The 10th Anniversary of Healthcare—Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2024) | Viewed by 12701

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Neonatology, Canberra Hospital, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Interests: neonatal and perinatal medicine; epidemiology of prematurity; quality of care in neonatal intensive care units; neurodevelopmental outcome of premature infants; neonatal abstinence syndrome
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In 2023, we will celebrate the 10th anniversary volume of the journal Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032), and we would be happy if you could join us on this wonderful occasion.

Healthcare is an international, scientific, peer-reviewed, open access journal on health care systems, industry, technology, policy, and regulation, and is published online by MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Healthcare is indexed within Scopus, SCIE and SSCI (Web of Science), PubMed, PMC, and other databases. The Impact Factor for this journal is 2.8. The inaugural issue was released in 2013, and in 2021, we published the 1000th paper in this journal. Healthcare is evidently a rapidly developing journal.

In recognition of this significant milestone, we are launching a Special Issue entitled “The 10th Anniversary of Healthcare—Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine”. This Special Issue will include high-quality papers on topics within the broad scope of perinatal and neonatal medicine in healthcare. It is our pleasure to invite you to contribute an original research paper or a comprehensive review article for peer review and possible publication in Healthcare.

Prof. Dr. Abdel-Latif Mohamed
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • neonate
  • newborn
  • infant
  • fetal
  • pregnancy
  • perinatal
  • outcome
  • neurosensory
  • morbidity
  • mortality
  • intensive care
  • special care

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 2505 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of a Video-Based Concept for Hand Hygiene Education of Parents in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
by Judith Rittenschober-Böhm, Johanna Strassl, Maria Kletecka-Pulker, Péter Szerémy, Tamás Haidegger, Tamás Ferenci, Angelika Berger and Michael Wagner
Healthcare 2024, 12(17), 1766; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12171766 - 4 Sep 2024
Viewed by 852
Abstract
Background: Current clinical guidelines support family-centered care in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). This implies parents should also be involved in the most critical patient safety measures. Hand hygiene is the single most important tool to prevent healthcare-associated infections and related long-term effects. [...] Read more.
Background: Current clinical guidelines support family-centered care in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). This implies parents should also be involved in the most critical patient safety measures. Hand hygiene is the single most important tool to prevent healthcare-associated infections and related long-term effects. Although often studied in healthcare workers, the hand hygiene compliance of parents is rarely assessed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational video, available in ten different languages, in teaching parents hand hygiene techniques in a NICU, lowering the burden on the staff. Methods: Parents in the intervention group were educated through a video; the control group received personal instruction from healthcare workers. The primary outcome parameter was the predicted probability of passing a subsequent hand scan. Results: The quality of hand hygiene among parents educated through the video was at least as good as that of those who received instruction from a healthcare worker, demonstrated by a higher predicted probability of passing the hand scan (43.8% vs. 57.1% in male and 67.9% vs. 75.9% in female participants). The feedback from the intervention group was predominantly positive, with most parents (62%) expressing a preference for video-based education. Conclusion: Implementing a video-based approach seems to be effective for educating parents about hand hygiene in a NICU and was well accepted by the parents. This method offers a consistent standard of hand hygiene education, helps to overcome language barriers, and can also be used as regular reminder of the importance and proper technique of hand hygiene. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 10th Anniversary of Healthcare—Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine)
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8 pages, 981 KiB  
Article
Lung Ultrasound Score in Neonatal RDS: Agreement between Sonography Expert and Neonatologists with Varying Levels of Experience
by Joanna Puskarz-Gąsowska, Piotr Kruczek, Roman Hożejowski, Małgorzata Stefańska, Witold Błaż, Iwona Sadowska-Krawczenko, Urszula Majewska and Renata Bokiniec
Healthcare 2024, 12(14), 1450; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12141450 - 20 Jul 2024
Viewed by 875
Abstract
This study aimed to assess interrater agreement in lung ultrasound scores (LUS) among neonatologists with varying experience levels and an expert sonographer. A post hoc analysis was conducted on data from a prospective multicenter study involving 155 infants born <34 weeks’ gestation, all [...] Read more.
This study aimed to assess interrater agreement in lung ultrasound scores (LUS) among neonatologists with varying experience levels and an expert sonographer. A post hoc analysis was conducted on data from a prospective multicenter study involving 155 infants born <34 weeks’ gestation, all with respiratory distress syndrome. A total of 629 lung scans were performed and video-recorded by 21 point-of-care sonographers, including both experienced (n = 7) and inexperienced (n = 14) evaluators. Subsequently, a blinded expert sonographer re-evaluated the assigned LUS values. The Cohen’s kappa statistic for individual pulmonary field assessments ranged from 0.89 to 0.93, indicating nearly perfect agreement. The interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) confirmed excellent reliability on total LUS values, demonstrating similar performance of experienced (ICC = 0.92, 95% CI 0.90–0.94) and inexperienced sonographers (ICC = 0.93, 95% CI 0.92–0.94). This study underscores that lung ultrasound is easily learned, and LUS exhibits outstanding reproducibility, irrespective of the sonographer’s level of experience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 10th Anniversary of Healthcare—Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine)
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12 pages, 546 KiB  
Article
Association of Serum Calcium Levels of Preterm Neonates at Birth with Calcium Intake from Foods and Supplements by Bedridden Women during Pregnancy
by Aristea Gioxari, Panos Papandreou, Efstratia Daskalou, Andriana C. Kaliora and Maria Skouroliakou
Healthcare 2024, 12(6), 693; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12060693 - 20 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1287
Abstract
Bone calcium turnover is aggravated in pregnant women recommended to bed rest. In the present cross-sectional study, we aimed to clarify whether preterm neonates would benefit from calcium supplementation during pregnancy. Forty-two mothers (37.5 ± 6.7 years), recommended bed rest at home, and [...] Read more.
Bone calcium turnover is aggravated in pregnant women recommended to bed rest. In the present cross-sectional study, we aimed to clarify whether preterm neonates would benefit from calcium supplementation during pregnancy. Forty-two mothers (37.5 ± 6.7 years), recommended bed rest at home, and 42 preterm neonates (24–37 weeks gestational age) were enrolled. Neonates’ serum calcium was quantified at birth. Mothers’ calcium intake from foods and supplements during pregnancy was assessed. Serum 25-OH-D was measured in both mothers and neonates at birth. Results showed that mothers’ calcium intake from foods was significantly lower than the recommended daily reference value (p < 0.001), while total calcium intake including supplements was close to the calcium reference value of 1000 mg/day (p = 0.648). Neonates’ serum calcium concentration was significantly higher in mothers receiving calcium supplementation during pregnancy compared to mothers who did not (p < 0.001). A significant association between neonates’ serum calcium levels and mothers’ calcium supplementation was evident, even when adjusted to mothers’ age, pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational age, and neonates’ birth weight (beta = +0.460, p = 0.025). A statistically significant correlation between neonates’ and mothers’ serum 25-OH-D levels was found (r = 0.891, p < 0.001). In conclusion, calcium status in preterm neonates, born by bedridden women, could be enhanced after calcium supplementation during gestation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 10th Anniversary of Healthcare—Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine)
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13 pages, 27423 KiB  
Article
Umbilical Cord Diseases Affecting Obstetric and Perinatal Outcomes
by Gabriele Tonni, Mario Lituania, Alessandro Cecchi, Elisa Carboni, Serena Resta, Maria Paola Bonasoni and Rodrigo Ruano
Healthcare 2023, 11(19), 2634; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11192634 - 27 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4465
Abstract
Background: (1) The aim of this article is to describe the physiopathology underlying umbilical cord diseases and their relationship with obstetric and perinatal outcomes. (2) Methods: Multicenter case series of umbilical cord diseases with illustrations from contributing institutions are presented. (3) Results: Clinical [...] Read more.
Background: (1) The aim of this article is to describe the physiopathology underlying umbilical cord diseases and their relationship with obstetric and perinatal outcomes. (2) Methods: Multicenter case series of umbilical cord diseases with illustrations from contributing institutions are presented. (3) Results: Clinical presentations of prenatal ultrasound findings, clinical prenatal features and postnatal outcomes are described. (4) Conclusions: Analysis of our series presents and discusses how umbilical cord diseases are associated with a wide variety of obstetric complications leading to a higher risk of poor perinatal outcomes in pregnancies. Knowing the physiopathology, prenatal clinical presentations and outcomes related to umbilical diseases allow for better prenatal counseling and management to potentially avoid severe obstetric and perinatal complications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 10th Anniversary of Healthcare—Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine)
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Review

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12 pages, 256 KiB  
Review
The Babyccino: The Role of Caffeine in the Prevention of Acute Kidney Injury in Neonates—A Literature Review
by Nimisha Aithal and Yogavijayan Kandasamy
Healthcare 2024, 12(5), 529; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12050529 - 23 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1610
Abstract
Acute kidney injury (AKI) in neonates is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Theophylline (a methylxanthine) has been shown to prevent neonatal AKI but is seldom used due to its unfavorable profile. Caffeine, another methylxanthine, is utilized ubiquitously to treat apnea of prematurity, [...] Read more.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) in neonates is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Theophylline (a methylxanthine) has been shown to prevent neonatal AKI but is seldom used due to its unfavorable profile. Caffeine, another methylxanthine, is utilized ubiquitously to treat apnea of prematurity, but there are no randomized trials evaluating its efficacy in preventing neonatal AKI. This literature review aims to summarize the existing research pertaining to the relationship between caffeine and neonatal AKI. The review was conducted using Pubmed, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane. Inclusion criteria incorporated empirical studies, being published in English, and being available electronically. All eight studies identified were included. Seven studies found caffeine-exposed premature neonates had lower rates of AKI than caffeine-unexposed neonates. Four found reduced AKI severity with caffeine exposure. One study included term neonates and did not find a difference in the AKI rate between caffeine-exposed and non-exposed babies. Limitations include exclusively observational studies, short study periods, heterogenous definitions of prematurity, and a lack of assessment of dose–effect relationships. In conclusion, premature neonates exposed to caffeine appear to have lower rates and potentially less severe AKI. Further research is needed before caffeine can be considered for use in the primary prevention of neonatal AKI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 10th Anniversary of Healthcare—Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine)
12 pages, 903 KiB  
Review
Towards Non-Invasive and Continuous Blood Pressure Monitoring in Neonatal Intensive Care Using Artificial Intelligence: A Narrative Review
by Stephanie Baker, Thiviya Yogavijayan and Yogavijayan Kandasamy
Healthcare 2023, 11(24), 3107; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11243107 - 6 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1504
Abstract
Preterm birth is a live birth that occurs before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. Approximately 11% of babies are born preterm annually worldwide. Blood pressure (BP) monitoring is essential for managing the haemodynamic stability of preterm infants and impacts outcomes. However, current methods [...] Read more.
Preterm birth is a live birth that occurs before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. Approximately 11% of babies are born preterm annually worldwide. Blood pressure (BP) monitoring is essential for managing the haemodynamic stability of preterm infants and impacts outcomes. However, current methods have many limitations associated, including invasive measurement, inaccuracies, and infection risk. In this narrative review, we find that artificial intelligence (AI) is a promising tool for the continuous measurement of BP in a neonatal cohort, based on data obtained from non-invasive sensors. Our findings highlight key sensing technologies, AI techniques, and model assessment metrics for BP sensing in the neonatal cohort. Moreover, our findings show that non-invasive BP monitoring leveraging AI has shown promise in adult cohorts but has not been broadly explored for neonatal cohorts. We conclude that there is a significant research opportunity in developing an innovative approach to provide a non-invasive alternative to existing continuous BP monitoring methods, which has the potential to improve outcomes for premature babies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 10th Anniversary of Healthcare—Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine)
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Other

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6 pages, 1131 KiB  
Case Report
Vein of Galen Aneurysmal Malformation: A Case Report
by Naomi E. Clarke, Jatinder Shekhawat, Himanshu Popat, David J. E. Lord and Mohamed E. Abdel-Latif
Healthcare 2024, 12(7), 716; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12070716 - 25 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1317
Abstract
Vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation is a relatively rare disease in which failure of the median prosencephalic vein of Markowski to involute early in gestation leads to a grossly dilated deep cerebral vein with multiple arterial feeders, causing a large arteriovenous shunt which [...] Read more.
Vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation is a relatively rare disease in which failure of the median prosencephalic vein of Markowski to involute early in gestation leads to a grossly dilated deep cerebral vein with multiple arterial feeders, causing a large arteriovenous shunt which leads to high-output cardiac failure. We describe a case of a term neonate who presented to a tertiary neonatal centre on day one of life with history, symptoms, and signs consistent with perinatal asphyxia; however, in the context of worsening multi-organ dysfunction and cardiomegaly, the infant was found to have a severe vein of Galen aneurysmal dilatation leading to high-output cardiac failure. The patient was transferred to a tertiary paediatric hospital and underwent a total of four coiling procedures to embolise the multiple feeder arteries supplying the aneurysmal malformation. This case highlights the difficulties in diagnosing this relatively uncommon condition, particularly in the context of a possible perinatal insult. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 10th Anniversary of Healthcare—Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine)
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