Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R Paludetto.
This paper reports on a preterm infant with meconium peritonitis in which prenatal sonography demonstrated calcified peritoneal meconium associated with fetal ascites. His spontaneous and favorable outcome is described and other causes of neonatal abdominal calcifications are discussed.
This study was performed in order to evaluate possible changes in behavior in jaundiced infants without perinatal complications other than hyperbilirubinemia treated with phototherapy. Thirty jaundiced infants (mean bilirubinemia 13.3 mg/100 ml, range 8.4-17.5) born spontaneously at term and undergoing phototherapy for 6 h or more, and 30 comparison subjects similar for sex, birthweight, gestational age, Apgar score, obstetrical history and father's profession were examined during the 3rd day of life according to Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale (BNBAS). For 6 of 26 items we found higher values for comparison group (Wilcoxon's Test): inanimate visual median (m.) 5 vs. 3 (P less than 0.05); animate visual m. 5 vs. 3.5 (P less than 0.01); visual and auditory 5.5 vs. 4 (P less than 0.005); pull-to-sit m. 6 vs. 5 (P less than 0.01); cuddliness m. 5 vs. 4 (P less than 0.01); alertness m. 5 vs. 4 (P less than 0.005). Visual orientation responses were the most compromised. On the 4th day of life, 14 infants who had terminated phototherapy at least 2 h before (mean 9.9 h) were compared with their matched comparison group subjects and the same significantly poorer performances, mainly in visual orientation, were found. At one month of age, 12 of these infants treated with phototherapy still showed a significantly poorer performance in 2 items of orientation: inanimate visual m. 6 vs. 4.5 (P less than 0.05); visual and auditory m. 6.5 vs. 4 (P less than 0.05). Whether these results depend on the jaundice or on the phototherapy remain to be established.
Gastric teratoma is a rare, benign tumor. The 47th case, reported here, is the first in which an abdominothoracic localization has been found.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
We studied the behaviour of 20 preterm infants (average gestational age 33 weeks) brought to term, without any serious disorder. These infants were compared with a group of 21 healthy term infants. To evaluate behaviour we used the 26 items of the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale (BNBAS). Our preterm infants had on the whole better scores than those reported in the literature for preterm infants with various disorders. Apart from lower ability to bring hand to mouth and in getting used to visual stimuli (these differences are statistically significant) they had, in the items of orientation a lower score only in ability to follow a voice and a face (not statistically significant). These results show that preterm infants reaching term without any serious disorder do on the whole as well as full-term infants. This correlates with the observations of Dubowitz on behaviour and particularly on visual function of preterm infants and confirms the preliminary report of Daum regarding the influence of the type of neonatal pathology on the ability of orientation at the moment of term.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The prolonged and total separation of a premature infant from its parents in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is an additional element of anxiety in a family already upset by the premature birth itself. However, while encouraging parents to participate in the care of their child lessens some problems, it also tends to create others. The environment of intensive care and continuous contact with the nursing of the infant may give rise to distress, and parental reactions may interfere with the running of the department. We report some results from 60 semistructured interviews between a clinical psychologist and 30 couples whose preterm infants had spent at least 10 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the 2nd School of Medicine of Naples. For more than 4 years we have encouraged parents to take care of their infants, to touch them, change them and feed them. The results of our study appear to suggest that allowing parents unrestricted access to the Unit stimulates paternal interest in the child.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.