Browsing by Author "Raus, Misela (57195760780)"

Preterm-born children are susceptible to problems of adaptation in the early neonatal period, as well as the emergence of consequences due to the immaturity of the respiratory, cardiovascular, and especially cerebrovascular systems. The authors searched PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for articles that were available in their entirety and published in English between 1990 and 2024 in peer-reviewed journals using keywords relevant to the manuscript topic. Analyzing the requested studies and manuscripts, adequate articles describing the stated problem were used. The last trimester of pregnancy is the most important period in brain development. Brain growth is at its most intense, and nerve cells are created, multiply, and migrate, creating numerous connections between them and receptors. During this period, the baby is protected from the influence of external environmental factors. When a baby is born, it leaves its protected environment and very often requires intensive treatment to survive. In these circumstances, the immature nervous system, which is in a sensitive stage of development, is overloaded with numerous external stimuli, continuous light, noise, inappropriate positioning, and repeated painful reactions due to necessary diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and the unavoidable absence of the mother and the family, which cause stress that threatens proper programmed development. Minimally invasive therapeutic procedures and the presence of parents during hospitalization play a significant role in reducing the consequences for a premature child. © 2024 by the authors.

The task of public health is to encourage the mother to initiate and maintain breastfeeding of her child. The main proponents of early breastfeeding should be pediatricians and gynecologists in maternity hospitals. Early "skin-to-skin" contact means that after birth, in the first ten minutes, the newborn is placed in close contact with the mother. After it is born and cries, it is transferred to the bare chest of the mother, who is comfortably placed in bed with her head elevated. The child is placed in a longitudinal position in relation to her, between and above her breasts. The child's head is turned to the side with mandatory monitoring of breathing, and both are covered with a clean, dry sheet. The basis of the mechanism is hormonal. With this kind of mutual contact, oxytocin is released in the mother, and catecholamine concentrations increase in the newborn. The first two hours after birth, the newborn is awake, active, sensitive to touch, smell and temperature simulations that he receives from the mother, which is why this period is the best for starting breastfeeding. The advantages of this method for the mother are: easier and faster stopping of bleeding after childbirth, earlier expulsion of the placenta, greater calmness and relaxation, as well as greater self-efficacy in breastfeeding. The advantages for the newborn are: reduction of postpartum stress and anxiety, less crying, better control of reaching optimal body temperature, importance in establishing microcolonization of the intestinal flora and more effective breastfeeding with earlier discharge from the hospital to home. The application of this method is simple and economically profitable, and short-term and long-term effects are achieved for both the mother and the child. © 2022, Serbian Medical Society. All rights reserved.

22q11.2 microdeletion is the most common microdeletion in humans. The purpose of this study was to evaluate postoperative outcome in children with 22q11.2 microdeletion who had undergone complete surgical correction of a congenital heart defect. The study included 34 patients who underwent complete correction of conotruncal heart defects. Of these, 17 patients diagnosed with 22q11.2 microdeletion represent the investigated group. Another 17 patients without 22q11.2 microdeletion represent the control group. Investigated and control groups differ significantly for total length of stay in the hospital (average 37.35 and 14.12 days, respectively); length of postoperative stay in the intensive care unit (average 10.82 and 6.76 days, respectively); sepsis (eight and two patients, respectively); administration of antibiotics (15 and seven patients, respectively); duration of antibiotic therapy (average 17.65 and 14.59 days, respectively); occurrence of hypocalcemia (16 and 0 patients, respectively); and initiation of peroral nutrition during the postoperative course (average 10.29 and 3.88 days, respectively). No difference was found for duration of ventilatory support (average 6.12 and 4.24 days, respectively), administration of total parenteral nutrition, and postoperative mortality rate. The study results suggest that genotype of 22q11.2 microdeletion affects postoperative outcome after cardiac surgery. Possible targets for intervention in postoperative intensive care management are prevention and treatment of systemic infections, monitoring, and treatment of hypocalcemias, rational administration of antibiotics and careful planning of nutrition. Consequently, this could shorten patients’ intensive care stay and overall duration of hospitalization. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Dysbiosis of the gastrointestinal tract is the most common cause of disease in childhood and adulthood. The formation of the intestinal microbiome begins in utero, and composition modification during life depends mainly on various genetic, nutritional, and environmental factors. The main cause of intestinal dysbiosis is improper nutrition due to a short period of breastfeeding, insufficient intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, and/or consumption of a large amount of processed food. The benefits of a diet based on grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables are reflected in reducing the risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, myocardial infarction, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, asthma, allergies, and kidney stones. Anaerobic fermentation of fibers produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) that have an anti-inflammatory role and great importance in shaping the intestinal microbiota. Factors associated with high fiber in a plant-based diet promote increased insulin sensitivity. Insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) act as promoters of most normal and pre-neoplastic tissues. Conclusion: A plant-based diet high in fiber prevents disease by creating metabolites in the gut that reduce oxidative stress. © 2024 by the authors.