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ABSTRACT.Objective. Published data show that plasma creatinine falls steadily during the first 28 days of life and that creatinine levels in the neonatal period are higher in more premature infants. However, the best reference data commence on day 2 of life. The objective of this study was to document how plasma creatinine changes in the first 48 hours of life and to examine the reason for the apparently high levels of creatinine in preterm infants, compared with maternal levels.Design. A prospective observational study on a regional neonatal intensive care unit.Patients. A total of 42 preterm infants, mean gestational age of 29.4 weeks (range: 23-35), mean birth weight of 1.42 kg (.55-2.77), divided into 4 gestation groups: 23 to 26 weeks (n ‫؍‬ 9), 27 to 29 weeks (n ‫؍‬ 13), 30 to 32 weeks (n ‫؍‬ 12), and 33 to 35 weeks (n ‫؍‬ 8).Interventions. Measurement of plasma creatinine and urea concentration in cord blood and in serial samples taken for routine arterial blood gas analysis.Outcome Measurements. Changes in creatinine concentration with time and relationship to gestational age, birth weight, and illness severity. Conclusions. Rather than falling steadily from birth, creatinine rises dramatically in the first 48 hours of life, especially in infants of <30 weeks' gestation. Even large rises in creatinine in the first 48 hours may be expected and should not be used in isolation to diagnose renal failure. Pediatrics 1999;104(6). URL: http://www. pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/104/6/e76; creatinine, preterm infant, renal failure.

Background-Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is increasingly found in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).Aims-To determine whether MRSA infection has a deleterious eVect on the clinical status of children with CF. Methods-Children with MRSA in respiratory cultures during a seven year period were identified and compared with controls matched for age, sex, and respiratory function. Respiratory function tests, anthropometric data, ShwachmanKulczycki score, Northern chest x ray score, intravenous and nebulised antibiotic therapy, and steroid therapy were compared one year before and one year after MRSA infection. Results-From a clinic population of 300, 10 children had positive sputum or cough swab cultures for MRSA. Prevalence rose from 0 in 1992-1994 to 7 in 1998. Eighteen controls were identified. Children with MRSA showed significant worsening of height standard deviation scores and required twice as many courses of intravenous antibiotics as controls after one year. They had significantly worse chest x ray scores at the time of the first MRSA isolate and one year later, but showed no increase in the rate of decline in chest x ray appearance. There was a trend towards lower FEV 1 and FEF 25-75 in children with MRSA. There were no significant diVerences between the two groups with respect to change in weight, body mass index, or Shwachman score. There was no significant diVerence in prior use of steroids or nebulised antibiotics. Conclusion-MRSA infection in children with CF does not significantly aVect respiratory function, but may have an adverse eVect on growth. Children with MRSA require significantly more courses of intravenous antibiotics and have a worse chest x ray appearance than controls. (Arch Dis Child 2001;84:160-162)

Background The WHO's Vision 2020 global initiative against blindness, launched in 2000, prioritises children. Progress has been hampered by the global paucity of epidemiological data about childhood visual disability. The British Childhood Visual Impairment and Blindness Study 2 (BCVIS2) was undertaken to address this evidence gap. Methods UK-wide prospective population-based observational study of all those aged under 18 years newly diagnosed with visual impairment or blindness between Oct 1, 2015 and Nov 1 2016. Eligible children were notified simultaneously but independently by their managing ophthalmologists and paediatricians via the two national active surveillance schemes, the British Ophthalmic and Paediatric Surveillance Units. Standardised detailed data were collected at diagnosis and one year later. Incidence estimates and relative rates by key sociodemographic factors were calculated. Descriptive analyses were undertaken of underlying ophthalmic disorders and nonophthalmic comorbidities. FindingsOf 784 cases, 72% had additional non-ophthalmic impairments/disorders and 4% died within the year. Annual incidence was highest in the first year of life, 5•2 per 10,000 (95% CI 4•7-5•7) with cumulative incidence by 18 years of 10•0 per 10,000 (95% CI 9•4 to 10•8). Rates were higher for those from any ethnic minority group, the lowest quintile of socio-economic status, born preterm or with low birthweight. Only 44% had a single ophthalmic condition: disorders of the brain/visual pathways affected 48% overall. Prenatal or perinatal aetiological factors accounted for 84% of all conditions. InterpretationBCVIS2 provides a contemporary snapshot of the heterogeneity, multi-morbidity and vulnerability associated with childhood visual disability in a high income country, and the arising complex needs. These findings will facilitate developing and delivering healthcare and planning interventional research. They highlight the importance of including childhood visual disability as a sentinel event and metric in global child health initiatives.

Intracerebellar hemorrhage was more common in preterm infants than in term infants. These hemorrhages tended to be focal, unilateral and were associated with atrophy.

Background: Previous studies have used the dynamic susceptibility contrast enhanced (DSCE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique to measure cerebral perfusion in adults. Objective: To assess the feasibility of the technique in a heterogeneous cohort of sick human infants and identify cerebral perfusion abnormalities. Methods: Perfusion measurements were made by characterising the changing concentration of an injected bolus of contrast agent using a series of MR images acquired during the first pass of the contrast bolus. Qualitative values of relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were then calculated from these data on a pixel by pixel basis to generate parametric maps of perfusion. Results: Images of perfusion were successfully calculated from 12 out of 27 neonates and infants, all with established cerebral pathology. Normal vascular anatomical structures such as the circle of Willis were identified within all calculated images. Values of rCBF were generally larger in grey matter than in white matter. In several patients, perfusion abnormalities resulted in structural abnormalities which were detected in conventional MR imaging at follow up. The acquisition of perfusion data was most difficult when the least mature brains were examined because of motion artefacts and a smaller head size with a lower level of rCBF than adults.Conclusions: This preliminary study shows that: (a) maps of rCBF can be acquired from neonates and infants; (b) characterisation of the bolus passage becomes progressively easier as the brain matures; (c) early abnormalities in cerebral perfusion may have negative prognostic implications; (d) the main difficulty when using the DSCE technique to study neonates relates to image artefacts resulting from bulk head motion.

Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are widely used in the management of cystic fibrosis (CF) in children and adults. The authors present a collection of eight case reports of patients with CF in whom removal of PICCs was difficult, including two PICCs that required surgical removal. The cases were observed in a regional pediatric CF unit in the United Kingdom. Possible etiology and strategies that can be used to achieve catheter removal are discussed.

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