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Biomedical subjects

B Reichman

Publications and source records attributed to B Reichman.

126 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Fatty acid balance studies in premature infants fed human milk or formula: effect of calcium supplementation.

During the first 4 neonatal weeks, serial total fatty acid and individual fatty acid balance studies were completed in 35 healthy premature infants with appropriate weight for gestational age. Infants weighed less than 1500 gm at birth, were descriptively similar, and were receiving similar volumes of either preterm mothers' milk (PTM) or formula (S-M-A 20). Total fatty acid and major fatty acid contents of the two feeding regimens were similar. Total fecal output and total fatty acid excretion were higher, whereas subsequent total fat absorption and coefficient of absorption were significantly lower, in the group fed S-M-A 20 (P less than 0.001). Administration of oral calcium supplements fed as calcium lactate (1.5 to 2.0 mmol/kg/day) decreased total fatty acid absorption in both the PTM (P less than 0.01) and S-M-A 20 (P less than 0.001) groups. Furthermore, the effect of feeding (P less than 0.0001) and oral calcium (P less than 0.001) independently influenced coefficients of absorption for major fatty acids fed (C12:0, C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, and C18:1). Although the main indices for growth were similar in both feeding groups, infants with inefficient rates of total fatty acid absorption attained slower rates of weight gain and increased skinfold thickness. We conclude that oral calcium supplements significantly alter the efficiency of lipid absorption in enterally fed preterm infants.

Analysis of Variance↗

Effect of blood contamination on the fluorescence polarization value of amniotic fluid lamellar bodies.

Estimation of fetal lung maturity by examination of amniotic fluid samples is unreliable in the presence of blood. Centrifugation of amniotic fluid at 10,000 X g separates the surfactant-containing lamellar bodies from contaminants, such as serum lipids. The influence of serum contamination of amniotic fluid was evaluated using the fluorescence polarization technique for determination of fetal lung maturity. Addition of serum changed the amniotic fluid P value of both the amniotic fluid and the lamellar body pellets in the direction of the P value of serum. After centrifugation at 10,000 X g, there was no significant difference in the P value of the pre- and postcontamination samples, demonstrating that centrifugation resulted in the removal of pulmonary nonrelevant lipids in contaminated amniotic fluid specimens. In 24 patients in whom the amniotic fluid sample was blood stained, the P value on the lamellar body pellet compared favorably to that obtained from noncontaminated samples.

Amniotic Fluid↗

Determination of fetal lung maturity by fluorescence polarization of the amniotic fluid lamellar bodies.

High-speed centrifugation of amniotic fluid enables separation of surfactant-containing lamellar bodies. Fifty-three amniotic fluid samples from pregnancies of 28 to 39 weeks' gestation were examined for fetal lung maturity by measuring fluorescence polarization (P). For each sample the P value was determined at 37C on both the whole amniotic fluid and on the surfactant-containing lamellar bodies obtained by centrifugation at 10,000 X g. A close linear correlation (r = 0.80) was found between the P value of the amniotic fluid samples and that of the lamellar bodies. There was no difference in the specificity for discrimination of hyaline membrane disease cases by both methods (93.5%) with 95% confidence limits of 82.1 to 98.6%. Because high-speed centrifugation enables the selective sedimentation of pulmonary surfactant, determination of the lamellar body P value may offer a practical solution for the estimation of fetal lung maturity in amniotic fluid samples contaminated with blood.

Amniotic Fluid↗

Sonography of periventricular leukomalacia.

Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a pathological entity characterized by ischemic changes in areas adjacent to the external angles of the lateral ventricles. It is associated with serious neurodevelopmental sequelae, especially spastic diplegia. With the increased use of ultrasound in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, changes consistent with PVL are being noted. Hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic forms of this condition exist, both of which may appear sonographically as increased periventricular echogenicity. Two cases of PVL are described; one of them was associated with ventricular dilatation and intraventricular bleeding and the other with a small subependymal hemorrhage. The pathological and clinical features, methods of in vivo diagnosis, and the role of ultrasound in the evaluation of PVL are discussed.

Brain Diseases↗

Familial persistent pulmonary hypertension.

We report three siblings who presented with a clinical picture of persistent pulmonary hypertension of newborn and died between 4 and 15 days of age. Pulmonary artery pressure in all was above systemic values, with a right to left shunt via either the foramen ovale or ductus arteriosus, or both. Histology of the pulmonary vascular bed showed extension of muscle into small arteries which are normally non-muscular.

Female↗

Metabolic consequences of intrauterine growth retardation in very low birthweight infants.

By the combination of energy and macronutrient balances, continuous open circuit computerized indirect calorimetry, and anthropometry, we have compared small for gestational age (SGA) and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) very low birthweight infants with respect to metabolizable energy intake (mean +/- SE: 125.9 +/- 2.5 versus 130.4 +/- 3.5 kcal/kg X day), energy expenditure (67.4 +/- 1.3 versus 62.6 +/- 0.9 kcal/kg X day), storage of energy and macronutrients and growth. Fourteen studies in six SGA infants (gestational age, 33.1 +/- 0.3 weeks; birthweight, 1120 +/- 30 g) and 22 studies in 13 AGA infants (gestational age, 29.3 +/- 0.4 weeks; birthweight, 1155 +/- 40 g) were performed. The SGA infants had a lower absorption of fat (68.7 +/- 3.2 versus 79.7 +/- 1.7%) and protein (69.1 +/- 3.2 versus 83.4 +/- 1.5%) and hence increased (P less than 0.001) energy loss in excreta (29.9 +/- 2.8 versus 18.2 +/- 1.5 kcal/kg X day). The significant hypermetabolism of SGA infants by 4.8 kcal/kg X day was associated with an increased fat oxidation. Despite lower energy storage, SGA infants were gaining weight (19.4 +/- 0.9 g/kg X day), length (1.25 +/- 0.14 cm/week), and head circumference (1.16 +/- 0.9 cm/week) at higher rates than the AGA group. The energy storage per g weight gain was lower (P less than 0.001) in the SGA group (3.0 +/- 0.14 versus 4.26 +/- 0.26 kcal) reflecting higher water, lower fat (22.2 +/- 1.8 versus 33.8 +/- 2.5%; P less than 0.001) and lower protein (7.7 +/- 0.5 versus 12.5 +/- 0.8%; P less than 0.001) contents of weight gain in the SGA group.

Body Weight↗

Quality of growth in premature infants fed their own mothers' milk.

With the renewed interest in the feeding of human milk to preterm infants, we have evaluated the partition of energy metabolism and of macronutrient utilization and accretion in growing very low birth weight infants fed their own mother's milk. Fifteen studies combining macronutrient balance, computerized continuous open-circuit indirect calorimetry, and anthropometric measurements were performed in 11 growing, very low birth weight (less than 1.300 gm) preterm infants. The mean milk intake of 172 ml/kg/day provided a gross energy intake of 111 kcal/kg/day. Energy losses in excreta were 11 kcal/kg/day, and the metabolic energy expenditure was 56 kcal/kg/day. The remainder (44 kcal/kg/day) represented the energy stored in the components of new tissue. The infants were gaining weight (15.3 g/kg/day), length (0.98 cm/wk), and head circumference (0.76 cm/wk) at rates approximating intrauterine growth rates. The metabolic energy expenditure was derived from the oxidation (mean +/- SE) of carbohydrate, 9.5 +/- 0.7 gm/kg/day; fat, 1.63 +/- 0.34 gm/kg/day; and protein, 0.68 +/- 0.07 gm/kg/day. The stored energy comprised 2.98 +/- 0.86 gm/kg/day as carbohydrate, 2.25 +/- 0.54 gm/kg/day as fat, and 1.97 +/- 0.1 gm/kg/day as protein. The accretion rates of fat and protein, as well as the composition of the weight gain (fat, 16.6 +/- 4.1%; protein, 13.4 +/- 0.5%), were similar to those reported for the fetus of comparable gestational age.

Anthropometry↗

Dietary composition and macronutrient storage in preterm infants.

A comparison has been made of the influence of feeding own mother's milk and formula on the oxidation and accretion of energy and macronutrients in the growing preterm infant of very low birth weight (less than 1,300 g) by using the combined techniques of nutrient balance and computerized indirect calorimetry. There were 22 studies in formula-fed infants and 15 studies in premature infants fed own mother's milk. Despite their lower metabolizable energy intake, the infants fed own mother's milk grew in weight, length, and head circumference at a rate approximating those of the formula-fed group. The metabolic rate was significantly lower in the infants fed own mother's milk (56.0 +/- 0.9 v 62.6 +/- 0.8 kcal/kg/d; P less than .001). The protein intake, oxidation, and accretion were similar in the two groups. The infants fed own mother's milk had a significantly lower fat intake (P less than .001), higher fat oxidation (P less than .025) and consequently lower fat accretion (P less than .001) than the formula-fed infants. The proportional fat content of the daily weight gain was lower in the infants fed own mother's milk (16% v 33%; P less than .001) but protein content was similar (13% v 12%). The accretion of energy, fat, and protein correlated with the respective metabolizable intakes in both groups (r = .81 to .98; P less than .001), suggesting that accretion rates and hence composition of weight gain are dependent on levels of energy and macronutrient intake.

Animals↗

Diet, fat accretion, and growth in premature infants.

To compare the growth and accumulation of protein, fat, and carbohydrate in the formula-fed premature infant and in the fetus of a similar postconceptional age, we performed 22 metabolic studies in 13 infants of very low birth weight (1155 +/- 39 g [mean +/- S.E.]). Measurements combining nutritional balance and indirect calorimetry demonstrated the deposition rates of protein and fat. We found that the formula-fed, very-low-birth-weight infant who gained weight comparably to the fetus retained the same amount of protein (1.92 +/- 0.1 g per kilogram of body weight per day) but accumulated fat at a rate of 5.4 +/- 0.3 g per kilogram per day - about three times that in the fetus, as confirmed by increased skin-fold thickness. How this change in body composition affects the future growth of formula-fed premature infants, and how body composition is altered by other dietary regimens such as the provision of human milk, remain to be determined.

Anthropometry↗

Ventriculitis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae successfully treated with pefloxacin in a neonate.

Pefloxacin was applied to a newborn suffering from ventriculitis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae after failure of routine antibiotics. Treatment was successful. Blood and CSF levels were high, thus documenting good CSF penetration. In addition to this case report, a review of the literature regarding seven neonates with CNS infection treated with fluoroquinolones and from whom CSF levels were obtained, is presented. In conclusion, due to their excellent activity against gram-negative microorganisms, fluoroquinolones may be considered in the treatment of neonatal CNS infections if the pathogen is resistant to routinely used antibiotics. Only limited experience is available with fluoroquinolones in pediatric patients given their potential for cartilage toxicity in young animals.

Cerebral Ventricles↗

Placental transfer of maternal poliovirus antibodies in full-term and pre-term infants.

This study was designed to investigate the placental transfer of maternal poliovirus antibodies in full-term and pre-term infants. Two hundred healthy, Israeli born mothers and their infants, were enrolled immediately after birth. The study population comprised two groups: a full-term group of 150 mothers and their infants, and a pre-term group of 50 mothers and their infants (gestational age < 35 weeks). Maternal and umbilical cord blood samples were taken in all cases. Antibody titers against the three poliovirus serotypes and a polio virus type 1 strain that caused an outbreak in 1988 (epidemic strain 1) were measured by a microneutralization system. The proportion of individuals with protective titers against each of the poliovirus types tested was slightly lower in the infants compared with their mothers. When protection to all strains combined was tested, the difference between mothers and infants was significant (P < 0.05). Transplacental transfer to epidemic strain 1 was less effective--12% of the premature infants were not protected against it at birth. The geometric mean titers against poliovirus types 1, 3 and epidemic type 1 strain were significantly lower in the pre-term group than in the full-term group. In both the full-term and pre-term groups there were significant linear correlations between the maternal and neonatal antibody titers for each of the polio viruses tested. For all poliovirus types, the transfer of maternal antibodies to the full-term infant was significantly higher than the transfer of maternal antibodies to the pre-term infant (P < 0.001). Owing to diminished transfer of maternal antibodies, pre-term infants are at greater risk of poliovirus infection.

Adult↗

The incubator as a chemical warfare protective device in neonatal intensive care units.

During the Persian Gulf war chemical warfare (CW) protective devices were distributed to the entire population of Israel. Neonates were to be placed in a protective infant carrier (PIC) or an improved PIC ("active PIC") to which filtered air was actively introduced by a blower. The specific needs of low birthweight babies hospitalized in intensive care units and treated in incubators were not adequately addressed. Transfer to a PIC meant disconnecting the infants from life-supporting systems and monitoring devices and exposing them to changes in ambient temperature. To overcome this difficulty the original incubator was used as a CW protective device. Its ports were sealed and low-grade positive pressure was created. This avoided transfer of the neonates from their controlled environment, reduced physiological stress, and improved medical supervision.

Air Pollution↗

Intraperitoneal therapy in the management of ovarian carcinoma.

The intraperitoneal administration of chemotherapeutic and biological agents as therapy of ovarian carcinoma is based on both theoretical considerations and experimental evaluations which suggest that tumor present in the cavity can be exposed to higher concentrations of certain antineoplastic drugs than can be accomplished if the agents are administered systemically. Recent clinical data have confirmed both the safety and pharmacokinetic advantage associated with this approach. Surgically defined responses have been observed in patients with small-volume residual refractory ovarian carcinoma treated with several single-agent and combination intraperitoneal therapeutic programs. While significant activity has been noted in this clinical setting, a clearly defined role for intraperitoneal treatment in the standard management of ovarian carcinoma remains to be determined.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Neonatal sepsis after prolonged premature rupture of membranes.

The objective of this study was to prospectively evaluate the incidence of neonatal sepsis after prolonged premature rupture of membranes (PROM), to correlate sepsis with gestational age and with the duration of PROM, and to evaluate the necessity for prophylactic antibiotic therapy in neonates born after PROM. Of 12,182 infants, 135 (1.1%) were delivered after PROM with a latency period of > 24 hours. Neonatal sepsis occurred in 11 infants (8.1%), 10 of whom were premature. The only term, septic newborn was a small-for-gestational-age infant. A latency period > 72 hours was not associated with an increased incidence of sepsis. Maternal fever, neonatal signs of infection including leukopenia, leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, and positive gastric aspirate cultures, were not good predictors of sepsis. Of premature infants with PROM, 15% had sepsis, and thus the administration of prophylactic antibiotic therapy in these cases may be warranted. However, it may be unnecessary to administer prophylactic antibiotics to term, appropriate-for-gestational-age infants born after PROM.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗