Perinatal outcomes

Patent ductus arteriosus treatment in very preterm infants: a European population-based cohort study (EPICE) on variation and outcomes
Edstedt Bonamy AK, Gudmundsdottir A, Maier RF, Toome, L, Zeitlin J, Bonet M, Fenton A, Børch Hasselager A, van Heijst A, Gortner L, Milligan D, Van Reempts P, Boyle EM, Norman M and collaborators from the EPICE Research Group
Neonatology (2017)

Spontaneous closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) occurs frequently in very preterm infants and despite the lack of evidence for treatment benefits, treatment for PDA is common in neonatal medicine. We found that PDA treatment varies largely across Europen without associated variations in perinatal characteristics or neonatal outcomes. This finding calls for more uniform guidance for PDA diagnosis and treatment in very preterm infants.

See article here: Neonatology (2017)

Evidence-based neonatal unit practices and determinants of postnatal corticosteroid-use in preterm births below 30 weeks GA in Europe. A population-based cohort study
Nuytten A, Behal H, Duhamel A, Jarreau PH, Mazela J, Milligan D, Gortner L, Piedvache P, Zeitlin J, Truffert P on behalf of the EPICE (Effective Perinatal Intensive Care in Europe) Research Group
PloS One (2017)

Postnatal corticosteroids (PNC) were widely used to treat and prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants until studies showed increased risk of cerebral palsy and neurodevelopmental impairment. We found that PNC are still frequently used in Europe, but with wide regional variation that was unexplained by neonatal characteristics. Even for infants at highest risk for PNC use, some regions only rarely prescribed PNC. A stated policy of reduced PNC use was associated with observed practice and is recommended.

See full article here: PLoS One (2017)

Admission Hypothermia in Very Preterm Infants and Neonatal Mortality and Morbidity
Emilija Wilson, RN, RM, Rolf F. Maier, MD, PhD, Mikael Norman, MD, PhD, Bjoern Misselwitz, MD, MPH, Elizabeth A. Howell, MD, PhD, Jennifer Zeitlin, MA, DSc, Anna-Karin Bonamy, MD, PhD on behalf of the show Effective Perinatal Intensive Care in Europe (EPICE) Research Group
The Journal of Pediatrics (2016)

Babies who are born very preterm, i.e. born two months or more before full term pregnancy, have limited resources to handle the cold environment right after birth. Despite well-known strategies on how to handle heat loss after very preterm birth, many have a body temperature below the desirable range 36.5-37.5°C, at admission to the neonatal intensive care unit.

Use of evidence based practices to improve survival without severe morbidity for very preterm infants: results from the EPICE population based cohort
Jennifer Zeitlin, Bradley N Manktelow, Aurelie Piedvache, Marina Cuttini, Elaine Boyle, Arno van Heijst, Janusz Gadzinowski, Patrick Van Reempts, Lene Huusom, Tom Weber, Stephan Schmidt, Henrique Barros, Dominico Dillalo, Liis Toome, Mikael Norman, Beatrice Blondel, Mercedes Bonet, Elisabeth S Draper, Rolf F Maier, and the EPICE Research Group
BMJ (2016)

Evidence-based practices are shown to improve health outcomes in children born preterm in randomised trials, but their use and impact in routine clinical practice remain poorly understood. We studied the implementation of high-evidence practices to assess whether they constitute a lever for reducing mortality and morbidity in children born preterm.