Gastroschisis and late-onset neonatal sepsis in a tertiary referral center in Southeastern Brazil

Long-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Children with Gastroschisis: A Review of the Literature

This study aimed to investigate and present a review of the literature on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with gastroschisis. Gastroschisis is the most common abdominal wall defect. Children with gastroschisis are at high risk for premature birth, intestinal failure, sepsis, and repeated anesthesia exposure, which collectively increase the risk for adverse long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. The existing literature on neurodevelopmental outcomes is limited in number, quality, and generalizability, creating a gap in clinical knowledge and care. Five internet databases were searched by a professional research librarian: Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library. Included articles were (1) published in English, (2) included postneonatal hospital discharge neurodevelopmental outcomes of children with gastroschisis, and (3) included patients under the age of 18 years. No date parameters were applied. The paucity of literature on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in gastroschisis children has left large gaps in the body of knowledge on post-hospital care of such children. In this review, 37 articles were found evaluating neurodevelopmental outcomes in gastroschisis and, while conclusions were contradictory, the literature broadly indicated the potential for neurodevelopmental deficits in the gastroschisis pediatric population. A significant limitation of this review was the heterogeneous samples included in available literature, which confounded the ability to determine cognitive risk of gastroschisis independent of other abdominal wall defects. Findings of this review demonstrate potential risk for neurodevelopmental deficits in the pediatric gastroschisis population exist, yet additional research is needed to definitively predict the significance, type, onset, and trajectory of neurodevelopmental impairment in this population. The significant gaps in long-term outcomes data have elucidated the need for prospective, longitudinal investigation of various cognitive domains in homogenous gastroschisis populations to properly evaluate prevalence of neurodevelopmental deficits and guide recommendations for long-term clinical care. KEY POINTS: · Limited literature exists regarding long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in gastroschisis.. · There is some evidence to suggest worse cognitive behavioral outcomes in gastroschisis over time.. · Developmental surveillance, screening, and evaluation may be beneficial for gastroschisis patients..

[Evolution of the completeness and consistency of the gastroschisis registry in the Brazilian Live Birth Information System, from 2005 to 2020]

This study aimed to evaluate the evolution of the completeness and consistency of the gastroschisis registry in the Brazilian Live Birth Information System (SINASC). It is a time-series study on the completeness of the variable "occurrence of congenital anomaly" and the consistency of gastroschisis diagnosis in SINASC, in biennia from 2005 to 2020, for federative units, region, and Brazil. The consistency was estimated by the ratio between deaths from gastroschisis registered in the Brazilian Mortality Information System (SIM) and the total number of cases recorded in SINASC. Temporal trend was analyzed by joinpoint regression. In the period, 46,574,995 live births and 10,024 cases of gastroschisis were recorded. A total of 5,632 infant deaths due to gastroschisis were identified. The percentage of incompleteness decreased from 6.52% to 1.87%, with an annual percentage variation (APV) of -14.5%, and completeness reached excellence (≤ 5% of incompleteness), except in the Central-West Region. Case/death ratios above 1 were found in the North and Northeast regions and in some federative units in the Central-West, but there was a decrease, approaching the mortality found in studies in the South and Southeast regions. Its reduction was more pronounced until 2009-2010 (APV = -10.7%) and smaller later (APV = -4.4%). The quality of the gastroschisis registry reflects regional differences in the overall quality of SINASC, constituting as a marker for malformations that require complex neonatal care.

Nosocomial Infections Affecting Newborns with Abdominal Wall Defects

Abdominal wall defects are serious birth defects, with long periods of hospitalization and significant costs to the medical system. Nosocomial infection (NI) may be an additional risk factor that aggravates the evolution of newborns with such malformations.

METHODS

in order to analyze the factors that may lead to the occurrence of NI, we performed a retrospective study over a period of thirty-two years (1990-2021), in a tertiary children's hospital; 302 neonates with omphalocele and gastroschisis were eligible for the study.

RESULTS

a total of 33.7 % patients were infected with one or more of species of bacteria or fungi. These species were Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp., Staphylococcus spp., Enterococcus spp. or Candida spp., but the rate of NI showed a significant decrease between the 1990-2010 and 2011-2021 period (p = 0.04). The increase in the number of surgeries was associated with the increase in the number of NI both for omphalocele and gastroschisis; in the case of gastroschisis, the age of over 6 h at the time of surgery increased the risk of infection (p = 0.052, marginal statistical significance). Additionally, for gastroschisis, the risk of NI was 4.56 times higher in the presence of anemia (p < 0.01) and 2.17 times higher for the patients developing acute renal failure (p = 0.02), and a hospitalization period longer than 14 days was found to increase the risk of NI 3.46-fold (p < 0.01); more than 4 days of TPN was found to increase the NI risk 2.37-fold (p = 0.015). Using a logistic regression model for patients with omphalocele, we found an increased risk of NI for those in blood group 0 (OR = 3.8, p = 0.02), in patients with a length of hospitalization (LH) of ≥14 days (OR = 6.7, p < 0.01) and in the presence of anemia (OR = 2.5, p = 0.04); all three independent variables in our model contributed 38.7% to the risk of NI.

CONCLUSION

although in the past 32 years we have seen transformational improvements in the outcome of abdominal wall defects, there are still many factors that require special attention for corrections.

Statistical Analysis of the Main Risk Factors of an Unfavorable Evolution in Gastroschisis

Gastroschisis is a congenital abdominal wall defect that presents an increasing occurrence at great cost for the health system. The aim of the study is to detect the main factors of an unfavorable evolution in the case of gastroschisis and to find the best predictors of death.

METHODS

we conducted a retrospective cohort study of neonates with gastroschisis treated in a tertiary pediatric center during the last 30 years; 159 patients were eligible for the study. Logistic regression was used to determine the risk of death, estimated based on independent variables previously validated by the chi-square test.

RESULTS

if the birth weight is below normal, then we find an increased risk (4.908 times) of evolution to death. Similarly, the risk of death is 7.782 times higher in the case of developing abdominal compartment syndrome, about 3 times in the case of sepsis and 7.883 times in the case of bronchopneumonia. All four independent variables contributed 47.6% to the risk of death.

CONCLUSION

although in the past 30 years in our country we have seen transformational improvements in outcome of gastroschisis, survival rates increasing from 26% to 52%, some factors may still be ameliorated for a better outcome.