WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Neonatal infections are frequent complications in very preterm infants, already at high risk of neurologic and cognitive disabilities. Few studies have linked neonatal infections and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Those that did evaluated children only to the age of 22 months. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:This study assessed the respective effects of early-and late-onset sepsis and their association with 5-year neurodevelopmental outcomes. We identified a significant and cumulative risk of cerebral palsy when episodes of early-and late-onset sepsis were associated. abstract OBJECTIVE: To determine whether neonatal infections are associated with a higher risk of adverse neurodevelopment at 5 years of age in a population-based cohort of very preterm children. METHODS:We included all live births between 22 and 32 weeks of gestation, from 9 regions in France, in 1997 (EPIPAGE study). Of the 2665 live births, 2277 were eligible for a follow-up evaluation at 5 years of age: 1769 had a medical examination and 1495 underwent cognitive assessment. Cerebral palsy and cognitive impairment were studied as a function of early-onset sepsis (EOS) and late-onset sepsis (LOS), after adjustment for potential confounding factors, in multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS:A total of 139 (5%) of the 2665 live births included in the study presented with EOS alone (without associated LOS), 752 (28%) had LOS alone (without associated EOS), and 64 (2%) displayed both EOS and LOS. At 5 years of age, the frequency of cerebral palsy was 9% (157 of 1769) and that of cognitive impairment was 12% (177 of 1495). The frequency of cerebral palsy was higher in infants with isolated EOS (odds ratio [OR] CONCLUSIONS: Neonatal infections in these very preterm infants were associated with a higher risk of cerebral palsy at the age of 5 years, particularly in infants presenting with both EOS and LOS. Pediatrics 2013;132:e372-e380 AUTHORS:

The corrected incidence of BJI in northern France, according to consensus diagnostic criteria, was 7.1/100 000 children <16 years of age.

Background Facilitating factors and barriers to breast milk feeding (BMF) very preterm (VP) infants have been widely studied at the individual level. We aimed to describe and analyse factors associated with BMF at discharge for VP infants, with a special focus on unit policies aiming to support BMF. Methods We described BMF at discharge in 3108 VP infants enrolled in EPIPAGE‐2, a French national cohort. Variables of interest were kangaroo care during the 1st week of life (KC); unit's policies supporting BMF initiation (BMF information systematically given to mothers hospitalised for threatened preterm delivery and breast milk expression proposed within 6 hours after birth) and BMF maintenance (availability of protocols for BMF and a special room for mothers to pump milk); the presence in units of a professional trained in human lactation and regional BMF initiation rates in the general population. Associations were investigated by multilevel logistic regression analysis, with adjustment on individual factors. Results In total, 47.2% of VP infants received BMF at discharge (range among units 21.1%‐84.0%). Unit policies partly explained this variation, regardless of individual factors. BMF at discharge was associated with KC (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.26 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.40, 3.65)), with policies supporting BMF initiation (aOR 2.19 (95% CI 1.27, 3.77)) and maintenance (aOR 2.03 (95% CI 1.17, 3.55)), but not with BMF initiation rates in the general population. Conclusion Adopting policies of higher performing units could be an effective strategy for increasing BMF rates at discharge among VP infants.