Screening for sepsis in an asymptomatic neonate is warranted only in the presence of a maternal risk factor even if the neonate is at high risk of developing sepsis due to associated problems of prematurity, low birth weight or asphyxia. Knowledge of likely causative organisms of EOS can aid in instituting prompt and appropriate therapy, in order to minimise morbidity and mortality.

RDW has a limited specificity for diagnosis of IDA among children with microcytic hypochromic anemia.

Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GVHD) is an under-diagnosed condition in clinical practice. It can occur in immunocompromised as well as immunocompetent hosts and may follow allogeneic bone marrow transplant or transfusion from a related donor. The clinical course is stormy with a high mortality rate. Avoiding the use of blood transfusions from related donors and irradiation of blood products can prevent graft versus host disease. A case of graft versus host disease following related donor transfusion is presented here.

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Preterm birth results in poor accretion of bone minerals and development of rickets of prematurity. Poor skeletal growth is one of the long term morbidities of this condition, which is said to have a lesser effect on the skull growth. The present study was a retrospective observational study to compare the effect of rickets of prematurity on the linear and skull growth in the first year of life. In this retrospective analysis, 1 y follow-up records of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) babies born in five consecutive years and their anthropometric data were evaluated. ELBW babies with confirmed rickets of prematurity were taken as the study group and those without were taken as the control group and anthropometric values (head size and length) at various ages in the first year of life were compared using relevant statistical software. Both the lengths and head sizes of the babies in the two groups were found to be comparable until the age of 12 mo.

Background: Late preterm neonates (34 to 36 weeks 6/7 days) were considered as ‘near term’ as they appeared apparently mature and comparable to term neonates. Many studies have now reported significantly higher rates of morbidity and mortality among this group of neonates. This study aims to evaluate the maternal risk factors associated with and short-term outcome of late preterm neonates compared to term neonates.Methods: A Retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital. All intramural late preterm neonates with gestational age of 34-36 weeks born during the study period were enrolled. The control group included term neonates (37-42 weeks) born during the study period. Data regarding the maternal risk factors and neonatal outcomes for both the late preterm and term neonates were collected from records maintained in the NICU. Results: There were 3275 deliveries during the study period, of which 2447 (74.8%) were term. Among the 828 preterm neonates, 500 (60.4%) were late preterms. The maternal risk factors significantly associated with late preterm neonates were PIH, eclampsia, APH, multiple gestation, PROM, oligohydramnios and abnormal dopplers. Incidence of Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), sepsis and hypoglycemia were higher among the late preterm group with an odd’s ratio of 56.01, 9.9 and 7.8 respectively. Incidence of hypocalcemia, seizures and Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN) were also higher among this group. There was no statistically significant difference in mortality among the two groups.Conclusions: Late preterm neonates have a significantly higher neonatal morbidity compared to term neonates.

Mishra and Kumar(l), in their editorial on Meconium aspiration syndrome have been able to provide the readers with food for thought. Indeed, no other topic in the neonatal medicine has generated so much of enthusiasm and controversies as the aspiration of this seemingly inoccuous substance, i.e., the meconium. We too, have our contentions in this regard.