BACKGROUND The antigen-specific T cell responses of preterm infants to immunization are not well understood. The aim of the present study was to compare the T cell responses of preterm infants after inactivated poliovirus vaccination with those of term infants. METHODS We prospectively enrolled 2-month-old preterm (gestational age, 33 weeks) and term (gestational age, 37 weeks) infants to rec...

background: recent studies have demonstrated the high prevalence of vitamin d deficiency in the general population. pregnancy and preterm delivery are known as risk factors for vitamin d deficiency. consequently, vitamin d level in women with preterm deliveries might vary from those with term pregnancies. in this study, we aimed to compare vitamin d level in term and preterm infant–mother pairs...

Background: Late-preterm infants (34-36+6 weeks’ gestation) are often believed to have no higher risks for morbidity and mortality than term infants. This study aims to evaluate the neurodevelopmental outcome of late preterm infants at 12 months of age, compared to term infants. Methods: Neurodevelopmental assessment was administered using the Bayley Scale of Infant Development. Eighty particip...

abstract  background: the quality of life and standard of health care in a society is measured  by its preterm infants' mortality rate. the popularity and credibility of alternative  treatment such as touch therapy may be effective in preterm and low birth weight  infants in order to increase their survival rate. the aim of this study was to determine  the effect of touch intervention on the we...

OBJECTIVE To explore the association between breastfeeding support and breastfeeding among late preterm (gestation 34-36 weeks) and term (gestation ≥37 weeks) infants. METHODS Secondary analysis of the UK 2010 Infant Feeding Survey. Logistic regression was used to determine the association of breastfeeding support with breastfeeding at 10 days and 6 weeks in late preterm and term infants. R...

Preterm birth interrupts physiological foetal development, leading to various degrees of immaturity according to the gestational age at which the infant is born [1]. Since 2005, the imprecise definition of “near-term” infants has been replaced with “late-preterm”, which includes infants born between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation [2]. Late-preterm infants are at higher risk than term infants of d...

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is an important cause of early- and late-onset sepsis in the newborn. Preterm infants have markedly increased susceptibility and worse outcomes, but their immunological responses to GBS are poorly defined. We compared mononuclear cell and whole-blood cytokine responses to heat-killed GBS (HKGBS) of preterm infants (gestational age [GA], 26 to 33 weeks), term infants,...

Purpose To investigate the ocular parameters of premature infants without ROP at gestational age (GA) more than 28 weeks and their relationship with growth parameters. Methods 76 preterm infants without ROP and 65 term infants were involved to undergo portable slit lamp, RetCam3, ultrasonic A-scan biometry, and cycloplegic streak examination at their 40 weeks' postconceptional ages (PCA). Ocu...

background : due to the higher risk of  pain in preterm infants, pain management is important for such infants. the present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of kangaroo care on the severity of pain and physiological parameters after heel-stick in preterm infants. materials and methods: this was a prospective and randomized controlled cross-over study. twenty preterm infants allocated ...