Background: International guidelines suggest that growth of preterm infants should match intrauterine rates. However, the trajectory for extrauterine growth may deviate from the birth percentile due to an irreversible, physiological loss of extracellular fluid during postnatal adaptation to extrauterine conditions. To which "new" physiological growth trajectory preterm infants should adjust to after completed postnatal adaptation is unknown. This study analyzes the postnatal growth trajectories of healthy preterm infants using prospective criteria defining minimal support, as a model for physiological adaptation. Methods: International, multi-center, longitudinal, observational study at five neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Daily weights until day of life (DoL) 21 of infants with undisturbed postnatal adaptation were analyzed (gestational ages: (i) 25-29 wk, (ii) 30-34 wk). results: 981 out of 3,703 admitted infants included. Maximum weight loss was 11% (i) and 7% (ii) by DoL 5, birth weight regained by DoL 15 (i) and 13 (ii). Infants transitioned to growth trajectories parallel to Fenton chart percentiles, 0.8 z-scores below their birth percentiles. The new trajectory after completed postnatal adaptation could be predicted for DoL 21 with R 2 = 0.96. conclusion: This study provides a robust estimate for physiological growth trajectories of infants after undisturbed postnatal adaptation. In the future, the concept of a target postnatal trajectory during NICU care may be useful. i mproved survival rates of very-low-birth-weight (<1,500 g birth weight) infants have shifted the focus of neonatal care onto improving postnatal growth and nutrition, aiming to achieve growth rates that optimize later health outcomes (1). Pediatric societies in North America and Europe have recommended that postnatal growth of preterm infants match the in utero growth rates of fetuses that remain in utero until full-term (2-4). These recommendations gain importance in light of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis (5). The DOHaD concept suggests that suboptimal growth of a fetus or a newborn infant can impact the early onset of adult metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. In utero, the growth rate of an individual fetus is determined by its genetic potential and modified by "environmental" factors such as maternal nutrition, body composition, pathologies, or altitude above sea level. After birth, growth patterns of preterm infants are under external control by neonatal staff who modify the infants' nutrient intake. Figure 1 shows three hypothetical postnatal trajectories for a given preterm infant (27 wk of gestation, birth weight 1,000 g). It is of interest to note that these trajectories have similar slopes and hence not dramatically different growth rates. However, postnatal adjustment to different percentiles during the phase of stable growth will lead to different body compositions-potentially affecting later health outcomes.The current evidence for optimal postnatal growth trajectories is scarce....

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SGA neonates below 32 weeks gestation are a high-risk group regarding neonatal mortality and neonatal pulmonary morbidity.

BackgroundGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most frequent complication during pregnancy. Untreated GDM is a severe threat to maternal and neonatal health. Based on recent evidence, up to 15% of all pregnancies may be affected by GDM. We hypothesized that in a rural birth cohort, higher maternal BMI and adverse socioeconomic conditions would promote GDM, which in turn would lead to adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes.MethodsThe current study is a part of a population-based cohort study examining the health and socioeconomic information from 5801 mothers and their children. The study, titled the Survey of Neonates in Pomerania (SNiP), was based in northeastern Pomerania, Germany (2002–2008).ResultsThe cumulative incidence of GDM was 5.1%. Multiple logistic regression revealed prepregnancy overweight (OR 1.84 (95% CI 1.27–2.68)), prepregnancy obesity (OR 3.67 (2.48–5.44)) and maternal age (OR 1.06 (1.03–1.08)) as risk factors for GDM (p = 0.001). Alcohol use during pregnancy (OR 0.61 (0.41–0.90), a higher monthly income (OR 0.62 (0.46–0.83)), and the highest level of education (OR 0.44 (0.46–0.83)) decreased the risk of GDM.Newborns of GDM mothers had an increased risk of hypoglycaemia (OR 11.71 (7.49–18.30)) or macrosomia (OR 2.43 (1.41–4.18)) and were more often delivered by primary (OR 1.76 (1.21–2.60)) or secondary C-section (OR 2.00 (1.35–2.97)). Moreover, they were born 0.78 weeks (95% CI -1.09 – -0.48 weeks) earlier than infants of mothers without diabetes, resulting in higher percentage of late preterm infants with a gestational age of 32–36 weeks (11.1% vs. 6.96%).ConclusionsAge and BMI before pregnancy were the predominant mediators of the increased risk of GDM, whereas a higher income and educational level were protective. GDM affected relevant perinatal and neonatal outcomes based on its association with an increased risk of delivery by C-section, preterm birth, macrosomia at birth and neonatal hypoglycaemia.

These preliminary results show that the ABUS allows detection of solid and cystic lesions and their BI-RADS classification with a high reliability in a selected patient group.