Association between thoracic musculoskeletal abnormalities and lung function in preterm infants

Analysis of imaging features and clinical manifestations in children with congenital rib deformities: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Congenital rib deformity is a common thoracic deformity that has a potentially far-reaching impact on the growth and lung function development of young children. Early diagnosis and accurate assessment of congenital rib deformity is of great importance. This study was to retrospectively analyze the number, location, and types of deformities, imaging features as well as clinical symptoms of children with congenital rib deformities.

METHODS

Children who were diagnosed with congenital rib deformities between October 2019 and October 2021 in our hospital were included in this study. The rib deformities were analyzed according to the imaging results of chest X-ray and 3D volume rendering multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0.

RESULTS

A total of 472 male and 186 female children with rib deformities were detected in this study, with a male to female ratio of approximately 2.54:1. Of the deformed ribs, 417 (63.4%) were located on the right side, usually single and unilateral. The most common type of the detected rib deformity were bifid ribs (95.14%). Rib deformity was most common in the fourth rib (46.62%). The majority (76.16%, n = 428) of rib deformities were incidental findings and asymptomatic.

CONCLUSIONS

Congenital rib deformities in pediatric patients included in our hospital were more frequently observed in males than females, more frequently detected on the right than on the left side. The most common type of rib deformity is the bifid rib. MDCT examination are of great value in the diagnosis of rib deformity and can help guide clinical treatment.

Model-Base Estimation of Non-Invasive Ventilation Weaning of Preterm Infants Exposed to Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: A Propensity-Score-Matched Cohort Study

Ventilation weaning is a key intensive care event influencing preterm infants’ discharge from a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) has been recently introduced in some Italian NICUs. This retrospective cohort study tested if OMT is associated with faster non-invasive ventilation (NIV) weaning. The time to NIV weaning was assessed in very preterm and very low birth weight infants who either received or did not receive OMT. The propensity score model included gender, antenatal steroids, gestational age (GA), birth weight (BW), and Apgar score 5′. Out of 93 infants, 40 were included in the multilevel survival analysis, showing a reduction of time to NIV weaning for GA (HR: 2.58, 95%CI: 3.91 to 1.71, p < 0.001) and OMT (HR: 3.62, 95%CI: 8.13 to 1.61, p = 0.002). Time to independent ventilation (TIV) was modeled with GA and BW as dependent variables and OMT as the factor. A negative linear effect of GA and BW on TIV was shown. OMT exposure studied as the factor of GA had effects on TIV in infants born up to the 32nd gestational week. Preterm infants exposed to OMT were associated with earlier achievement of NIV weaning. This result, together with the demonstrated OMT safety, suggests the conduct of clinical trials in preterm infants younger than 32 weeks of GA.

Impact of Kangaroo Mother Care Intervention on Immunological and Pulmonary Functions of Preterm Infants during Breastfeeding

Objective

Preterm infants (PTIs) are prone to respiratory failure or other diseases due to immature organ development and poor immunological function. Herein, the effects of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) on the immunological and pulmonary functions of PTIs during breastfeeding were investigated in this study.

Methods

The study recruited 86 delivery women and their PTIs with preterm pregnancy outcomes, consisting of 46 cases receiving breastfeeding plus KMC intervention (KMC group) and 40 cases receiving breastfeeding plus routine care (control group). The time of first lactation, time of first breastfeeding, and duration of first breastfeeding were observed in both cohorts. The breastfeeding status was assessed using the LATCH system. Maternal psychological status was evaluated by the breastfeeding self-efficacy scale (BSES) and self-rating anxiety/depression scale (SAS/SDS). The growth and development of PTIs were recorded, and the levels of postalbumin (PA), transferrin (TRF), plasma albumin (ALB), immunoglobulin (Ig) A, IgG, IgM, and complement C3 and C4 were measured. The tidal volume (VT), tidal volume per kilogram (VT/kg), minute volume (MV), and minute volume per kilogram (MV/kg) were detected using a pulmonary function tester.

Results

The KMC group presented shorter time of first lactation and first breastfeeding than the control group, with longer duration of first breastfeeding (P < 0.05). After intervention, the BSES scores of delivery women were increased, while the SAS and SDS scores were decreased, with more notable improvements in the KMC group (P < 0.05). The levels of PA, TRF, ALB, IgA, IgG, VT, and MV were elevated in PTIs in both groups, with more evident increase in the KMC group than in the control group (P < 0.05). A better growth of PTIs was found in the KMC group than the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The study demonstrated that KMC intervention during breastfeeding could benefit PTIs specifically regarding their immunological and pulmonary functions.