• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.11
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• pp.1158-1166
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• 2006

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to make a diagnostic classification and discuss a diagnostic strategy of floppy infants by investigating clinical, neurological, electrophysiological, and genetic analysis of infants admitted to intensive care units with the complaint of hypotonia. Methods : A retrospective study was performed from Jan. 1993 to Dec. 2005 in neonatal and pediatric intensive care units of Seoul National University Children's Hospital. Clinical features and all tests related to hypotonia were investigated. Results : There were 21 cases of floppy infants admitted to intensive care units. Final diagnosis was classified as centra (7 cases[33.3 percent]), peripheral (11 cases [52.4 percent]), and unspecified (3 cases [14.3 percent]). Among the central group, three patients were diagnosed as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, two patients as Prader-Willi syndrome, one patient as chromosomal disorder, and one patient as transient hypotonia. Among the peripheral group, four patients were diagnosed as myotubular myopathy, three patients as SMA type 1, two patients as congenital myotonic dystrophy, one patient as congenital muscular dystrophy, and one as unspecified motor-neuron disease. Motor power was above grade 3 on average, and deep tendon reflex was brisk in the central group. Among investigations, electromyography showed 66 percent sensitivity in the peripheral group, and muscle biopsy was all diagnostic in the peripheral group. Brain image was diagnostic in the central group, and Prader-Willi FISH or karyotyping was helpful in diagnosis in central group. Morbidity and mortality was more severe in the peripheral group Conclusion : Classification of diagnosis by clinical characteristics in this study, and application of investigations step by step, may provide an effective diagnostic strategy.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.36-46
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• 2009

Purpose: To evaluate the neonatal statistics on a national basis, data for birth characteristics and neonatal mortality were collected and analyzed from 57 hospitals in Korea. Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to determine the characteristics of neonatal births and mortality rates in 57 hospitals in Korea during 2007. We analyzed the characteristics of all inborn births and hospitalized neonates in the neonatal care units (NICUs) and compared the results with published Korean data from 1996 and 2002. Results: A total of 40,433 inborn live births were reported from the 57 hospitals during 2007. Pre-term, term, and post-term births comprised 24.2%, 75.6%, and 0.2% of the neonates, respectively. Low birth weight infants (LBWIs), very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs), and extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWIs) made up 22.0%, 4.6%, and 1.7% of the neonates, respectively. A total of 21,957 (collected by gestational period) and 21,356 (collected by birth weight) neonates were hospitalized in the 57 NICUs. Pre-term, term, and post-term neonates comprised 39.8%, 59.8%, and 0.4% of the neonates, respectively. LBWIs, VLBWIs, and ELBWIs made up 37.3%, 9.5%, and 3.3% of the neonates, respectively. Pre-term, term, and post-term neonates had mortality rates of 4.5%, 0.7%, and 3.7%, respectively, while the mortality rates of LBWIs, VLBWIs, and ELBWIs were 4.7%, 15.3%, and 32.2%, respectively. In comparison with prematurity data from 1996 and 2002, LBWIs, and ELBWIs had a marked increase in birth frequency and a decreased mortality rate in Korea during 2007. Conclusion: The number of live births and the survival rate of pre-term neonates, especially VLBWIs and ELBWIs, are increasing. Even though the outcomes of neonatal care are improving, further efforts to manage these premature infants are needed.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was done to investigate the point prevalence of postpartum depression and its predictors during early postpartum in mother of preterm infants. Methods: Participants were 101 women, 2-3 weeks after delivery whose preterm babies were hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit. Data were collected from June 2010 to January 2011. The instruments included 'Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale', 'Prenatal depression', 'Subjective health status of infant', 'Medical staff support', and 'Husband support'. Collected data were analyzed using t-test, ${\chi}^2$-test, and multiple logistic regression with SPSS/WIN version 18.0. Results: The point prevalence was 86.1% that postpartum depression occurred during the early postpartum period in mothers of preterm infants. Three significant predictors of postpartum depression in mothers of preterm infants were identified; 'Type of delivery (OR, 5.57; 95% CI, 1.25-24.77)', 'Subjective health status of infant (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.16-0.70)', and 'Medical staff support (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.28-0.97)'. Conclusion: The results indicate that postpartum mothers should be screened for postpartum depression early in the postpartum period and that, medical personnel should pay particular attention to mothers with a caesarean section and should help mothers of preterm babies to develop positive perceptions of their babies.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.25-35
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• 2009

Purpose: The characteristics of hospitalized patients in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), including hospitalization costs (HC) and National Health Insurance (NHI) status were studied. Methods: We gathered the following data from 7 hospitals in Korea during 2006: the distribution of patients according to birth weight (BW), and the duration of the hospital stay according to BW and He. Results: The patients who were admitted to the NICU consisted of high-risk neonates, including low birth weight or premature neonates, which comprised 50% of all neonates admitted to the NICU. The duration of hospitalization was 75-90 days for neonates with BW <1,000 g, 45-60 days for neonates with BW between 1,000 and 1,499 g, and approximately 15 days for neonates with BW between 2,000 and 2,499 g. The portion of the HC covered by the NHI was 77.1%, 22.9% of the total HC was not covered by the NHI (19.5% was included in the list, but not covered by the NHI and 3.4% was not listed, but covered by the NHI). The average total HC per person was 4,360,000 won, and the HC covered and not covered by the NHI were 3,677,000 won and 1,007,000 won, respectively. The mean HC were as follows; 35,000,000 won for a BW <500 g, 18,000,000 won for a BW between 500 and 999 g, 16,000,000 won for a BW between 1,000 and 1,499 g, and 4,200,000 won for a BW between 1,500 and 1,999 g. Conclusion: Not only premature, but also ill neonates were under the care of the NICU. The HC increased as the BW decreased and the hospitalization period increased. The proportion of the patient's financial burden is >25% of the total He. For this matter, additional NHI is needed.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.212-221
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• 2020

Purpose: Nursing protocols for glucose management are well known for both healthy term newborns and high-risk newborns. However, for less risky newborns who are under only observation surveillance, hypoglycemia could be overlooked unless clinical symptoms develop. Methods: A retrospective study was performed to explore factors influencing variations in glucose levels in 91 newborns who did not require any interventions, but were under nursing surveillance, at a level II neonatal intensive care unit. Data were retrieved from electrical medical records on glucose levels, demographic characteristics, and other clinical characteristics of newborns in their first day of life from January 2016 to May 2019. Results: Glucose levels tended to stabilize within the normal range (60~80 mg/dL) as time passed during the first day of life. Cesarean section, multiple gestation, abnormal growth, and later preterm birth were associated with low glucose levels in the first 2 hours of life. Thirty-one newborns experienced a hypoglycemic episode (< 45 mg/dL) during the first 24 hours of life. Conclusion: The findings of this study support the active encouragement of early feeding within 2 hours of birth and urgent adoption of a structural protocol for glucose surveillance in newborns with potential health problems immediately after birth.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.232-239
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• 2020

Purpose: This study was an quasi-experimental study to compare the effect of applying polyethylene wrap and aircap in maintaining body temperature of preterm infants. Methods: The participants were 51 preterm infants. Aircap was applied to the experimental group (n=23) and polyethylene wrap was applied to the control group (n=28) when the preterm infants admitted to neonatal intensive care unit. The data was collected at W hospital in J-province from June 2016 to May 2017. A total of 9 body temperature measurements were taken at 3 hours interval from 5 min to 24 hours after admission. Repeated measure ANOVA, independent t-test and χ² test were conducted used with SPSS/WIN 24.0 Results: There were no significant difference in the homogeneity tests for general characteristics and dependent variables prior to the experiments (t=0.57, p=.566). There was a significant difference on body temperature of preterm infants over time (F=3.24, p=.020). There was no significant difference on body temperature between polyethylene wrap and aircap application groups (F=1.29, p=.261). The interaction between the group and the time was insignificant (F=1.51, p=.214). Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that both methods of applying polyethylene wrap and aircap on the body in preterm infants had effect in maintaining body temperature.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.35-55
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• 2001

Recently attention has been focused on the effects of early intervention, or its lack, on both normal and preterm infants. Particularly numerous studies suggest that premature infants are not necessarily understimulated but instead are subjected to inappropriate stimulation. Developmental support and sensory stimulation have become clinical opportunities in which nursing practice can impact on the neurobehavioral outcome of premature infants. Developmental care has been widely accepted and implemented in neonatal intensive care units across the country. Increasingly, attention and concern in caring for low-birth-weight infants and premature infants has led clinicians in the field to explore the effects of a complex of interventions designed to create and maintain a developmentally supportive environment; to provide age-appropriate sensory input; and to protect the infant from inappropriate, excessive and stressful stimulation. The components of developmental care include modifications of the macro-environment to reduce NICU light and sound levels, care clustering, nonnutritive sucking, and containment strategies, such as flexed positioning or swaddling. Sensory stimulation of the premature infants is presented to standardize the modification of a developmental intervention based on physiologic and behavioral cues. The most appropriate type of stimuli are those that are sensitive to infant cues. Evaluation of infant physiological and behavioral responds to specific intervention stimuli may help to identify more appropriate interventions based on infants' cues. A critical question confronting the clinician is that of determining when the evidence supporting a change in practice is sufficient to justify making that change. There are acknowledged limitations in the current studies. Many of the studies examined had small sample sizes; used nonprobability sampling; and used a phase lag design, which introduces the possibility of threats to internal validity and limits the generalizability of the results. Although many issues regarding the effects of developmental interventions remain unresolved, the available research base documents significant benefits of developmental care for LBW infants in consistent outcomes, without significant adverse effects. Particularly, although the individual studies vary somewhat in the definition of specific outcomes measured, instrumentation used, time and method of data collection, and preparaion of the care providers, in all studies, infants receiving the full protocol of individualized developmentally supportive care had improvements in some aspect of four areas of infant functioning: level of respiratory or oxygen support, the establishment of oral feeding; length of hospital stay, and infant behavioral regulation. In summary, based on the available literature, individualized developmental intervention should be incorporated into standard practice in neonatal intensive care. And this implementation needs to be coupled with ongoing research to evaluate the impact of an individualized developmental care programs on the short- and long-tenn health outcomes of LBW infants.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.190-196
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• 2009

Purpose: Candida infection has increased in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). However, recent reports on systemic candida infections in preterm newborns are rare in Korea. The aim of this study was to examine the epidemiological features of systemic candida infection in very low birth weight infants (VLBW) over the past five years. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 19 patients with systemic candida infections in VLBW that were admitted to the neonatal intensive care units of three hospitals affiliated with the College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea from January 2004 to December 2008. We analyzed the birth weight, gestational age, age at diagnosis, risk factors, co-morbidity, antifungal treatment, and mortality rates among the 19 patients. Results: Systemic candida infections occurred in 19 cases (4.7%) among the VLBW infants. The mean birth weight and gestational age were 959.0$\pm$255.9 g and 26.7$\pm$2.1 weeks. The isolated Candida species were C. albicans (4), C. parapsilosis (9), C. glabrata (2), C. famata (2), and unkown subspecies (2). Most patients had various associated risk factors, including a central venous catheter, broad spectrum antibiotics, parenteral nutrition, intravenous lipid emulsion, endotracheal intubation and $H_2$ blocker therapy. There was no significant difference in the risk factors between newborns that survived and those that died with regard to the systemic candida infection, except for gestational age. Nine (47.4%) out of 19 patients with a candida infection died and four cases (21.2%) were directly related to the candida infection. Conclusion: The prevalence of systemic candida infection is increasing in VLBW infants. The majority of Candida species has shifted to C. non-albicans, especially C. parapsilosis. Because of the high mortality associated with candida infection in the NICU, prophylaxis and early treatment based on epidemiological features is necessary.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.10
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• pp.389-394
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• 2016

The incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) has not decreased over the last decade. The most important way to decrease BPD is by weaning the patient from the ventilator as soon as possible in order to reduce ventilator-induced lung injury that underlies BPD, and by using a noninvasive ventilator (NIV). Use of a heated, humidified, high flow nasal cannula (HHHFNC), which is the most recently introduced NIV mode for respiratory support in preterm infants, is rapidly increasing in many neonatal intensive care units due to the technical ease of use without sealing, and the attending physician's preference compared to other NIV modes. A number of studies have shown that nasal breakdown and neonatal complications were lower when using a HHHFNC than when using nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP), or nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation. The rates of extubation failure during respiratory support were not different between patients who used HHHFNC and nCPAP. However, data from the use of HHHFNC as the initial respiratory support "after birth", particularly in extremely preterm infants, are lacking. Although the HHHFNC is efficacious and safe, large randomized controlled trials are needed before the HHHFNC can be considered an NIV standard, particularly for extremely preterm infants.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.407-415
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine how child development knowledge, child rearing knowledge, and use of healthcare services after discharge affect maternal confidence among mothers of premature infants. Methods: Participants in this study were 55 mothers who were involved in internet communities for mothers with premature infants and 30 mothers who visited hospitals for follow up care after having their babies discharged from Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) in South Korea. Results: Presence of operation history, child development and rearing knowledge, and use of healthcare service explained 12.2% of maternal confidence. Presence of operation history (${\beta}=.32$, p<.05) and child development knowledge (${\beta}=.52$, p<.05) were significant predictors for maternal confidence. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that mothers with premature infants need further education especially on motor development, developmental knowledge, and knowledge related to operations for mothers whose child had surgery in the NICU. Also information about services provided from community health services for premature infants need to be advertised and distributed.