• Child Health Nursing Research
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• 제15권1호
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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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• 제25권2호
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• pp.66-71
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• 2018

Purpose: Respiratory morbidity is the most common problem among neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units. Therefore, the aim of this study was to make a differential diagnosis between transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and pneumonia through comparison of clinical features and test results. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in 86 infants with TTN, RDS, or pneumonia. These were infants who had respiratory distress, were born after ${\geq}34$ weeks of gestation, and transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit of Kosin University Gospel Hospital between June 1, 2011 and June 30, 2016. Results: The numbers (percentage) of infants with TTN, RDS, and pneumonia were 51 (59.3%), 20 (23.3%), and 15 (17.4%), respectively. Late-preterm and early-term newborns accounted for 65.1% of the infants. Tachypnea was observed in 74.4% of the neonates. The median age at admission was 4 hours (0 to 116) after birth. The infants with RDS had significantly lower birth weights, pH levels, base excess and oxygen saturation levels at admission, longer duration of total ventilator therapy, and hospital stay than those in the other two groups. The infants with pneumonia showed significantly high initial high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels and significant chest radiographic findings. Conclusion: Early differential diagnosis for TTN, RDS, and pneumonia is challenging because they show similar respiratory symptoms at an early stage. Clinical features and test results can be used to determine the etiology of respiratory distress and early antibiotic treatment.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.44-48
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• 2018

Platyspondylic lethal skeletal dysplasia, Torrance type (PLSD-T), is one of the pheno-types of type II collagenopathy and is characteristic of severe bone growth disorder. This phenotype may limit the growth and expansion of the lungs, which is known to cause death from respiratory failure during or shortly after birth, but in few less severe cases, patients have been reported to have survived to adulthood. We have experienced a case of PLSD-T in a preterm infant who was delivered via cesarean section at the gestational age of 29 weeks 3 days, with a birth weight of 1.15 kg. Physical examination of the infant revealed characteristic findings of short arms and legs, small thorax, distended abdomen, and cleft palate. On the basis of the subsequent genetic testing, the patient had a heterozygous mutation in the encoded c-propeptide region of collagen, type II, alpha 1 (COL2A1), c.4335G>A ($p.Trp1445^{\ast}$) in exon 52. This is the first case of PLSD-T diagnosed in Korea, and we hereby report the case.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.281-287
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• 2011

Purpose: The study was done to explore growth variation in head circumference (HC) in extremely premature infants (EPI) with brain injury. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted with 79 cohort samples from the archives of the catch-up growth project. Mean age of the infants was 29.2 weeks of gestation and mean HC, 27.1 cm at birth. Their HC measurements were retrieved from the archives up to 6 month of corrected age (CA) and analyzed against history of brain injury during hospitalization. Results: Overall growth retardation in HC was observed in the cohort sample compared to longer gestation premature infants. EPI with brain injury showed decreased HC compared to infants without brain injury, and resulting growth variation across 6 month of CA. Highest retardation in HC growth was observed in male infants with brain injury. Conclusion: Extreme preterm birth itself may function as a major obstacle against HC growth toward term age in EPI. Sustainability of brain injury could be observed with higher HC growth retardation after term. Evolutionary favor to female infants may exist in HC growth of EPI. Intensive education on HC monitoring is highly suggested for parents of EPI, particularly with children with brain injury.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제54권9호
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• pp.363-367
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• 2011

Central venous catheters (CVCs) are regularly used in intensive care units, and catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) remains a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections, particularly in preterm infants. Increased survival rate of extremely-low-birth-weight infants can be partly attributed to routine practice of CVC placement. The most common types of CVCs used in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) include umbilical venous catheters, peripherally inserted central catheters, and tunneled catheters. CRBSI is defined as a laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection (BSI) with either a positive catheter tip culture or a positive blood culture drawn from the CVC. BSIs most frequently result from pathogens such as gram-positive cocci, coagulase-negative staphylococci, and sometimes gram-negative organisms. CRBSIs are usually associated with several risk factors, including prolonged catheter placement, femoral access, low birth weight, and young gestational age. Most NICUs have a strategy for catheter insertion and maintenance designed to decrease CRBSIs. Specific interventions slightly differ between NICUs, particularly with regard to the types of disinfectants used for hand hygiene and appropriate skin care for the infant. In conclusion, infection rates can be reduced by the application of strict protocols for the placement and maintenance of CVCs and the education of NICU physicians and nurses.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제56권4호
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• pp.334-337
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• 2014

Objective : The purpose of this study is to identify the risk factors associated with the development of germinal matrix-intraventricular hemorrhage (GM-IVH) and the relationship of the severity of disease and prematurity. Methods : A total of 168 premature neonates whose birth weight ${\leq}1500g$ or gestational age ${\leq}34$ weeks were examined by cranial ultrasound (CUS) for detection of GM-IVH among the babies admitted between January 2011 and December 2012 in our medical center neonatal intensive care unit. The babies were divided into two groups : GM-IVH and non-IVH. Clinical presentations, precipitating factors of the patients and maternal factors were analyzed. Results : In univariate analysis, gestational age, birth weight, delivery method, presence of premature rupture of membrane (PROM) and level of sodium and glucose were statistically meaningful factors (p<0.05). But only two factors, gestational age and presence of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) were statistically meaningful in multivariate logistic regression (p<0.05). Delivery method [normal vaginal delivery (NVD) to Caeserean section] was borderline significant (p<0.10). Conclusion : Presence of PDA and gestational age were the important risk factors associated with development of GM-IVH.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.110-120
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• 2009

Mimicking fetal nutrition is the goal of early paretneral nutrition (PN) in very low birth weight infants, however the limited metabolic capacity of immature organs raises concern about the toxicity of metabolites to the developing brain. Starting parenteral amino acids from the first day of life, with a rate of 1.0 to 1.5 g/kg/day, is generally recommended to prevent endogenous protein breakdown by maintaining a positive nitrogen balance. A greater of amino acid infusion rate in the range of the fetal transfer rate (3.5-4.0 g/kg/day) is well tolerated during the early days after birth in VLBWI, however the influence on growth and long-term neurodevelopmental outcome remains unknown. Limited data are available from controlled trials regarding the effects of early supplementation with lipid emulsions on neonatal morbidity. Considering the role of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in the neurodevelopment, the choice of an optimal lipid emulsion should be based on the quality as well as the quantity of the lipid contents. Little is known about the clinical benefit of higher rates of glucose infusion by permitting high serum glucose level or co-administration with insulin.

• 대한간호학회지
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.561-570
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• 2010

Purpose: This was a cross sectional descriptive study to introduce the Infants Coma Scale (ICS), describe mental status of high risk infants using ICS and explore the relationships between ICS and clinical variables in infants hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit of a university hospital in Korea. Methods: After ICS was developed and tested by the authors, a research nurse evaluated the mental status of the infants using the English version of ICS and obtained clinical information on the infants from their medical records. Results: Data from 88 infants were analyzed. About 60% were male, 90% were preterm births, and 40% had pathologic abnormalities. Their mean gestational age was 32.4 (${\pm}3.50$) weeks and the mean birth weight was 1,842 (${\pm}728.6$) grams. The Cronbach's alpha for the ICS was .78. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between ICS total score and five clinical variables including gestational age, birth weight, 1 and 5 min Apgar scores and respiration status. Conclusion: Mental status is an important parameter in nursing assessment. ICS is a valid and reliable instrument, which clinicians can easily use to evaluate the mental status of high risk infants.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.105-110
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• 2016

Congenital myotonic dystrophy (CMD) which is transmitted in an autosomal-dominant manner, can also be observed in newborns born to asymptomatic parents who have a myotonic dystrophy type 1 or premutation allele, especially from the mother. A mother with myotonic dystrophy could be subfertile and the pregnancy could be complicated with the risk of a preterm birth. Newborns with CMD may demonstrate symptoms such as hypotonia and poor motor activity, as well as respiratory and feeding difficulties. Additionally, CMD has a high mortality rate at birth. Detection of the signs and symptoms during pregnancy is helpful for a prenatal diagnosis of CMD in cases where the family history is not known.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제50권3호
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• pp.248-254
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• 2007

목 적 : 최근 RDS나 BPD이 폐의 미성숙함 뿐만 아니라 손상과 재생, 염증 반응 기전이 관여할 것이라는 주장과 연구들이 대두되고 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 미숙아의 제대혈에서 IL-10, IL-12를 측정하여 RDS, BPD 발생의 관련성을 살펴보고자 하였다. 방 법 : 2003년 1월부터 2005년 6월까지 임신 중기부터 이대 목동 병원에서 산전 관리를 받고 보호자 동의하에 제대혈 검사가 가능하였던 재태 기간 34주 미만의 미숙아 40명을 대상으로 하였다. 출생 당시 제대혈을 채취하여 혈청 분리 후 영하 $70^{\circ}C$에 보관하였다가 ELISA법을 이용하여 IL-10, IL-12를 측정하였고, 각 주수 기간에 따라 RDS가 있는 군(RDS군)과 RDS가 없는 군(non-RDS군)으로, 그리고 RDS군내에서 BPD가 있는 군(BPD군)과 BPD가 없는 군(non-BPD군)으로 나누어 IL-10, IL-12 및 임상자료들을 비교하고 분석하였다. 이들의 임상적인 자료는 의무기록을 통하여 후향적인 방법으로 얻었다. 결 과 : IL-10은 재태 연령(r=-0.391, P=0.005)이나 출생체중(r=-0.442, P=0.001)과 역의 상관관계가 있었고, IL-12는 재태 연령이나 출생체중과는 상관관계가 없었다. 30-34주 사이의 미숙아를 대상으로 보았을 때 RDS군에서 non-RDS군에 비해 의미 있게 높은 IL-10수치를 나타냈다(1.0 vs 0.1 pg/mL; P=0.001). 하지만 IL-12는 두 군 간의 유의한 차이가 없었다. BPD군과 non-BPD군을 비교하면 IL-10, IL-12 모두 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 없었다. 결 론 : 제대혈 IL-10 농도는 태아의 성숙도를 예측하는 지표로 사용될 수 있을 것으로 생각되고, 높은 IL-10의 수치로 RDS로의 이환을 예측하는 지표로 사용할 수 있을 것으로 생각된다. 그러나 제대혈 IL-10이 BPD로의 이환을 예측하기는 어려울 것으로 보이며, 이에 대한 연구가 더 필요할 것으로 보인다.