For Contemporary Pediatrics, Dr Bobby Lazzara looks at an observational study published in PLoS Medicine that examined full term infant mortality and what the findings suggest pediatricians need to be doing.
A meta-analysis of 12 studies of the risk of death after a brief resolved unexplained event (BRUE) found that such an event does not increase an infant’s risk of dying during his or her first year. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) introduced BRUE, a sudden alteration in an infant’s breathing, color, tone, or responsiveness, as a replacement for “apparent life-threatening event” (ALTE) in a 2016 clinical practice guideline.
For Contemporary Pediatrics, Dr Bobby Lazzara discusses a case control study published in Pediatrics that looked at whether associations existed between mother receiving influenza and/or Tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy and infant hospitalization or death occurring in the first 6 months of life.
A study looks at who is being tested for BRCA mutations as testing becomes more common. Also, a look at the impact of Zika virus on birth defects using benchmark data. Plus: How is the United States doing with infant mortality?
A new CDC report shows that while perinatal mortality rates are continuing to decline—down 10% since 2000—the US fetal mortality rate for the latest study period (2006–2012) did not improve.
Disadvantaged mothers who receive regular home visits by nurses during pregnancy and through their child’s second birthday are less likely to die from all-cause mortality and their children are less likely to die from preventable causes than their counterparts who do not have such visits.
The epidemiology of racial disparity in prematurity and infant mortality is a complex problem, say the authors, and public health programs are part of the solution.