A Proposed Framework for the Clinical Management of Neonatal “Culture-Negative” Sepsis

The Biological Urgency of Families in NICU Based on our Understanding of Trauma

“…Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) uses various forms of neuromuscular stimulation, ranging from passive massage to applying an active force to manipulate the muscles, soft tissue, and joints (8). The objectives of OMT for premature infants during the first few days of life are to gain weight, improve latching and physiological function, reduce reflux and constipation, increase range of motion, treat jaundice, and achieve homeostasis, such as temperature regulation if it has been altered by somatic dysfunction (2,9,19,64). OMT serves as complementary medicine to help reduce the newborns' length of stay in the NICU (10).…”

“…Wearable technologies, electronic devices worn directly on the body or attached to clothing that capture high-quality physiological information, (1) are an area of rapid development in healthcare. Recent challenges posed by COVID-19 to maintain high-quality, often distanced healthcare have only increased the relevance of wearable biosensors to monitor and quantify patients' physiological status of patients (2). Wearable monitoring devices have been used during the pandemic to facilitate remote care of infected patients, monitor clinical deterioration, and identify infections before symptom development.…”

“…This firmly held belief of the brain as an analytical computer follows the development of computers for analysis and decision-making, initially proposed by Allen Newell and Herbert Simon (1). Cognition became a mechanical behavior, and computers became models of human thought (2,3).…”

“…Due to their smaller size and low birthweight (less than 2,500 grams or 5 lbs. 8 oz), these babies experience complications such as difficulty feeding, hypothermia, anemia, hypoglycemia, apnea, and respiratory distress from surfactant deficiency, infection, necrotizing enterocolitis, patent ductus arteriosus, retinopathy, and increased risk of intraventricular hemorrhage (1,2). For this discussion, we will focus on the use of Occupational Therapy (OT) and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) for improving breast or bottle feeding, promoting weight gain, reducing reflux and jaundice, regulating body temperature, achieving developmental milestones, correcting plagiocephaly, and reducing the length of stay of premature babies in the NICU.…”

“…For this discussion, we will focus on the use of Occupational Therapy (OT) and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) for improving breast or bottle feeding, promoting weight gain, reducing reflux and jaundice, regulating body temperature, achieving developmental milestones, correcting plagiocephaly, and reducing the length of stay of premature babies in the NICU. Many premature infants born before 35 weeks gestation have oral feeding difficulties and cannot latch properly, which makes it harder for them to gain weight (2). A low birth weight contributes to 60 to 80% of all neonatal deaths due to increased susceptibility to infection, hypothermia, and hypoxemia (3, 21).…”