OBJECTIVE Given the paucity of information regarding endotracheal epinephrine for newborn resuscitation, the objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the frequency of endotracheal epinephrine use in newborns in the delivery room, and (2) to determine whether the previously recommended dose of 0.01 to 0.03 mg/kg of endotracheal epinephrine is effective in establishing a return of spontane...

One of the first "tools" used for systematically evaluating successful newborn transitional physiology at birth was the Apgar Score, devised by Virginia Apgar in 1953. This objective assessment tool allowed clinicians to immediately gauge the relative success of a newborn infant making the transition from the in utero liquid immersive environment to the ex utero gas environment in the delivery ...

Much attention in the literature has recently been paid to women's issues in epilepsy but most of the literature stops in the delivery room or at the first moment of suckling. Although it is commonly supposed that a woman who continues to have active epilepsy during the puerperium will pose a risk to her child, little assessment of how great a risk this is has been carried out. We present an au...

The approach to preventing meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) in the newborn has changed markedly over the last 30 years. In the late 1970s, all infants born through meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAf) had upper-airway suctioning before delivery of the shoulders and then had tracheal intubation and suctioning in the delivery room. Now suctioning of the upper airway is no longer recommended, ...

In 2010, the congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) EURO Consortium published a standardized neonatal treatment protocol. Five years later, the number of participating centers has been raised from 13 to 22. In this article the relevant literature is updated, and consensus has been reached between the members of the CDH EURO Consortium. Key updated recommendations are: (1) planned delivery after ...

BACKGROUND The developing world accounts for 99% of global maternal deaths. Men in developing countries are the chief decision-makers, determining women's access to maternal health services and influencing their health outcomes. At present, it is unclear whether involving men in maternal health can improve maternal outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the impa...

BACKGROUND The first minutes after birth are critical to reducing neonatal mortality. Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) is a simulation-based neonatal resuscitation program for low resource settings. We studied the impact of initial HBB training followed by refresher training on the knowledge and skills of the birth attendants in facilities. METHODS We conducted HBB trainings in 71 facilities in t...

OBJECTIVES Approximately 20-40% of annual global neonatal deaths occur among infants with birthweights ≥2,500 g, and most of these deaths are associated with intrapartum asphyxia in low- and middle-income countries. This study aims to evaluate the peripartum variables associated with the need for resuscitation at birth of neonates weighing ≥2,500 g. METHOD This case-control retrospective stud...

BACKGROUND As measurement of arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) is common in the delivery room, target SpO2 ranges allow clinicians to titrate oxygen therapy for preterm infants in order to achieve saturation levels similar to those seen in normal term infants in the first minutes of life. However, the influence of the onset of ventilation and the timing of cord clamping on systemic and cerebral...

We aimed to determine whether an early prophylactic INSURE strategy combined with early nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) treatment could decrease the subsequent need for mechanical ventilation (MV) compared to the administration of surfactant prophylaxis later, at the 15th minute after birth, combined with early nCPAP. Infants born at <30 weeks' gestation were randomized to rec...