The attempt to identify risk factors or correlates of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) has been constrained by conflicting research findings, changing hypotheses about the etiology of IVH, and by the exceedingly complex nature of this neurological disorder. In addition, few studies have investigated the possibility that antenatal factors might predispose the infant to IVH. Thus, research aimed at identifying IVH correlates from all time periods in which stress could occur to the neonate needs to be undertaken. This study was conducted for the purpose of identifying and quantifying correlates of IVH by constructing an interactive statistical model to predict the occurrence, severity, and onset of IVH. The study sample was composed of inborn neonates admitted to the University of Utah Medical Center's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit from July 1985 to June 1987. Ultrasound brain scans were used to assigned 150 infants into two groups of equal numbers: an IVH group and a nonIVH group. Forty-three maternal, 17 obstetric, and 35 neonatal variables were collected from the infants' and infants' mothers' medical records and included demographic, medical, and behavioral data. The mean birthweights and gestational ages for the IVH and non-IVH groups were 1413 g, 29.9 weeks, and 1573 g 31.3 weeks, respectively. Factors found to be associated with IVH were neonatal hypotension, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, lower hematocrit percent, pulmonary interstitial emphysema, severe respiratory distress syndrome, shorter gestational ages, lower 5-minute Apgar score, pneumothorax, shorter umbilical cord lengths, and lower maternal hemoglobin concentrations. No obstetric factors were found to be related to IVH. A second-order, interactive model used to predict IVH occurrence and severity explained 90.9% of the total variability. The attempt to predict the onset time of IVH was unsuccessful. While the condition of the neonate immediately following birth is the best predictor of IVH, maternal or antenatal factors may interact to contribute to the development of this neurological disorder.

Background To date, the vast majority of studies on infant feeding behavior of Chinese population have been conducted in Asian and some western countries but not the U.S. As the fastest growing Asian subgroup and with the largest Chinese community outside of Asia, studies that focus on their health choices in the U.S. are long overdue. Where studies are available, the overseas Chinese population is often regarded as high formula feeding and low breastfeeding. Chinese mothers often cite family, cultural, and social expectations as the determining factors for their choice of infant feeding. Given the cultural beliefs and traditions of Chinese immigrant population in the U.S., this study argues for the importance of including the input of the overall community, as opposed to only mothers, as a more data-based explanation of the prevalence of formula feeding among the Chinese community in New York City, and in addition, why this community continues to accept formula feeding as the norm. Methods Guided by Theory of Planned Behavior, this study incorporated both quantitative and qualitative components. A total of 434 surveys and 20 in-person interviews were collected in Chinese populated areas in New York City. Results In examining the prevalence of formula feeding in the Chinese community, both quantitative and qualitative findings consistently identified the central role friends and family played in motivating certain groups to use formula. These less acculturated, educated, and China-born subgroups are likely to conform to the idea that breast milk supplemented by infant formula is necessary in order to meet the nutritional demand of a growing infant. For the first-generation immigrants who breastfeed for health benefits and tradition, their attitudes towards infant feeding shifted after seeing other formula-fed children in populated Chinese communities as evident by shorter breastfeeding durations for the child born in the U.S. as compared to previous child born in China. As for the second-generation, who are more acculturated and educated, although they are aware of the benefits of breastfeeding and intend to breastfeed, they are expected by the older generation to continue the formula feeding tradition in the family. Conclusion When investigating why infant formula remained as the popular choice of feeding and is often perceived as the norm by this community, the current study identified the psychosocial variables that motivated individual subgroups and the context underlay. The findings provided new insights to the current literature and are intended to help guide future studies and to develop educational policy interventions to improve the overall infant feeding experiences for the Chinese community in New York City.

This thesis has outlined a reliable and practical method for auditory screening in the newborn. Validation of the assumption that the Denver test kit bell could be used as a standardized stimulus was accomplished by electronic analysis. The experimental stimulus, then, was matched against a standardized commercial device for auditory screening with the hypothesis that there would be no differences in response patterns elicited by the two instruments. Newborns in a hospital nursery served as subjects.No significant differences existed between the two groups with respect to the number judged as hearing infants. However, there was a significant difference between the two groups with respect to the number judged as nonhearing infants.In addition, a discussion is presented to illustrate the meaning of the findings, the usefulness of this study, and a method for continuing the auditory evaluation of newborns.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Deborah Frank, Florida State University, School of Nursing. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 17, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Speech and Hearing Sciences / Master / Master of Science in Audiology

Our objective was to study the effect of GLN supplementation on whole body protein turnover, somatic growth and gastrointestinal tolerance to enteral feeding in neonates following surgical stress. We hypothesized that GLN in total parenteral nutrition (TPN) would (1) favor retention of lean body mass by reducing protein breakdown (PB) during the acute phase after surgery, (2) promote somatic growth, (3) decrease length of time to achieve full feeds. Protein turnover was measured in a double-blind randomized trial involving neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after major surgery. L-GLN (n = 6) was added to TPN at a dose of 200 mg/g of protein intake. Controls (n = 7) were isonitrogenous. Isotope studies were performed on Day 4 of TPN. Subjects were given a 4-hour primed constant intravenous infusion of L-[1-13C]-leucine and [15N2]-urea. In the GLN group, a 15% reduction in PB was measured (unpaired t-test, p < 0.05). There was a trend towards improved net protein balance which was statistically different from zero in the GLN group. There were no differences in somatic growth during TPN course and in the length of time to achieve full enteral feeds. Results suggest that early TPN supplemented with GLN has a beneficial sparing effect on protein metabolism in critically ill neonates after major surgical stress.

No description available.

Breast fed infants appear to grow less rapidly after the first three months of age when compared with current standards from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The NCHS standards are a composite of two other studies both of which used formula fed infants or infants who were breast fed for a short period of time. Current literature suggests a breast fed infant's deviation from NCHS standards should be considered a normal pattern with no apparent deleterious consequences to a breast fed infant. This study was undertaken to determine whether differences do exist between the growth patterns of breast fed infants in Muncie, Indiana, and NCHS standards, and if so, at what age do the differences become apparent. For this study growth data were gathered for 66 infants. The subjects were women who attended the Obstetrical and Family Practice Clinics of Ball Memorial or were patients of private physicians in Muncie and Delaware County, Indiana and who volunteered to participate in the study. Women who were free of chronic conditions were elgible to participate in the study. A 24-hour data collection period was conducted one day each month for one calendar year or as long as the subjects remained in the study. Immediately before and after each nursing during the 24-hour time period weight measurements were taken and recorded for the infants. Lengths were measured once at this time. The analysis of data from this study is similar to previous studies, and showed that weight gain in particular, but also length gain, of the breast fed infant was slower after three months of age in comparison to NCHS standards and supports the recommendations of others that the weight gain of breast fed infants should not be compared to current NCHS standards and new growth charts based on breast fed infants are needed. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether multiparous mothers of full term infants perceived newborns differently than multiparous mothers of premature infants. A convenience sample of 32 multiparous mothers was selected and placed into one of two groups according to the gestational age. Group 1 was comprised of 25 full term mothers and Group 2 was comprised of 7 preterm mothers.The Neonatal Perception Inventory - I was utilized to elicit mother's perceptions of the newborn. The instrument was found to be valid and reliable for use with multiparas. Demographic data was gathered on age, educational level, number of previous pregnancies and the classification of a high-risk pregnancy.Differences between the two groups were analyzed utilizing a ttest and Analysis of Covariance. The study's results indicated that there is no significant difference between neonatal perceptions of multiparous mothers of full term infants and multiparous mothers of premature infants. / School of Nursing