Preeclampsia is a multiorgan, heterogeneous disorder of pregnancy associated with significant maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Optimal strategies in the care of the women with preeclampsia have not been fully elucidated, leaving physicians with incomplete data to guide their clinical decision making. Because preeclampsia is a progressive disorder, in some circumstances, delivery is needed to halt the progression to the benefit of the mother and fetus. However, the need for premature delivery has adverse effects on important neonatal outcomes not limited to the most premature infants. Late-preterm infants account for approximately two thirds of all preterm deliveries and are at significant risk for morbidity and mortality. Reviewed is the current literature in the diagnosis and obstetrical management of preeclampsia, the outcomes of late-preterm infants, and potential strategies to optimize fetal outcomes in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia.

BackgroundPercutaneous closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in term neonates is established, but data regarding outcomes in infants born very preterm (<32 weeks of gestation) are minimal, and no published criteria exist establishing a minimal weight of 4 kg as a suitable cutoff. We sought to analyze outcomes of percutaneous PDA occlusion in infants born very preterm and referred for PDA closure at weights <4 kg.Methods and ResultsRetrospective analysis (January 2005–January 2014) was done at a single pediatric center. Procedural successes and adverse events were recorded. Markers of respiratory status (need for mechanical ventilation) were determined, with comparisons made before and after catheterization. A total of 52 very preterm infants with a median procedural weight of 2.9 kg (range 1.2–3.9 kg) underwent attempted PDA closure. Twenty‐five percent (13/52) of infants were <2.5 kg. Successful device placement was achieved in 46/52 (88%) of infants. An adverse event occurred in 33% of cases, with an acute arterial injury the most common complication. We observed no association between weight at time of procedure and the risk of an adverse event. No deaths were attributable to the PDA closure. Compared to precatheterization trends, percutaneous PDA closure resulted in improved respiratory status, including less exposure to mechanical ventilation (mixed effects logistic model, P<0.01).ConclusionsAmong infants born very preterm, percutaneous PDA closure at weights <4 kg is generally safe and may improve respiratory health, but risk of arterial injury is noteworthy. Randomized clinical trials are needed to assess clinically relevant differences in outcomes following percutaneous PDA closure versus alternative (surgical ligation) management strategies.

Background Each year in the US approximately 50,000 neonates receive inpatient pharmacotherapy for the treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Objective To compare the safety and efficacy of a traditional inpatient only approach with a combined inpatient and outpatient methadone treatment program. Design/Methods Retrospective review (2007-9). Infants were born to mothers maintained on methadone or buprenorphine in an antenatal substance abuse program. All infants received methadone for NAS treatment as inpatient. Methadone weaning for the traditional group (75 pts) was inpatient while the combined group (46 pts) was outpatient. Results Infants in the traditional and combined groups were similar in demographics, obstetrical risk factors, birth weight, GA and the incidence of prematurity (34 & 31%). Hospital stay was shorter in the combined than in the traditional group (13 vs 25d; p < 0.01). Although the duration of treatment was longer for infants in the combined group (37 vs 21d, p<0.01), the cumulative methadone dose was similar (3.6 vs 3.1mg/kg, p 0.42). Follow-up: Information was available for 80% of infants in the traditional and 100% of infants in the combined group. All infants in the combined group were seen ≤ 72 hours from hospital discharge. Breast feeding was more common among infants in the combined group (24 vs. 8% p<0.05). Following discharge there were no differences between the two groups in hospital readmissions for NAS. Prematurity (<37w GA) was the only predictor for hospital readmission for NAS in both groups (p 0.02, OR 5). Average hospital cost for each infant in the combined group was $13,817 less than in the traditional group. Conclusions A combined inpatient and outpatient methadone treatment in the management of NAS decreases hospital stay and substantially reduces cost. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the potential long term benefits of the combined approach on infants and their families.

Increasing concentrations of air pollution have been shown to contribute to an enormity of adverse health outcomes worldwide, which have been observed in clinical, epidemiological, and animal studies as well as in vitro investigations. Recently, studies have shown that air pollution can affect the developing fetus via maternal exposure, resulting in preterm birth, low birth weight, growth restriction, and potentially adverse cardiovascular and respiratory outcomes. This review will provide a summary of the harmful effects of air pollution exposure on the developing fetus and infant, and suggest potential mechanisms to limit the exposure of pregnant mothers and infants to air pollution.

Results of this meta-analysis suggest that enhanced placental transfusion (delayed umbilical cord clamping or umbilical cord milking) at birth provides better neonatal outcomes than does early cord clamping, most notably reductions in overall mortality, lower risk of intraventricular hemorrhage, and decreased blood transfusion incidence. The optimal umbilical cord clamping practice among neonates requiring immediate resuscitation remains uncertain.

Percutaneous PDA closure during infancy is feasible and associated with few catastrophic AEs; however, the limitations constrain the interpretability and generalizability of the current findings.

Objective To investigate the safety, feasibility and efficacy of delayed cord clamping (DCC) compared with immediate cord clamping (ICC) at delivery among infants born at 22 to 27 weeks' gestation. Study Design This was a pilot, randomized, controlled trial in which women in labor with singleton pregnancies at 22 to 27 weeks' gestation were randomly assigned to ICC (cord clamped at 5 to 10 s) or DCC (30 to 45 s). Results Forty mother–infant pairs were randomized. Infants in the ICC and DCC groups had mean gestational ages (GA) of 24.6 and 24.4 weeks, respectively. No differences were observed between the groups across all available safety measures, although infants in the DCC group had higher admission temperatures than infants in the ICC group (97.4 vs 96.2 °F, P =0.04). During the first 24 h of life, blood pressures were lower in the ICC group than in the DCC group (P < 0.05), despite a threefold greater incidence of treatment for hypotension (45% vs 12%, P < 0.01). Infants in the ICC group had increased numbers of red blood transfusions (in first 28 days of life) than infants in DCC group (4.1 ± 3.9 vs 2.8 ± 2.2, P = 0.04). Conclusion Among infants born at an average GA of 24 weeks', DCC appears safe, logistically feasible, and offers hematological and circulatory advantages compared with ICC. A more comprehensive appraisal of this practice is needed.

Among infants <6 kg, transcatheter PDA occlusion is technically feasible, but risks of MAE are noteworthy. These findings may help inform patient selection and procedural approach for transcatheter PDA occlusion and direct targeted research efforts to support the practice of evidence-based medicine.