Biomedical subjects

R Chierici

Publications and source records attributed to R Chierici.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1984

Serum zinc concentration in exclusively breast-fed infants and in infants fed an adapted formula.

Serum zinc concentrations have been determined in 28 healthy full-term Italian infants of both sexes at birth, as well as at 3 and at 5 months of age. Fourteen exclusively breast-fed infants who served as a control group were compared with 14 infants fed a cow's milk based adapted infant formula. No significant differences in serum zinc concentration between the breast-fed and the bottle-fed group became apparent during the study. The results of this study suggest a similar zinc nutriture in both groups. The availability of zinc from the adapted infant formula was not significantly different from that of human milk. These findings may be explained by the composition of the adapted formula tested, e.g. by a protein composition fairly close to that of human milk, by the presence of zinc derived from the natural ingredients only, by the low Fe/Zn ratio and by the elevated citrate content.

Breast Feeding↗

PubMed1983

Criteria for discontinuing neonatal seizure therapy: a long-term appraisal.

In order to evaluate the criteria for discontinuing neonatal anticonvulsant treatment, 55 newborns with seizures have been studied. Clinical and EEG serial examinations were performed: soon after the first seizure, throughout the hospital course, and during the follow-up every 3 months until a year, and every 6 months later on. Anticonvulsant treatment with phenobarbital was discontinued (at 4 days-19 months; mean 104 days) on the basis of the following variables: type and number of seizures, time taken for their control, type and persistence of EEG abnormalities, initial neurological features, and seizure etiology. At the follow-up (12 months-8 years; mean 36 months) only 4 children had relapsed, 3 of them with a single short seizure without EEG abnormalities. The results obtained by means of the correlation between the length of anticonvulsant treatment and the clinical and EEG variables provide evidence of the value of the criteria employed. Of these, the duration of persistence of EEG abnormalities was the most important for planning the maintenance of anticonvulsant treatment and its discontinuation.

Anticonvulsants↗

PubMed1981

Human milk: relationship of fat content with gestational age.

In order to assess the suitability of early human milk as a food for preterm infants, concentrations of fat were analyzed in milk samples representative of complete 24-h expressions, obtained serially over the first 30 days of lactation from 47 mothers delivering at term (FT) and 25 mothers delivering prematurely (PT). During the first postpartum month milk fat increased with progressing lactation both in FT and PT mothers' group. The increase was significant over the first 10 day period. During this stage the fat content was significantly higher in the milk from PT mothers than in FT mothers. A significant inverse correlation of fat content with gestational age was established. On the basis of these results, the higher energy intake obtained with PT milk suggests that is may be reasonable to prefer the use of mothers' own early milk than pooled milk as the more appropriate feeding for premature infants.

Fats↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Supplementation of an adapted formula with bovine lactoferrin. 2. Effects on serum iron, ferritin and zinc levels.

Breast milk provides an excellent supply of most nutrients for newborn infants. Infant formulae should be nutritionally comparable to breast milk especially with regard to critical nutrients like iron and other trace elements. Infant formulae supplemented with various amounts of bovine lactoferrin were given to two groups of infants. These infants were compared with infants receiving unsupplemented formula and breast-fed infants. The effects of these diets on levels of haemoglobin, haematocrit, serum iron, ferritin and zinc were examined for a study period of 150 days. At birth, concentrations of iron, haemoglobin, haematocrit and zinc were comparable in all four feeding groups. The fact that the serum zinc level was not altered by lactoferrin supplementation appears to rule out an in-vivo effect of lactoferrin on zinc nutrition of infants. Ferritin levels of breast-fed infants were significantly higher than in non-supplemented formula-fed infants at day 30 and day 90. This difference was seen only at day 30, when comparing breast-fed infants to lactoferrin-supplemented formula-fed infants. Comparing the infants receiving formulae, the formula supplemented with the higher amount of bovine lactoferrin induced significantly higher serum ferritin levels compared to the unsupplemented formula at day 90 and day 150. These observations favour the idea that lactoferrin may be involved in iron absorption. Since this effect was pronounced only after 90 days, it has to be discussed as to whether this effect is a convincing argument for supplementing infant formulae with bovine lactoferrin.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of atopy risk factors during the first year of life. Multicentric study].

The AA studied 406 newborn babies during the 1st year of life in order to verify the correlation between atopy risk factors and the appearance of early symptoms, particularly gastroenteric (GE). The results obtained did not demonstrate a significant difference concerning the blood cord IgE level and subsequent appearance of food allergy symptoms, whereas positive familiarity showed a better correlation. No significant difference was observed between breast--or formula--fed infants, or between those weaned before or after the 5th month of life. The comparison of dietary regimen adopted during the 1st quarter in the asymptomatic and atopic children respectively, demonstrated that the presence of predisposing factors influences the appearance of GE symptoms much more than the diet in itself. An allergologic study, randomly performed by Prick-test in 156 cases and by RAST in 200 cases, showed a prevalent, positive response with RAST technique in symptomatic children.

Follow-Up Studies↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Problems of the therapy of neonatal convulsions].

The newborn with seizures should be treated urgently, because of the high risk of consequent brain damage. In addition to general management in order to correct metabolic and functional unbalancement, associated with the fits, specific causes of neonatal seizures (hypoglicemia, hypocalcemia, hypomagnesiemia, hypo-hypernatremia, pyridoxine deficiency) should be immediately removed. If neonatal seizures depend on other non specific causes (anoxia, cerebral hemorrhagy, malformation, infection or other, a symptomatic anticonvulsant treatment should be carried out without delay. Useful drugs for the newborn are phenobarbital, phenytoin and benzodiazepine e.v. or e.m. After fits have been controlled, an oral maintenance therapy has to be started with phenobarbital or phenytoin in order to avoid seizure-relaps. Clinical EEG and hematological data should be monitored to detect side effects, as well as plasma drugs levels to achieve adequate maintenance doses. Criteria for discontinuing the neonatal seizures treatment have not been well established. On the bases of the data collected through a longitudinal study of 54 newborns who developed seizures in the first day of life, clinical and EEG criteria for discontinuing anticonvulsant therapy are discussed. If the fits are rare, short, immediately controlled and EEG is mildly abnormal, we attempt to discontinuing treatment within 15 days. If fits are unfrequent, varying in length, their therapeutical control is reached within 3 days and the EEG is markedly abnormal but recovered within 1 month, treatment is discontinuing between 15 days and 3 months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Benzodiazepines↗