는 기관지 흡인술 이전에 실시하는 흉곽진동법이 미숙아의 체내에 부가적 산소소모를 초래하지 않는 반면, 기도로부터 더 많은 분비물을 흡인하는데 효과적임을 시사한다.

• IEIE Transactions on Smart Processing and Computing
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.107-116
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• 2016

Premature babies of less than 37 weeks gestation might require oxygen therapy as an integral part of treatment and respiratory support. Because of their under-developed lungs, these so-called "preemies" might contract respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). To treat RDS, neonatal oxygen therapy is administered, where controlled oxygen gas is measured as a fraction of inspired oxygen ($FiO_2$). However, exposure to high oxygen content during long treatment could cause oxygen intoxication, which might cause permanent blindness due to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), whereas insufficient oxygen exposure could cause severe hypoxia. A doctor would use oxygen saturation ($SpO_2$) data and prescribe a dose of $FiO_2$ to maintain $SpO_2$ within a suitable range. One objective is to maintain $SpO_2$ within the acceptable range using $FiO_2$ that is as low as possible. Adjustment of $FiO_2$ would normally be done by nurses every 15 to 30 minutes, which might not be safe in many situations. An error in $FiO_2$ adjustment during a manual procedure could be as large as +/- 2.5%. This paper presents a system that can determine an $FiO_2$ value suitable to the current $SpO_2$ and that automatically adjusts $FiO_2$ with an error clearance of +/- 0.25%.