Biomedical subjects

Efthalia Hotoura

Publications and source records attributed to Efthalia Hotoura.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Kidney growth in small-for-gestational-age infants: Evidence of early accelerated renal growth.

BACKGROUND: Very few data are available on longitudinal renal growth in small for gestational age (SGA) infants born at term. The aim of this prospective study was to estimate comparatively the renal growth in SGA infants and in infants born appropriate for gestational age (AGA) during the first 2 years of life. METHODS: The study comprised groups of SGA and AGA infants with a gestational age (GA) of 36-41 weeks. The SGA group was classified into two subgroups of symmetrical and asymmetrical neonates according to the ponderal index. Serial renal ultrasonography (US) was performed at the ages of 41 weeks corrected age [GA (in weeks) plus age after birth (in weeks)] and at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months of chronological age and kidney length (KL) was related to other anthropometric indices. RESULTS: A total of 312 infants participated in the study out of which 197 were SGA, and a total number of 802 measurements were performed. The symmetrical SGA infants and, to a lesser degree, the asymmetrical SGA infants had smaller kidneys at birth compared with the AGA infants (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.001, respectively). The symmetrical SGA infants had a lower body weight (BW) (P < 0.001, P < 0.01) and crown-heel length (CHL) (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) than controls at the ages of 12 and 24 months of chronological age. The asymmetrical SGA infants had a lower BW (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) than controls at the ages of 12 and 24 months of chronological age. On the contrary, the KL in both SGA groups was not different from that of the AGA infants after the 41st week of corrected age and up to the 2nd year of life. CONCLUSION: SGA term infants had shorter KL at birth compared with AGA infants but a similar length from the 3rd to the 24th month of life. Early catch-up kidney growth was observed in both SGA groups and is more prominent in the symmetrical SGA infants. This observation may represent either an accelerated renal maturation process or early compensatory kidney hypertrophy in this group of infants.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2005

Kidney development in the first year of life in small-for-gestational-age preterm infants.

BACKGROUND: Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants have been reported to have a significantly reduced number of nephrons that could be a risk factor for development of hypertension later in life. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate kidney size prospectively in relation to other anthropometric parameters during the first year of life in SGA babies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The babies in the study were 31-36 weeks' gestational age (GA) at birth and were matched with control preterm infants of similar GA, but appropriate for gestational age (AGA). The SGA infants were further classified as symmetrical and asymmetrical according to the anthropometric parameters. RESULTS: The total number of measurements in symmetrical SGA preterm infants was 324, in asymmetrical SGA preterm infants 295, and in AGA infants 536. In symmetrical SGA preterm infants (31-36 weeks' GA) mean kidney length (+/- SD) of 56+/-4 mm was significantly different from the controls (58.9+/-4.6 mm) up to 6 months' chronological age (P < 0.05). In the asymmetrical SGA preterm infants, mean kidney length (45.3+/-4.0 mm) was significantly different from the controls (48.2+/-4.4 mm) up to 40 weeks' corrected age. At 1 year chronological age, all preterm infants (symmetrical and asymmetrical SGA and AGA) had similar mean kidney length (61.6+/-4.6, 62.8+/-4.3, and 62.3+/-4.0 mm, respectively). The ratio of kidney length to crown-to-heel length was similar in all preterm groups. CONCLUSIONS: Kidney length in preterm SGA infants (symmetrical and asymmetrical) follows closely the other auxological parameters during the first year of life.

Birth Weight↗

PubMed2002

Neonatal bacteraemia: a population-based study.

The aims of this study were to explore the incidence of neonatal bacteraemia and identify the risk factors among neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients. The study included 3339 neonates admitted to the NICU of Ioannina University Hospital, North-Western Greece, during the 10-y period 1989-98. Logistic regression was used to assess the contribution of different risk factors to bacteraemia. A diagnosis of bacteraemia was made in 90 neonates (2.7%), 10 of whom (11%) died. Gram-negative bacilli, coagulase-negative Staphylococci and Streptococci were the most common pathogens: 42%, 34% and 17%, respectively. Premature rupture of membranes was the main risk factor for early-onset sepsis (relative risk 6.28) and respiratory distress syndrome was the main risk factor for late-onset sepsis (relative risk 5.70). The relative size of neonates for their gestational age did not appear to influence the risk of infection. Case fatality was higher for early- than for late-onset sepsis (relative risk 6.59). In conclusion, certain conditions were confirmed to predispose patients to neonatal bacteraemia; neonatal morbidity and mortality can be reduced by intervening to control these predisposing factors.

Bacteremia↗