Background Pulse oximetry screening (POS) is acknowledged globally as a noninvasive method to detect critical congenital heart diseases (CCHDs) and respiratory illnesses. However, its value for early diagnosis and treatment remains unrecognized in many hospitals with limited resources around the world. This study aimed to evaluate POS\'s application in CCHDs, persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN), and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) for early diagnosis and its influence on clinical procedures in rural areas. Methods This prospective observational study included all eligible newborn infants in the regional neonatal unit of a community healthcare center. Their peripheral oxygen saturation was assessed at <24 hours and >24 hours after birth, in the right upper limb and either lower limb. An oxygen saturation of <95% or >3% difference between pre-ductal and post-ductal circulations was considered abnormal. All neonates with abnormal oxygen saturations at >24 hours after birth were subjected to another POS test within two hours of the last test. If the oxygen saturation was still abnormal, it was considered a positive POS test. The POS results were classified as oxygen saturation abnormal (<90%), abnormal (90-94%), and normal (≥95%). All neonates with a positive POS test were referred for echocardiography. Results Overall, 440 infants had documented POS results. A total of 65 (14.77%) infants had a positive POS test result, out of which 39 (8.86%) cases were diagnosed on further evaluation. Four neonates had CCHD (positive predictive value (PPV) = 6.15%), 26 had RDS (PPV = 40%), and nine had PPHN (PPV = 13.85%). Without any further delay, the doctor directed them all to a more advanced facility. Conclusion Our research showed that, in large-scale clinical settings, the addition of pulse oximetry to routine cardiac auscultation could be a reliable and feasible method to screen newborns for CCHD, PPHN, and RDS early on. Our research underscores the importance of implementing routine POS to detect CCHD, RDS, and PPHN in clinical practice.

Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is a clinical condition characterized by respiratory distress in neonates born through meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF). Despite advances in obstetric practices and perinatal care, MAS remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in term and post-term newborns. Since the 1960s, there have been significant changes in the perinatal and postnatal management of infants born through MSAF. Routine endotracheal suctioning is no longer recommended in both vigorous and non-vigorous neonates with MSAF. Supportive care along with new treatments such as surfactant, inhaled nitric oxide, and high-frequency ventilation has significantly improved the outcome of MAS patients. However, determining the most appropriate approach for this condition continues to be a topic of debate. This review offers an updated overview of the epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, management, and prognosis of infants with MAS.

UNASSIGNED: Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in preterm infants. Early nasal CPAP and selective administration of surfactant via the endotracheal tube are widely used in the treatment of RDS in preterm infants.
UNASSIGNED: The aim of this study was to compare the need for intubation and mechanical ventilation after surfactant delivery between LISA-treated and INSURE-treated premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
UNASSIGNED: Retrospective registry-based cohort study enrolled 36 newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of the \"Santa Maria\" Hospital of Terni between 2016 and 2023. As a primary outcome, we followed the need for intubation and mechanical ventilation within 72 hours of life, while the secondary outcomes were major neonatal morbidities and death before discharge.
UNASSIGNED: The LISA group and the INSURE group included 13 and 23 newborns respectively. Demographic features showed no significant differences between the two groups. The need for mechanical ventilation in the first 72 hours of life was similar in both groups (p >0.99). There were no significant differences in morbidities.
UNASSIGNED: LISA and INSURE are equally effective modalities for surfactant administration for the treatment of RDS in preterm infants.

Minimally invasive surfactant therapy (MIST) has emerged as a preferred method of surfactant delivery. Pioneers of this technique have described the use of direct laryngoscopy (DL) for MIST. With the increasing application of video laryngoscopy (VL) for neonatal airway management, it is speculated that MIST techniques can be adapted for use with VL.
OBJECTIVE: To compare procedural success, operator ease of use, and complication of MIST using VL vs. MIST using DL.
METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational cohort study conducted at a tertiary-level neonatal intensive care unit after obtaining ethical approval. We included neonates who received MIST between 1 October 2020 and 31 October 2022. Baseline demographic characteristics, along with procedural data, were collected. Primary outcome measures included the overall procedural success rate, the need for multiple attempts, and the total number of attempts. Secondary outcome measures included the occurrence of adverse events, the need for a second dose of surfactant, and the need for intubation within 7 days of the procedure. Means and SDs, independent t-tests, frequencies, and chi-square were used as appropriate. p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: Of the 79 neonates included, 37 neonates received MIST via VL, while 42 received MIST via DL. The median gestational age was lower in the VL group at 29.0 weeks vs. 30.5 weeks (p = 0.011) in the DL group. The median birthweight in the VL group was 1260 g, IQR (1080, 1690), which was significantly lower than the DL group, which was 1575 g, IQR (1220, 2251), p = 0.028. Purpose-built catheter use was higher in the DL group. The overall procedural success was similar between groups. The need for multiple attempts was lower with VL in comparison to DL [4 (11%) vs. 13 (31%); p = 0.034)] at the univariate level but not significant at multivariate analysis (p = 0.131). Procedural complications, the need for a second dose of surfactant, the need for mechanical ventilation post-MIST, and operator ease of use were similar. User comments emphasized the value of VL in providing real-time visual information to confirm catheter placement and guide operators/trainees.
CONCLUSIONS: Overall, in our cohort, despite VL being a more recently adapted technology used more in smaller, sicker, and more premature neonates, procedural success, complications, and operator ease of use for MIST using VL and DL were comparable. Our findings show the successful application of VL for MIST and suggest procedural advantages that might facilitate universal adoption.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the primary cause of respiratory failure in critically ill patients. Despite remarkable therapeutic advances in recent years, ARDS remains a life-threatening clinical complication with high morbidity and mortality, especially during the global spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Previous studies have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy is a potential alternative strategy for the treatment of refractory respiratory diseases including ARDS, while extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as the last resort treatment to sustain life can help improve the survival of ARDS patients. In recent years, several studies have explored the effects of ECMO combined with MSC-based therapies in the treatment of ARDS, and some of them have demonstrated that this combination can provide better therapeutic effects, while others have argued that some critical issues need to be solved before it can be applied to clinical practice. This review presents an overview of the current status, clinical challenges and future prospects of ECMO combined with MSCs in the treatment of ARDS.

The immune system starts to develop early in embryogenesis. However, at birth it is still immature and associated with high susceptibility to infection. Adaptation to extrauterine conditions requires a balance between colonization with normal flora and protection from pathogens. Infections, oxidative stress and invasive therapeutic procedures may lead to transient organ dysfunction or permanent damage and perhaps even death. Newborns are primarily protected by innate immune mechanisms. Collectins (mannose-binding lectin, collectin-10, collectin-11, collectin-12, surfactant protein A, surfactant protein D) and ficolins (ficolin-1, ficolin-2, ficolin-3) are oligomeric, collagen-related defence lectins, involved in innate immune response. In this review, we discuss the structure, specificity, genetics and role of collectins and ficolins in neonatal health and disease. Their clinical associations (protective or pathogenic influence) depend on a variety of variables, including genetic polymorphisms, gestational age, method of delivery, and maternal/environmental microflora.

The noninvasive neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NIV-NAVA) is a newly developed noninvasive ventilation technique with promising clinical and ventilatory outcomes for preterm infants. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate whether NIV-NAVA has better clinical and ventilatory outcomes than nasal continuous airway pressure (NCPAP) or noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPP) on premature infants. MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared NIV-NAVA with NCPAP or NIPP for preterm infants (gestational age: <37 weeks) were included. We evaluated the following outcomes in the neonatal intensive care unit: the desaturation rate, failure of noninvasive modality requiring intubation when received as the primary mode or the need for re-intubation after extubation from mechanical ventilation in the secondary mode (weaning), length of stay, and fraction of inspired oxygen. The mean difference and risk ratio were used to represent continuous and dichotomous outcomes, respectively. We included nine RCTs involving 339 preterm infants overall. NIV-NAVA showed similar clinical and ventilatory outcomes to NCPAP or NIPP, except for the maximum diaphragmatic electrical activity. The rate of failure of the noninvasive modality was not statistically different between NIV-NAVA and NCPAP. The pooled estimates for the maximum electrical activity were significantly reduced in NIV-NAVA compared with those in NIPP. The findings suggest that NIV-NAVA may be as safe and effective as NCPAP and NIPP for preterm neonates, particularly those who may not tolerate these alternative noninvasive methods. However, further trials are recommended for greater evidence.

Ficolin-2 is a serum pattern recognition molecule, involved in complement activation via the lectin pathway. This study aimed to investigate the association of ficolin-2 concentration in cord blood serum with complications related to premature birth.
546 premature neonates were included. The concentration of ficolin-2 in cord blood serum was determined by a sandwich TRIFMA method. FCN2 genetic variants were analysed with RFLP-PCR, allele-specific PCR, Sanger sequencing or allelic discrimination using TaqMan probes method.
Cord blood serum ficolin-2 concentration correlated positively with Apgar score and inversely with the length of hospitalisation and stay at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that low ficolin-2 increased the possibility of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) diagnosis [OR=2.05, 95% CI (1.24-3.37), p=0.005]. Median ficolin-2 concentration was significantly lower in neonates with RDS than in premature babies without this complication, irrespective of FCN2 gene polymorphisms localised to promoter and 3\'untranslated regions: for patients born <33 GA: 1471 ng/ml vs. 2115 ng/ml (p=0.0003), and for patients born ≥33 GA 1610 ng/ml vs. 2081 ng/ml (p=0.012). Ficolin-2 level was also significantly lower in neonates requiring intubation in the delivery room (1461 ng/ml vs. 1938 ng/ml, p=0.023) and inversely correlated weakly with the duration of respiratory support (R=-0.154, p<0.001). Interestingly, in the neonates born at GA <33, ficolin-2 concentration permitted differentiation of those with/without RDS [AUC=0.712, 95% CI (0.612-0.817), p<0.001] and effective separation of babies with mild RDS from those with moderate/severe form of the disease [AUC=0.807, 95% CI (0.644-0.97), p=0.0002].
Low cord serum ficolin-2 concentration (especially in neonates born at GA <33 weeks) is associated with a higher risk of developing moderate/severe RDS, requiring respiratory support and intensive care.

UNASSIGNED: To find out the diagnostic use of lung ultrasound (LUS) in respiratory distress in neonates by taking clinico-radiological (clinical plus X-ray) diagnosis as the gold standard. Secondary objectives were to find out if modified LUS score can predict the need for surfactant therapy.
UNASSIGNED: A prospective observational study was done in a tertiary care neonatal intensive care unit over a period of 1 year (January-December 2018). All pre-term infants with respiratory distress were screened with LUS and CXR within 2 h of admission and modified LUS score was calculated to find out the lung water content and its correlation with the severity of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
UNASSIGNED: In total, 92 neonates were screened during the study period, and 61 were finally diagnosed as RDS. The Kappa statistic between the clinico-radiological diagnosis and LUS diagnosis was 0.639. LUS diagnosis and CXR diagnosis had a Kappa correlation value of 0.786 (95% CI: 0.678-0.983). The most common LUS feature in RDS was pleural line thickening (100%), followed by whiteout lungs (75.4%). The modified LUS score was higher in babies who needed surfactant therapy (median (IQR): 49 (44, 53.5) vs. 29.5 (21, 46)) (P < 0.0001).
UNASSIGNED: Our study shows that LUS in neonatal RDS can predict the severity of the disease, need for surfactant therapy and has good agreement with clinical and Xray diagnosis.

Several records have reported that single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the interleukin 10 (IL-10)-1082G/A locus affects the risk of acute lung injury/respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/RDS), but the exact association between them has not been elucidated.
This systematic review aims to elucidate the relationship between SNP at the IL-10-1082G/A locus and susceptibility to ALI/RDS by the method of meta-analysis, to identify the early warning indicators of ALI/RDS.
Studies on IL-10-1082G/A SNP associated with ALI/RDS were obtained by thorough retrieval of four English databases from each database construction to April 1, 2022. We processed the data using Stata 15.0 software.
Eight eligible records were entered into this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis demonstrated that SNP at the IL-10-1082G/A locus contributed to the risk of ALI/RDS in the allelic (G vs. A: OR= 0.74, 95%CI: 0.55∼0.98) and recessive gene models (Genotype GG vs. GA+AA: OR= 0.57, 95%CI: 0.35∼0.93). The subgroup analysis based on case type showed that SNP at IL-10-1082G/A locus contributed to the risk of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) under all the gene models (Allele G vs. A: OR= 0.45, 95%CI: 0.29∼0.72; Genotype GG+GA vs. AA: OR= 0.36, 95%CI: 0.22∼0.58; Genotype GG vs. GA+AA: OR= 0.30, 95%CI: 0.09∼0.97; Genotype GA vs. AA: OR= 0.44, 95%CI: 0.27∼0.73), except the homozygous model. However, it was not found that SNP at the IL-10-1082G/A locus contributed to ALI or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Moreover, the risk of ALI/RDS in Asia was associated with the IL-10-1082G/A locus in the allelic, recessive, and heterozygous models, while we did not observe this association across the Caucasian populations.
SNP at the IL-10-1082G/A locus contributed to the risk of ALI/RDS, allele G and genotype GG increasing the ALI/RDS risk, especially in Asia. Besides, allele G, genotype GG+GA, GG, and GA at the IL-10-1082G/A locus can increase susceptibility to NRDS.