OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics of Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) infection and colonization in extremely preterm infants and its impact on the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 258 extremely preterm infants who were admitted to the Department of Neonatology, Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, from September 2018 to September 2022. According to the results of UU nucleic acid testing and the evaluation criteria for UU infection and colonization, the subjects were divided into three groups: UU-negative group (155 infants), UU infection group (70 infants), and UU colonization group (33 infants). The three groups were compared in terms of general information and primary and secondary clinical outcomes.
RESULTS: Compared with the UU-negative group, the UU infection group had significant increases in the incidence rate of BPD, total oxygen supply time, and the length of hospital stay (P<0.05), while there were no significant differences in the incidence rates of BPD and moderate/severe BPD between the UU colonization group and the UU-negative group (P>0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: The impact of UU on the incidence of BPD in extremely preterm infants is associated with the pathogenic state of UU (i.e., infection or colonization), and there are significant increases in the incidence rate of BPD, total oxygen supply time, and the length of hospital stay in extremely preterm infants with UU infection. UU colonization is not associated with the incidence of BPD and moderate/severe BPD in extremely preterm infants.
目的: 探讨超早产儿解脲脲原体（Ureaplasma urealyticum, UU）感染及定植状态的临床特征及对支气管肺发育不良（bronchopulmonary dysplasia, BPD）的影响。方法: 选取2018年9月—2022年9月于深圳市妇幼保健院新生儿科住院的258例超早产儿进行回顾性分析。根据UU核酸检测结果以及UU感染和定植的评估标准，将研究对象分为UU阴性组（155例）、UU感染组（70例）、UU定植组（33例）。比较三组超早产儿的一般资料、主要及次要临床结局。结果: 与UU阴性组相比，UU感染组BPD的发生率升高（P<0.05），总用氧时间及住院时长延长（P<0.05）；与UU阴性组相比，UU定植组BPD及中重度BPD的发生率比较差异均无统计学意义（P>0.05）。结论: UU对早产儿BPD的影响与UU的致病状态密切相关（即感染或定植），UU感染的超早产儿BPD的发生率明显升高，总用氧时间及住院时长明显延长。UU定植的超早产儿BPD和中重度BPD的发生率无上升。.

OBJECTIVE: To explore parental perceptions of the consenting process and understanding of the study in a pilot randomised controlled trial wherein extremely premature infants (<29 weeks\' gestation) were recruited either antenatally or by 4 h of life.
METHODS: We prospectively surveyed parents who had consented, declined consent or were eligible infants in the Positioning Preterm Infants for Neuroprotection study, a low-risk intervention study in the first 72 h of life. Structured interview questions explored the process and acceptability of the consenting approach by the parents and their knowledge of the study. Additional comments made by the parents were transcribed verbatim.
RESULTS: Sixty-two parents participated in the surveys; of those, 41 had provided their consent, 8 declined consent and 13 were parents of missed eligible infants. Overall, most parents reported they understood the study well before providing their consent and approaching them for consenting did not create a burden for them. A verbal explanation of the study by the study team, especially by the medical practitioners, was viewed as beneficial. Where consent was obtained in the birthing unit (imminent births and within 4 h of birthing), it was suggested that the 4-h period for obtaining post-natal consent may be too short. A deferred consent with a follow-up opportunity for obtaining informed consent could be a suitable alternative.
CONCLUSIONS: Parents found the consenting process acceptable and indicated they had sufficient understanding of the study to provide an informed consent. Deferred consent should be explored for future, low-risk intervention studies as an alternative to prospective consent where extremely preterm infants need to be recruited in the immediate neonatal period.

More than 13 million children are born preterm annually. Prematurity-related mortality accounts for 0.9 million deaths worldwide. The majority of those affected are Extremely Preterm Infants (gestational age less than 28 weeks). Immaturity causes organ failure and specific morbidities like germinal matrix hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and necrotizing enterocolitis. Artificial womb and placenta technologies address these issues. As a bridge-to-life technology, they provide a liquid environment to allow organ maturation under more physiological conditions. The proposed artificial womb can adapt to fetal growth. Volume adjustment is achieved by removing fluid from the interspace between an inner and outer chamber. Results of the in vitro tests showed a temperature constancy of 36.8°C ± 0.3°C without pressure loss over 7 days. The volume of the inner sac was variable between 3.6 and 7.0 L. We designed a filtration and disinfection system for this particular purpose. This system has proven strong disinfection capabilities, effective filtering of metabolic waste, and the ability to avoid phospholipid washout. The presented artificial womb has sufficient volume variability to adapt to the physiologic growth of an extremely preterm neonate over a 4-week period. We regard this as an important step in the development of this bridge-to-life technology.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the developmental quotient (DQ) at age 3 years and the need for educational support at school age in extremely preterm infants.
METHODS: A total of 176 infants with a gestational age of <28 weeks were analyzed. The total DQ and subscales were evaluated using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development (KSPD) test. Neurodevelopment at age 3 years was stratified using total DQ in a conventional (DQ < 70 as developmental delay, DQ 70- <85 as subnormal, DQ ≥85 as normal) and a modified way (subdividing normal into DQ 85- <93 as low-normal and DQ ≥93 as high-normal). The prevalence of future educational support was compared for each stratum. Additionally, subscales were compared between those with and without educational support in each total DQ stratum.
RESULTS: In conventional stratification, the prevalence of educational support was 32 (63 %) for developmental delay, 14 (24 %) for subnormal, and 10 (15 %) for normal. In modified stratification, the prevalence was 8 (26 %) for low-normal and 2 (5 %) for high-normal. While there was no significant difference in the odds of educational support between the normal and subnormal, the low-normal had significantly higher odds compared to the high-normal (OR 6.00; 95 % CI, 1.16-30.95, p = 0.03). Among the low-normal stratum, the language-social subscale was significantly lower in those with educational support.
CONCLUSIONS: Setting high thresholds for total DQ and evaluating detailed subscales at age 3 years may be useful for developmental follow-up in extremely preterm infants.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary vascular disease (PVD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a significant disorder affecting prognosis of extremely preterm infants. However, there is still a lack of a consensus on the definition and optimal treatments of PH, and there is also a lack of research comparing these conditions with persistent pulmonary hypertension of newborn (PPHN), early PH, and late PH. To investigate PH in extremely preterm infants, this study compared the baseline characteristics, short-term outcomes, and treatment duration, categorized by the timing of requiring PH treatment.
METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed extremely preterm infants admitted to a single tertiary center. Between 2018 and 2022, infants with clinical or echocardiographic diagnosis of PH who required treatment were divided into three groups based on the timing of treatment initiation: initial 3 days (extremely early-period), from day 4 to day 27 (early-period), and after day 28 (late-period). The study compared the outcomes, including mortality rates, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) severity, PH treatment duration, and oxygen therapy duration, among the three groups.
RESULTS: Among the 157 infants, 67 (42.7%) were treated for PH during their stay. Of these, 39 (57.3%) were treatment in extremely early, 21 (31.3%) in early, and seven (11.4%) in late periods. No significant differences were observed in maternal factors, neonatal factors, or morbidity between the three groups. However, infants who received extremely early-period treatment had a higher mortality rate, but shorter duration of noninvasive respiratory support, oxygen therapy, and PH medication use. On the other hand, the late-period treatment group received longer durations of respiratory support and treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed differences in mortality rates, respiratory outcomes, and treatment duration between the three groups, suggesting varying pathophysiologies over time in extremely preterm infants.

UNASSIGNED: Vitamin D is necessary to develop healthy lungs and other organs early in life. Most infants born before 28 weeks\' gestation have low vitamin D levels at birth and a limited intake during the first month. Enteral vitamin D supplementation is inexpensive and widely used. The appropriate supplementation regimen for extremely preterm infants is controversial, and the effect of different regimens on their blood levels and outcomes is unclear.
UNASSIGNED: Randomized, blinded comparative effectiveness trial to compare two vitamin D supplementation regimens for inborn infants <28 weeks gestation or <1000 grams birth weight at a large academic center in the United States.Infants are stratified by birth weight and randomized within 96 hours after birth to either routine supplementation (400 IU/day with established feedings) or increased supplementation (800 IU/day with any feedings) during the first 28 days after birth.We hypothesize that the higher and early vitamin D dose (800 IU/d with early feeding) compared to placebo plus routine dose (400 IU/d with established feeding) will substantially increase total 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels measured as state-of-art at one month, reduce respiratory support at 36 weeks\' postmenstrual age (on an ordinal scale predictive of later adverse outcomes) and improve or at least not worsen other important secondary outcomes. The infants in the study will follow up at 22-26 months\' corrected age (~2 years) with blinded certified examiners to evaluate neurodevelopmental outcomes.The sample size of a minimum of 180 infants provides >90% power to detect a >95% posterior probability of a 33% increase in serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and >80% power to detect a >80% posterior probability of a relative risk decrease of 20% of reducing respiratory support by intention-to-treat Bayesian analyses using a neutral prior probability.
UNASSIGNED: Our study will help clarify the uncertain relationship of vitamin D supplementation and its associated serum metabolites to clinical outcomes of extremely preterminfants. Confirmation of our hypotheses would prompt reconsideration of the supplementation regimens used in extremely preterm infants and justify a large multicenter study to verify the generalizability of the results.
UNASSIGNED: ClinicalTrials.gov registered on July 14, 2022 (NCT05459298).

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D is necessary to develop healthy lungs and other organs early in life. Most infants born before 28 weeks\' gestation have low vitamin D levels at birth and a limited intake during the first month. Enteral vitamin D supplementation is inexpensive and widely used. The appropriate supplementation regimen for extremely preterm infants is controversial, and the effect of different regimens on their blood levels and outcomes is unclear.
METHODS: Randomized, blinded comparative effectiveness trial to compare two vitamin D supplementation regimens for inborn infants <28 weeks gestation or <1000 g birth weight at a large academic center in the United States. Infants are stratified by birth weight and randomized within 96 h after birth to either routine supplementation (400 IU/day with established feedings) or increased supplementation (800 IU/day with any feedings) during the first 28 days after birth. We hypothesize that the higher and early vitamin D dose (800 IU/day with early feeding) compared to placebo plus routine dose (400 IU/day with established feeding) will substantially increase total 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels measured as state-of-art at 1 month, reduce respiratory support at 36 weeks\' postmenstrual age (on an ordinal scale predictive of later adverse outcomes), and improve or at least not worsen other important secondary outcomes. The infants in the study will follow up at 22-26 months\' corrected age (~2 years) with blinded certified examiners to evaluate neurodevelopmental outcomes. The sample size of a minimum of 180 infants provides >90% power to detect a >95% posterior probability of a 33% increase in serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and >80% power to detect a >80% posterior probability of a relative risk decrease of 20% of reducing respiratory support by intention-to-treat Bayesian analyses using a neutral prior probability.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study will help clarify the uncertain relationship of vitamin D supplementation and its associated serum metabolites to clinical outcomes of extremely preterm infants. Confirmation of our hypotheses would prompt reconsideration of the supplementation regimens used in extremely preterm infants and justify a large multicenter study to verify the generalizability of the results.
BACKGROUND: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05459298. Registered on July 14, 2022.

BACKGROUND: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) persists as one of the foremost factors contributing to mortality and morbidity in extremely preterm infants. The effectiveness of administering sildenafil early on to prevent BPD remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of prophylactically administered sildenafil during the early life stages of preterm infants to prevent mortality and BPD.
METHODS: MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Ichushi were searched. Published randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-RCTs, interrupted time series, cohort studies, case-control studies, and controlled before-and-after studies were included. Two reviewers independently screened the title, abstract, and full text, extracted data, assessed the risk of bias, and evaluated the certainty of evidence (CoE) following the Grading of Recommendations Assessment and Development and Evaluation approach. The random-effects model was used for a meta-analysis of RCTs.
RESULTS: This review included three RCTs (162 infants). There were no significant differences between the prophylactic sildenafil and placebo groups in mortality (risk ratio [RR]: 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-10.75; very low CoE), BPD (RR: 1.20; 95% CI: 0.79-1.83; very low CoE), and all other outcome assessed (all with very low CoE). The sample sizes were less than the optimal sizes for all outcomes assessed, indicating the need for further trials.
CONCLUSIONS: The prophylactic use of sildenafil in individuals at risk of BPD did not indicate any advantageous effects in terms of mortality, BPD, and other outcomes, or increased side effects.

The patient, a male newborn, was admitted to the hospital 2 hours after birth due to prematurity (gestational age 27+5 weeks) and respiratory distress occurring 2 hours postnatally. After admission, the infant developed fever and elevated C-reactive protein levels. On the fourth day after birth, metagenomic next-generation sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid indicated a positive result for Mycoplasma hominis (9 898 reads). On the eighth day, a retest of cerebrospinal fluid metagenomics confirmed Mycoplasma hominis (56 806 reads). The diagnosis of purulent meningitis caused by Mycoplasma hominis was established, and the antibiotic treatment was switched to moxifloxacin [5 mg/(kg·day)] administered intravenously for a total of 4 weeks. After treatment, the patient\'s cerebrospinal fluid tests returned to normal, and he was discharged as cured on the 76th day after birth. This article focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of neonatal Mycoplasma hominis purulent meningitis, introducing the multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment of the condition in extremely preterm infants.
患儿男，生后2 h，因早产（胎龄27+5周）、生后气促2 h入院。患儿入院后出现发热，血C反应蛋白升高，生后第4天脑脊液宏基因组二代测序示人型支原体阳性（序列数9 898）；生后第8天复查脑脊液宏基因组二代测序示人型支原体阳性（序列数56 806）阳性。患儿人型支原体化脓性脑膜炎诊断明确，抗生素调整为莫西沙星静脉滴注［5 mg/（kg·d）］，总疗程4周。治疗后患儿脑脊液检查恢复正常，于生后第76天治愈出院。该文对新生儿人型支原体化脓性脑膜炎的诊断和治疗进行重点描述，介绍超早产儿人型支原体化脓性脑膜炎的多学科诊疗。.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status of delivery room transitional care management for very/extremely preterm infants in Shenzhen City.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in November 2022, involving 24 tertiary hospitals participating in the Shenzhen Neonatal Data Network. The survey assessed the implementation of transitional care management in the delivery room, including prenatal preparation, delivery room resuscitation, and post-resuscitation management in the neonatal intensive care unit. Very/extremely preterm infants were divided into four groups based on gestational age: <26 weeks, 26-28+6 weeks, 29-30+6 weeks, and 31-31+6 weeks. Descriptive analysis was performed on the results.
RESULTS: A total of 140 very/extremely preterm infants were included, with 10 cases in the <26 weeks group, 45 cases in the 26-28+6 weeks group, 49 cases in the 29-30+6 weeks group, and 36 cases in the 31-31+6 weeks group. Among these infants, 99 (70.7%) received prenatal counseling, predominantly provided by obstetricians (79.8%). The main personnel involved in resuscitation during delivery were midwives (96.4%) and neonatal resident physicians (62.1%). Delayed cord clamping was performed in 52 cases (37.1%), with an average delay time of (45±17) seconds. Postnatal radiant warmer was used in 137 cases (97.9%) for thermoregulation. Positive pressure ventilation was required in 110 cases (78.6%), with 67 cases (60.9%) using T-piece resuscitators and 42 cases (38.2%) using a blended oxygen device. Blood oxygen saturation was monitored during resuscitation in 119 cases (85.0%). The median time from initiating transitional care measures to closing the incubator door was 87 minutes.
CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of delivery room transitional care management for very/extremely preterm infants in the hospitals participating in the Shenzhen Neonatal Data Network shows varying degrees of deviation from the corresponding expert consensus in China. It is necessary to bridge the gap through continuous quality improvement and multicenter collaboration to improve the quality of the transitional care management and outcomes in very/extremely preterm infants.
目的: 了解深圳市极/超早产儿产房过渡期管理实施现状。方法: 2022年11月对深圳新生儿数据协作网的24家三级医院的极/超早产儿产房过渡期管理实施情况进行横断面调查，调查内容包括产前准备、产房复苏实施和新生儿重症监护室复苏后管理。根据胎龄将所纳入早产儿分为4组：<26周、26~28+6周、29~30+6周和31~31+6周组，对结果进行描述性分析。结果: 共纳入140例极/超早产儿，其中<26周组10例，26~28+6周组45例，29~30+6周组49例，31~31+6周组36例。140例极/超早产儿中，99例（70.7%）接受了产前咨询，提供产前咨询的人员以产科医生为主，占比为79.8%；产时参与复苏的人员主要为助产士（96.4%）和新生儿科住院医师（62.1%）；52例（37.1%）实施了延迟脐带结扎，平均延迟时间为（45±17）s；137例（97.9%）生后采用了预热辐射台保暖；110例（78.6%）需要正压通气，其中67例（60.9%）采用T组合复苏器，42例（38.2%）应用了空氧混合仪；119例（85.0%）复苏中进行了血氧饱和度监测；完成过渡期各项措施至关闭温箱门时间的中位数为87 min。结论: 在深圳新生儿数据协作网医院中，极/超早产儿的产房过渡期管理实施与我国相应专家共识的要求存在不同程度的差异，需要通过多中心协作的持续质量改进缩小差距，从而改善极/超早产儿产房过渡期管理的质量和结局。.