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Role of Infections in Neonatal Mortality
April,1961
828 Selected abstracts
proteinuria is a practical method for pregnant women to expedite the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia between prenatal visits. John J. Dettling Aug. 6, 1960.
*Moya, F., Apgar, V., James, 1. S., and Berrien, C.: Hydramnios and Congenital Anomalies, p. 1552. Moya, et al.: Hydramnios and Congenital Anomalies, p. 1552. Seventy-four cases of hydramnios occurring at the Sloane Hospital for Women in the years from 1953 to 1958 were analyzed. There was an incidence of one case in 329 deliveries. Eighty per cent of the 74 mothers were multiparas. There were 5 sets of twins in the series, representing 6.8 per cent of the cases. There was a high rate of cesarean sections (21.6 per cent), breech deliveries (6.8 per cent), diabetes (18.9 per cent), and pre-eclampsia (14.9 per cent). The high cesarean section rate reflects the large number of diabetic patients found in the series. Seventy-nine babies were delivered from the 74 patients in this series. Forty-one of the 79 infants were apparently normal, and all survived. Congenital anomalies were present in 21 (26.6 per cent) and pathological abnormalities in 14 (17.7 per cent). Anencephaly and hydrocephaly were the most common lesions; 6 infants had gastrointestinal defects and 10 had anomalous lesions which would have obstructed swallowing or prevented the passage of fluid through the gastrointestinal tract while in utero. The over-all perinatal mortality was 29.1 per cent. A technique of routine gastric catheterization and aspiration for all infants was used as a method of diagnoses of congenital anomalies of the upper gastrointestinal tract. John J. Dettling Sept. 3, 1960. Walters, W., Ramsdell, J. A., and Johnson, C. E.: Thirty-four Pregnancies After Repair of the Bile Duct, p. 26. Sept. 10, 1960. *·Fisher, R. G., and Rollas, Z.: Postpartum Hemiplegia, p. 155. Fisher and Rollas: Postpartum Hemiplegia, p. 155. Two cases of postpartum hemiplegia are presented. In both patients, the hemiplegia, accompanied by subarachnoid hemorrhage, occurred
Am.
J. Obs!. & Grnee.
soon after delivery. One patient presumably had unilateral cerebral swelling with incidental toxemia of pregnancy. This patient improved rapidly. The second patient had an intracerebral hemorrhage perhaps due to major blood pressure changes after the effects of spinal anesthesia and a vasopressor drug. The arteriogram patterns were similar in both patients. A second arteriogram on the second patient disclosed a parasagittal hematoma. An operation was necessary to remove the hematoma. Both patients deVeloped hemiplegia in the postpartum period. Both cases were heralded by convulsions, and both patients were shown to have subarachnoid hemorrhage with intracranial pressure. The authors stress the importance to obtain as much information as possible regarding the cerebral circulation. John J. Dettling
Journal of Pediatrics Vol. 56, February, 1960. *Nelson, W. E.: The Role of Infections in Neonatal Mortality, p. 274. Nelson: Role of Infections in Neonatal Mortality, p.274. The author presents a summary of the present knowledge of the role of infections in neonatal mortality. This includes an extensive bibliography of the current contributions in this area. The author suggests that the role of infections is a "much more frequent primary cause of death than is indicated by vital statistics." While there is no new data presented in this article, it is a well-organized summary of much current knowledge. Schuyler C. Kohl March, 1960. *Vietti, T. J., Murphy, T. P., James, J. A., and Pritchard, J. A.: Observations on the Prophylactic Use of Vitamin K in the Newborn Infant, p. 343. Vietti et al.: Observations on Prophylactic Use of Vitamin K in the Newborn Infant, p.343. Vitamin K was administered to a study group of male infants following birth. A control group was not given the drug. Circumcision was performed with a Gomco clamp on both groups at about 24 hours of age. A significantly larger number of infants in the group not receiving vitamin K had bleeding. Also, a significantly larger number of that group required resuturing.
828 Selected abstracts
proteinuria is a practical method for pregnant women to expedite the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia between prenatal visits. John J. Dettling Aug. 6, 1960.
*Moya, F., Apgar, V., James, 1. S., and Berrien, C.: Hydramnios and Congenital Anomalies, p. 1552. Moya, et al.: Hydramnios and Congenital Anomalies, p. 1552. Seventy-four cases of hydramnios occurring at the Sloane Hospital for Women in the years from 1953 to 1958 were analyzed. There was an incidence of one case in 329 deliveries. Eighty per cent of the 74 mothers were multiparas. There were 5 sets of twins in the series, representing 6.8 per cent of the cases. There was a high rate of cesarean sections (21.6 per cent), breech deliveries (6.8 per cent), diabetes (18.9 per cent), and pre-eclampsia (14.9 per cent). The high cesarean section rate reflects the large number of diabetic patients found in the series. Seventy-nine babies were delivered from the 74 patients in this series. Forty-one of the 79 infants were apparently normal, and all survived. Congenital anomalies were present in 21 (26.6 per cent) and pathological abnormalities in 14 (17.7 per cent). Anencephaly and hydrocephaly were the most common lesions; 6 infants had gastrointestinal defects and 10 had anomalous lesions which would have obstructed swallowing or prevented the passage of fluid through the gastrointestinal tract while in utero. The over-all perinatal mortality was 29.1 per cent. A technique of routine gastric catheterization and aspiration for all infants was used as a method of diagnoses of congenital anomalies of the upper gastrointestinal tract. John J. Dettling Sept. 3, 1960. Walters, W., Ramsdell, J. A., and Johnson, C. E.: Thirty-four Pregnancies After Repair of the Bile Duct, p. 26. Sept. 10, 1960. *·Fisher, R. G., and Rollas, Z.: Postpartum Hemiplegia, p. 155. Fisher and Rollas: Postpartum Hemiplegia, p. 155. Two cases of postpartum hemiplegia are presented. In both patients, the hemiplegia, accompanied by subarachnoid hemorrhage, occurred
Am.
J. Obs!. & Grnee.
soon after delivery. One patient presumably had unilateral cerebral swelling with incidental toxemia of pregnancy. This patient improved rapidly. The second patient had an intracerebral hemorrhage perhaps due to major blood pressure changes after the effects of spinal anesthesia and a vasopressor drug. The arteriogram patterns were similar in both patients. A second arteriogram on the second patient disclosed a parasagittal hematoma. An operation was necessary to remove the hematoma. Both patients deVeloped hemiplegia in the postpartum period. Both cases were heralded by convulsions, and both patients were shown to have subarachnoid hemorrhage with intracranial pressure. The authors stress the importance to obtain as much information as possible regarding the cerebral circulation. John J. Dettling
Journal of Pediatrics Vol. 56, February, 1960. *Nelson, W. E.: The Role of Infections in Neonatal Mortality, p. 274. Nelson: Role of Infections in Neonatal Mortality, p.274. The author presents a summary of the present knowledge of the role of infections in neonatal mortality. This includes an extensive bibliography of the current contributions in this area. The author suggests that the role of infections is a "much more frequent primary cause of death than is indicated by vital statistics." While there is no new data presented in this article, it is a well-organized summary of much current knowledge. Schuyler C. Kohl March, 1960. *Vietti, T. J., Murphy, T. P., James, J. A., and Pritchard, J. A.: Observations on the Prophylactic Use of Vitamin K in the Newborn Infant, p. 343. Vietti et al.: Observations on Prophylactic Use of Vitamin K in the Newborn Infant, p.343. Vitamin K was administered to a study group of male infants following birth. A control group was not given the drug. Circumcision was performed with a Gomco clamp on both groups at about 24 hours of age. A significantly larger number of infants in the group not receiving vitamin K had bleeding. Also, a significantly larger number of that group required resuturing.