| 1. |
- Oras, Paola
(författare)
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Care for the New-Born : Breastfeeding and Skin-to-Skin Contact
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Breastfeeding is associated with improved health in mothers and children and human milk is especially beneficial for preterm infants. The vast majority of pregnant women in Sweden intend to breastfeed, but breastfeeding rates are suboptimal, with even lower rates for preterm infants.The overall aim of this thesis was to describe breastfeeding patterns of preterm and term infants and to evaluate an intervention based on the Ten steps to successful breastfeeding on breastfeeding outcomes.In Paper I, mothers of preterm infants reported large variations in breastfeeding frequencies and patterns. The median breastfeeding frequencies from birth to six months ranged from 10–14 times per 24 hours with the majority practicing on demand breastfeeding.In Paper II the median daily duration of skin-to-skin contact in preterm infants during the hospital stay was associated with earlier breastfeeding attainment. Infants commenced full breastfeeding at a median postmenstrual age of 35+0 weeks (range 32+1 to 37+5). Breastfeeding duration was shorter than national statistics.Paper III describes the development and implementation of a breastfeeding support program for term and preterm infants using Intervention Mapping. The method was time-consuming, but allowed for a solid theoretical base, high involvement of stakeholders and was sufficiently comprehensive.Paper IV included term infants at age two months and their mothers and consisted of a baseline group and intervention group. Mothers reported large variations in breastfeeding frequencies and patterns. Mothers in the intervention group breastfed more frequently, in median 14 times compared to 11 times in the baseline group, and they also practiced on demand breastfeeding to a larger extent. Mothers with exclusive breastfeeding reported higher self -efficacy.This thesis provides a better understanding of breastfeeding patterns in preterm and term infants and it demonstrates that breastfeeding frequencies and on demand breastfeeding can be influenced with improved breastfeeding support. For preterm infants, breastfeeding attainment is facilitated by skin-to-skin-contact and they have the capability to breastfeed at a low postmenstrual age. This thesis also demonstrates a possible link between breastfeeding patterns and mothers’ ability to interpret infant cues. Intervention Mapping is a useful tool in the development of breastfeeding support programs.
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| 2. |
- Fredriksson Kaul, Ylva
(författare)
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From Eye to Mind : Early Visuomotor Performance and Developmental Trajectories in Children Born Preterm
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Children born very preterm, at less than 32 weeks of gestation, have an increased risk of developing problems with attention, cognition, perception and motor function. Despite this, the developmental trajectories leading from preterm birth to later impairments are not fully understood.This thesis focused on investigating the development of the visuomotor system in infants born very preterm, in relation to neurodevelopment at 2.5-3 years (including cognitive, language and motor functions) and 6.5 years (including cognitive functions and attention). Two early visuomotor functions were investigated: at 4 months of corrected age we looked at their visual tracking of moving objects and at 8 months of corrected age we examined how they reached for moving objects. Visual tracking performance is the ability to follow, sustain attention on and predict the future positions of a moving object. When infants reach for moving objects, these requirements are enhanced by movements of the arm and hand.This was a prospective, population-based cohort study of children born very preterm in 2004-2007, who were longitudinally assessed from the neonatal period until 6.5 years of age. The results showed that the two most important early visual tracking parameters were gaze gain, which is effectively combining eye and head movements to follow the trajectory of the object, and timing of gaze to the motion of the object. Gaze gain correlated with neurodevelopment at 2.5-3 years and with cognition and attention at 6.5 years. Early reaching was also related to outcomes at 2.5-3 years, but the pattern differed for children born before and after 28 weeks of gestation. Parameters of prediction and movement planning were the most important factors for the children of the lowest gestational age, but strategies and success had greater associations with later function in those who were less premature.The results confirmed that children born very preterm in the first decade of the 2000’s still faced increased risks of developmental delays. Early visual tracking performance, and reaching for moving objects, were shown to be important visuomotor functions in the developmental process of children born very preterm. The studies in this thesis illustrate how early basic functions were related to different neurodevelopmental areas at a later stage and offer important new insights into developmental trajectories of children at risk of developmental impairments. These findings suggest that attention and predictive elements of adjusting one´s movements to motion, may be key mechanisms and possible targets in future intervention studies.
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| 3. |
- Wikström, Sverre
(författare)
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Background aEEG/EEG measures in very preterm infants : Relation to physiology and outcome
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The overall aim of this thesis was to characterize single-channel aEEG/EEG, recorded during the first postnatal days in preterm infants, in relation to brain function and two-year outcome. Study I investigated if aEEG/EEG was associated with neonatal brain injury, inflammation and outcome in 16 very preterm (VPT) infants. The interburst interval (IBI) was prolonged, and aEEG amplitudes were lower in infants with brain injury, and in infants developing handicap. Cord blood TNF-α correlated with IBI. Study II investigated inter-rater agreement of visual burst detection, as compared to automated burst detection based on a non-linear energy operator (NLEO) in an EEG data set from 12 extremely preterm (EPT) and 6 VPT infants. The sensitivity of the NLEO was 64 % and 69 % (EPT and VPT infants, respectively) and the specificity 96 % and 88 %. The algorithm was then modified to further improve the accuracy. Study III investigated if arterial carbon dioxide and plasma glucose is associated with EEG continuity. In 247 sets of samples (PaCO2, plasma glucose, IBI) from 32 EPT infants there was a positive association between PaCO2 and IBI; higher PaCO2 was associated with longer IBI. Corrected for carbon dioxide, plasma glucose had a U-shaped association with IBI in infants with good outcome. Study IV investigated the predictive value of aEEG/EEG in 41 EPT and 8 VPT infants. All VPT infants had good outcome. Predictors of outcome in EPT infants included presence or absence of burst-suppression, continuous activity and cyclicity, median IBI and interburst%. Seizures were associated with neonatal brain damage but not with outcome. Improved preterm brain monitoring may in the future be used for early identification of infants at high risk of brain damage and adverse outcome, which may have implications for direction of care and for early intervention.
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| 4. |
- Andersson, Ola, 1965-
(författare)
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Effects of Delayed versus Early Cord Clamping on Healthy Term Infants
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this thesis was to study maternal and infant effects of delayed cord clamping (≥180 seconds, DCC) compared to early (≤10 seconds, ECC) in a randomised controlled trial. Practice and guidelines regarding when to clamp the cord vary globally, and different meta-analyses have shown contradictory conclusions on benefits and disadvantages of DCC and ECC.The study population consisted of 382 term infants born after normal pregnancies and randomised to DCC or ECC after birth. The primary objective was iron stores and iron deficiency at 4 months of age, but the thesis was designed to investigate a wide range of suggested effects associated with cord clamping.Paper I showed that DCC was associated with improved iron stores at 4 months (45% higher ferritin) and that the incidence of iron deficiency was reduced from 5.7% to 0.6%. Neonatal anaemia at 2-3 days was less frequent in the DCC group, 1.2% vs. 6.3%. There were no differences between the groups in respiratory symptoms, polycythaemia, or hyperbilirubinaemia.In paper II we demonstrated that DCC versus ECC was not associated with higher risk for maternal post partum haemorrhage and rendered a comparable ratio of valid umbilical artery blood gas samples.In paper III, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire was used to assess neurodevelopment at 4 months. The total scores did not differ, but the DCC group had a higher score in the problem-solving domain and a lower score in the personal-social domain. Immunoglobulin G level was 0.7 g/L higher in the DCC group at 2–3 days, but did not differ at 4 months. Symptoms of infection up to 4 months were comparable between groups.Finally, in paper IV, iron stores and neurodevelopment were similar between groups at 12 months. Gender specific outcome on neurodevelopment at 12 months was discovered, implying positive effects from DCC on boys and negative on girls.We conclude that delaying umbilical cord clamping for 180 seconds is safe and associated with a significantly reduced risk for iron deficiency at 4 months, which may have neurodevelopmental effects at a later age.
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| 5. |
- Ericson, Jenny, et al.
(författare)
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Breastfeeding and risk for ceasing in mothers of preterm infants - long-term follow-up
- 2018
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Ingår i: Maternal and Child Nutrition. - : Wiley. - 1740-8695 .- 1740-8709. ; 14:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Breastfeeding is challenging for mothers of preterm infants. The aim of this paper is to describe risk factors for ceasing breastfeeding and methods of feeding until 12 months postnatal age in mothers who breastfed their preterm infants at discharge from neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The data come from a randomised controlled trial, which evaluated the effectiveness on exclusive breastfeeding at 8 weeks of proactive telephone support compared with reactive support offered to mothers of preterm infants following discharge from NICU. Six NICUs across Sweden randomised a total of 493 mothers. We used regression and survival analyses to assess the risk factors for ceasing breastfeeding and the long-term outcomes of the intervention. The results showed that 305 (64%) of the infants were breastfed at 6 months and 49 (21%) at 12 months. Partial breastfeeding at discharge, low maternal educational level, and longer length of stay in the NICU increased the risk for ceasing breastfeeding during the first 12 months. Furthermore, the Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the proportion of mothers who ceased breastfeeding did not differ between the intervention (n = 231) and controls (n = 262) during the first 12 months (log-rank test p = .68). No difference was found between groups on method of feeding. More than 85% of the infants were fed directly at the breast. These findings provide important insights for health professionals who are supporting mothers of preterm infants to breastfeed long term.Registered in www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01806480).
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| 6. |
- Ericson, Jenny, 1976-
(författare)
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Breastfeeding in mothers of preterm infants : Prevalence and effects of support
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The overall aim of this thesis was to describe the prevalence of breastfeeding in preterm infants and to evaluate the effectiveness and mother’s experiences of proactive person-centred telephone support after discharge. Furthermore, to describe the duration of breastfeeding and risks of ceasing breastfeeding up to 12 months. The first study, a register study with data from the Swedish Neonatal Quality register (SNQ), included breastfeeding data at discharge from 29 445 preterm infants born from 2004-2013. The results demonstrated that the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among preterm infants in Sweden decreased during the study period, especially among extremely preterm infants (<28 weeks). We also performed a multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) of 493 breastfeeding mothers of preterm infants discharged from six neonatal units in Sweden. The intervention consisted of a proactive breastfeeding telephone support system in which a breastfeeding support team called the mothers once everyday up to 14 days after discharge. The control group received reactive support; the mothers were invited to call the breastfeeding support team if they wanted to talk or ask any questions (i.e., usual care).The RCT demonstrated that the intervention did not affect exclusive breastfeeding at eight weeks after discharge (primary outcome) or up to 12 months. The proactive support did not affect maternal breastfeeding satisfaction, attachment, quality of life or method of feeding (secondary outcomes). However, parental stress was significantly reduced in mothers in the intervention group. Mothers in the intervention group were significantly more satisfied and involved in the support and felt empowered compared with mothers in the control group, who experienced reactive support as dual. Further findings showed that a lower maternal educational level, partial breastfeeding at discharge and longer stay in the neonatal unit increased the risk of ceasing breastfeeding during the first 12 months of postnatal age. In conclusion, the trend for exclusive breastfeeding at discharge in preterm infants is declining, which necessitates concern. The evaluated intervention of telephone support did not affect breastfeeding, in the short-or long-term. However, maternal stress was reduced and mothers were significantly more satisfied with the proactive support and felt empowered by the support.
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| 7. |
- Ericson, Jenny, et al.
(författare)
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Proactive telephone support provided to breastfeeding mothers of preterm infants after discharge : a randomised controlled trial
- 2018
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Ingår i: Acta Paediatrica. - : Wiley. - 0803-5253 .- 1651-2227. ; 107:5, s. 791-798
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM: The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of proactive telephone support provided to breastfeeding mothers of preterm infants after discharge from neonatal intensive care units (NICU).METHODS: Between March 2013 and December 2015, a randomised controlled trial was conducted at six NICUs across Sweden. At each NICU, a breastfeeding support team recruited, randomised and delivered the support to participating mothers. The intervention group received a daily proactive telephone call up to 14 days after discharge from the support team. The control group could initiate telephone contact themselves. Primary outcome was exclusive breastfeeding eight weeks after discharge. Secondary outcomes were maternal satisfaction with breastfeeding, attachment, quality of life and parental stress.RESULTS: In total, 493 mothers were randomised, 231 to intervention group and 262 to control group. There were no differences between the groups for exclusive breastfeeding, odds ratio 0.96, 95% CI 0.66-1.38, nor for maternal satisfaction with breastfeeding, attachment or quality of life. The intervention group reported significantly less parental stress than the controls, t=2.44, 95% CI 0.03-0.23, effect size d=0.26.CONCLUSION: In this trial, proactive telephone support was not associated with increased exclusive breastfeeding prevalence eight weeks following discharge. However, intervention group mothers showed significantly lower parental stress. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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| 8. |
- Karimi, Annette, et al.
(författare)
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Brain MRI findings and their association with visual impairment in young adolescents born very preterm
- 2024
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Ingår i: Neuroradiology. - : Springer. - 0028-3940 .- 1432-1920. ; 66:1, s. 145-154
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PurposeVery preterm birth increases risk for neonatal white matter injury, but there is limited data on to what extent this persists into adolescence and how this relates to ophthalmological outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess brain MRI findings in 12-year-old children born very preterm compared to controls and their association with concurrent ophthalmological outcomes.MethodsWe included 47 children born very preterm and 22 full-term controls (gestational age <32 and >37 weeks, respectively). Brain MRI findings were studied in association with concurrent ophthalmological outcomes at 12-year follow-up.ResultsEvans index (0.27 vs 0.25, p<0.001) and a proposed “posterior ventricle index” (0.47 vs 0.45, p=0.018) were increased in children born very preterm. Higher gestational age associated with larger corpus callosum area (β=10.7, 95%CI 0.59–20.8). Focal white matter lesions were observed in 15 (32%) of very preterm children and in 1 (5%) of full-term controls. Increased posterior ventricle index increased risk for visual acuity ≤1.0 (OR=1.07×1011, 95%CI=7.78–1.48×1021) and contrast sensitivity <0.5 (OR=2.6×1027, 95%CI=1.9×108–3.5×1046). Decreased peritrigonal white matter thickness associated with impaired visual acuity (β=0.04, 95%CI 0.002–0.07).ConclusionMore white matter lesions and evidence of lower white matter volume were found in children born very preterm compared with full-term controls at 12-year follow-up. The association between larger posterior ventricle index and reduced visual acuity and contrast sensitivity suggests disturbances of the posterior visual pathway due to diffuse white matter lesions.
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| 9. |
- Karlsson, Victoria, 1968-
(författare)
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Aspects of neonatal intensive care and anesthesia : Thermal balance and respiratory management
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis is based on four articles originating from three studies conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit and the children’s operating deparment at Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.The overall aim was to obtain new knowledge about thermal balance and care environment in extremely preterm infants during skin-to-skin care (SSC), evaluate different methods of intraoperative monitoring of carbon dioxide (CO2), and to investigate how different levels of inhaled oxygen affect infants’ oxygenation during anesthesia and surgery. Study I investigated infant thermal balance and the physical environment for extremely preterm infants during SSC. Study II formed part of a prospective study to assess the performance of non-invasive transcutaneous and end-tidal technique to continuously monitor CO2 levels in the infants blood during anesthesia. Study III was a prospective randomized trial to investigate oxygenation during induction of anesthesia with room air versus high fraction (80%) of oxygen in healthy newborn infants.The infants maintained normal body temperature during SSC. In comparison to care in an incubator, during SSC ambient humidity was lower and insensible water loss through the skin was higher. Compared to blood gas Pco2, transcutaneous carbon dioxide monitoring yielded a bias of 0.3 ± 0.7 kPa, and end-tidal technique a bias of -1.9 ± 0.9 kPa. After intubation, saturation measured by pulse oximetry was lower (p < .05) in the group breathing room air than in the group with high oxygen (93% ± 6.7 and 99% ± 1.5). None of the infants spent time below the pre-specified safety oxygen saturation targets to mandate supplemental oxygen.This thesis provides new knowledge about early initiation of SSC after birth for extremely preterm infants, the results will be useful to guide safe routines for implementation of early SSC. These results suggest that during anesthesia would transcutaneous monitoring of carbon dioxide be beneficial, end-tidal monitoring correlated poorly to blood gas and induction of general anesthesia in newborn infants can be safely performed without the use of high levels of supplemental oxygen. Taken together, this new knowledge has the potential to improve intraoperative respiratory management.
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| 10. |
- Montgomery, Cecilia
(författare)
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Early identification of motor problems in very preterm infants : An evaluation of the Structured Observation of Motor Performance in Infants
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Infants born very preterm are at risk of adverse neurodevelopment. It is important to identify motor problems early to initiate interventions aiming at ameliorating outcomes. Evaluating motor development in high-risk infants is a complex task. There is a need for assessment methods for early identification of abnormal motor performance. The aim of this thesis was to evalute the Structured Observation of Motor Performance in Infants (SOMP-I) method for early identification of motor problems in very preterm children and to investigate early motor performance in relation to neonatal characteristics, cerebral imaging and later outcome. Level of motor development and quality of motor performance was assessed at 2, 4, 6, and 10 months’ of corrected age. Study I validated the revised SOMP-I, and compared early motor performance in 111 very preterm infants with 72 full-term infants. The preterm infants were more delayed and had more quality deficits than the term infants, and the groups had different motor trajectories. We concluded that convergent validity and discriminant validity of the SOMP-I was supported and facilitated early identification of infants with atypical motor development.Study II investigated SOMP-I results in relation to motor outcome (Bayley-III motor index at 2.5 years) in 98 very preterm children. The 28 children with delayed development had significantly poorer SOMP-I scores in infancy. We concluded that level and quality of motor performance were significant markers of later motor problems and quality became more significant with increasing age. Study III investigated early motor performance (SOMP-I), in relation to neurodevelopment and motor competence at 12 years (Movement ABC-2) in 78 very preterm children. At all assessment ages, there were significant associations between SOMP-I and MABC-2 scores. At 6 and 10 months, SOMP-I level and quality scores separately explained unique variance of the MABC-2 scores at 12 years. Study IV explored the relation between neonatal cerebral MRI (morphology, apparent diffusion coefficient, regional brain volumes) and 4-month motor performance (SOMP-I), in relation to 2-year motor outcome in 66 very preterm infants (11 with motor problems). SOMP-I results correlated with several MRI measures and with motor outcome. The level of motor performance had the highest predictive value for motor outcome. Overall conclusion: The two SOMP-I domains, level and quality, explain unique variances towards later motor outcomes, meaning that the two separate domains give added value to the motor assessment and are useful markers of motor outcome in very preterm infants.
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