Identification of risk factors in infants participating in a Follow-up program

Therapeutic hypothermia as a neuroprotective strategy in newborns with perinatal asphyxia-case report

Background

Perinatal asphyxia is a public health problem and the third major cause of death among children under 5 years.

Objective

Two clinical cases of newborns with perinatal asphyxia submitted to therapeutic hypothermia and the follow-up of their motor development after hospital discharge have been reported.

Methods

This retrospective case report study included two newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy due to perinatal asphyxia who received a hypothermia protocol at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The two newborns and their families were followed up at the outpatient clinic and assessed using the Hammersmith Child Neurological Examination, Alberta Child Motor Scale, and Denver Developmental Screening Test-II.

Results

The newborns were submitted to a 72-hour hypothermia protocol. One newborn remained for 13 days in the NICU, while the other remained for 22 days. According to the multidisciplinary team, both cases presented with typical motor development with no cerebral palsy during the follow-up.

Conclusion

Both cases showed positive results and a good prognostic for motor development. Therapeutic hypothermia may be a strategy to prevent neurologic sequelae in newborns with perinatal asphyxia, including cerebral palsy.

Influência de determinantes socioeconômicos no desenvolvimento motor de lactentes acompanhados por programa de follow-up em Manaus, Amazonas

RESUMO O desenvolvimento infantil é um processo gradual e contínuo dividido em estágios para fins teóricos. Os fatores intrínsecos e extrínsecos podem influenciar de modo positivo ou negativo na evolução do lactente. O objetivo foi avaliar a influência do ensino superior materno e da renda familiar no Desenvolvimento Motor (DM) de lactentes. Estudo transversal, que avaliou 106 crianças, oriundas do programa de follow-up de uma maternidade de referência no Amazonas. Foram aplicados dois questionários (roteiro de anamnese e perfil socioeconômico); e, em seguida, Escala Motora Infantil de Alberta para avaliar o DM desses lactentes. Para a análise estatística, foram utilizados dados descritivos e teste Qui-quadrado e Exato de Fischer, com p ≤ 0,05. O maior grau de escolaridade materna estava relacionada com a tipicidade do DM (71,4%, com p = 0,04), em contrapartida, uma menor renda familiar, apesar de ter apresentado maior percentual em crianças atípicas (51,9%), não demonstrou uma relação significativa com a atipicidade do DM. Foi observado que, na amostra, a escolaridade materna possuiu maior impacto para o adequado DM quando comparado à renda familiar. Tal fato parece estar relacionado com o maior grau de instrução materna, o qual implica o melhor assistencialismo infantil ante cuidados gerais e estimulações.

Why we should care about full-term infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit

ABSTRACT This study aims to analyze why we should care about full-term newborns admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit. This is a documented, descriptive, and retrospective study of 262 full-term newborns. Variables used: newborns’ characteristics; main diagnosis, length of stay, follow-up by a multidisciplinary team; post-discharge referral. Most newborns were boys (52%), had a 5-minute Apgar score of nine, and most newborns and their mothers were white (61.1% and 48.9% respectively). Respiratory dysfunction was the main diagnosis (28.8%). Length of stay was eight days. There was a significant difference regarding length of stay (p=0.013), in which those with cardiorespiratory and other diseases stayed less time compared to those with malformation or maternal diseases. The social service was the most sought (81.2%) service, whereas physical therapy the least sought (18%). Newborns with higher weight were hospitalized for less time. Those that underwent physical therapy had longer stay (p<0.001). Main outcome was hospital discharge (68.7%) and referrals to the Basic Health Unit (57%). This study outcomes indicated newborns with less severe conditions, low number of specific studies for the full-term population, other diagnoses that refer to non-intensive care.

Por que devemos nos preocupar com os bebês a termo internados em uma unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal

RESUMO O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a razão pela qual devemos nos preocuparmos com os bebês a termo internados em uma unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal. Trata-se de estudo documental, descritivo e retrospectivo de 262 recém-nascidos (RNs) a termo. As variáveis utilizadas foram: características dos RN; diagnóstico principal, tempo de permanência e acompanhamento pela equipe multiprofissional; e encaminhamento pós-alta. Houve prevalência do sexo masculino (52%), de Apgar 9 no 5º minuto e da raça/cor branca do RN e da mãe (61,1% e 48,9%, respectivamente). O diagnóstico principal foi a disfunção respiratória (28,8%), e o tempo de permanência foi de oito dias. Houve diferença significativa entre os tempos de permanência (p=0,013), em que as doenças cardiorrespiratórias e outras doenças levaram a um menor tempo de internação em relação à má formação ou às doenças maternas. O serviço social foi o mais procurado para o acompanhamento (81,2%) e a fisioterapia, o menos buscado (18%). RNs com maior peso ficaram menos tempo internados, e os acompanhados por fisioterapia apresentaram tempo de permanência mais elevados (p<0,001). O principal desfecho foi a alta hospitalar (68,7%) e encaminhamentos para a Unidade Básica de Saúde (57%). Os achados deste estudo apontam a presença de bebês menos graves, baixo número de estudos específicos para a população a termo e outros diagnósticos que nos remetem a cuidados não intensivos.

High-Risk Preterm Infant Born to a Mother With COVID-19: A Case Report

The COVID-19 pandemic raises concerns about risks for pregnant women and fetuses, considering factors such as vertical transmission and neonatal alterations caused by maternal infection. Despite this, neuropsychomotor and functional complications in infants delivered by mothers with COVID-19 are still little studied. Thus, we aimed to describe the health history and development based on ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) components of a high-risk preterm infant born to a mother hospitalized due to COVID-19 complications. This case report was based on medical records, developmental assessments, and maternal reports. The infant was born at 30 weeks and 3 days, weighing 1,300 g, measuring 40 cm, and with Apgar scores of 2, 5, 6, and 7. COVID-19 test was negative 1 and 72 h after birth. Moreover, the infant had cardiorespiratory complications and hyperechogenicity of the periventricular white matter. The infant presented speech and language delays during follow-up, but neuromotor development occurred according to age. The health care and follow-up provided helped the development of resilience mechanisms by the infant and family to overcome adversities in the prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal periods. The assessments based on ICF components can contribute to future studies on this topic.

Cumulative prevalence of biological and social risk factors at birth in a city in São Paulo

OBJECTIVE

to identify the cumulative prevalence of biological and social risk factors at birth.

METHOD

a cross-sectional study, with retrospective data collection, carried out with live births in a medium-sized city, from January 2018 to July 2020. A database was used with information aimed at identifying social and biological risks after birth, assessed descriptively.

RESULTS

the sample consisted of 4,480 newborns, of which 78.9% were classified as at usual risk, and 21.1% as at risk. The cumulative prevalence showed that most newborns had more than one risk factor, with biological risks being the most prominent: need for admission to Intensive Care Unit, birth with less than 37 weeks of gestation and weight less than 2,500 g. Among the social risks, the following stand out: newborns who had a dead sibling aged less than 5 years old; head of family without income; mothers under 16 years old and who did not undergo prenatal care. The biological risk rate was 7.39 times higher than the social risk rate.

CONCLUSION

the cumulative prevalence of the risks found was significant, with a considerable part of the sample presenting some biological risk.

Physiotherapist on the move: where babies at risk are referred for follow-up after hospital discharge

Abstract Introduction Two facts may influence a newborn’s development. One is to be a newborn at risk and the other is to be hospitalized in Intensive Care Unit. Objective To examine where at-risk infants are being referred for longitudinal follow-up after hospital discharge, and to carry out an analysis of the epidemiological and care profile of these babies. Methods Documentary, descriptive and retrospective study, comprising the medical records of 479 newborns (NBs) hospitalized Hospital Materno Infantil Presidente Vargas from January 2019 to May 2020. The variables studied were: gender, baby's race/color, type of delivery, prenatal consultations, classification according to gestational age, weight, Apgar of the 1st, 5th, 10th minute, hospitalization diagnosis, main diagnosis, outcomes, length of stay, multidisciplinary follow-up during hospitalization, post-discharge referrals (specialized and non-specialized). Social and environmental data were: maternal age and race/color, maternal and paternal education. Results Higher prevalence of full-term male babies born by cesarean delivery, declared as white, with high Apgar scores, with varied diagnoses, with prematurity prevailing. Maternal mean was 26.2 years, (SD ± 7.3), the most reported race/color was also white, the mean of mothers' studies was 8.1 years (SD ± 2.4). Only 14% (n = 67) performed motor physical therapy at the hospital and 2.1% (n = 10) were referred for evaluation and early intervention for post-discharge physical therapy. The specialized service with the highest referral was the hospital's neuropediatrics graduates' outpatient clinic (17.3%, n = 83) and, for the non-specialized, it was the Basic Health Unit/BHU (39.7%, n = 190). Conclusion Most NBs are referred to the specific medical team or post-discharge BHU. The physiotherapist was the professional little remembered for monitoring this public in the hospital and after discharge.

Neuropsychomotor development assessment of children aged 0 to 5 in early childhood public education centers

ABSTRACT Purpose: to investigate the neuropsychomotor development, as well as nutritional and cognitive/emotional aspects of children aged 0 to 5, attending early childhood education centers, aiming at early identification and prevention of risks and delays in children’s development. Methods: the population studied was composed of 85 children attending two early childhood education centers. The children’s development approach was contextual, by means of ludic physical therapy assessment, by using the DENVER II scale; complementary assessments of their nutritional status were also performed, based on anthropometric measurements of weight and height, as well as evaluations of the cognitive/emotional development aspects through the Free Hand Drawing and Human Figure Drawing Tests. Results: neuropsychomotor development was found to be within normal range in 69.41% of the children and questionable in 30.58% of them. The significant variable affecting the result was found to be the class in which some children were inserted. In the scale utilized, the best performance was considered to be the gross motor skills (7.69%) and the most questionable performance occurred in the language skills (58.85%). As for nutritional data, it was discovered that 27.06% of the children had some nutritional risk, 22.35% had obesity risk and 4.71%, malnutrition risk. In the cognitive/emotional analysis, the result was that 34.37% of the children presented signs of difficulties related to adaptation and socialization or self-esteem. Conclusion: in the present study, about one-third of the children participating presented questionable neuropsychomotor development, especially in the field of language; in this regard, the class to which the children belong may constitute a barrier to their development. These children presented nutritional risks, with a tendency towards obesity, as well as the possible difficulties regarding adaptation and socialization or self-esteem.