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Background: The objective of the present study was to verify the speed and accuracy of fetal ultrasonic Doppler (fetal Doppler) in measuring heart rate of newborns at rest, including preterm, low‐birthweight infants, and its efficacy during neonatal resuscitation, including cases of neonatal asphyxia. Methods: A three‐lead electrocardiogram and fetal Doppler were used to measure resting heart rates in 100 newborns, including 48 preterm, low‐birthweight infants, at 0 to 72 h after birth. Times to display heart rate were compared between electrocardiogram and fetal Doppler by the Bland–Altman analysis and Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. The time required for the fetal Doppler to measure heart rate during neonatal resuscitation was also assessed. Results: In 100 newborns, the mean error of the resting heart rate in 1,293 measurement points was 0.07 beats/min. To display the heart rate, the fetal Doppler required a median time of 5 s, and electrocardiogram required a median time of 10 s (P < 0.001). During neonatal resuscitation, the heart rate was measured within 10 s in 18 of 21 cases (86%) and displayed with a median time of 5 s; this was measured in all neonatal asphyxia cases (9/9, 100%). Conclusions: Fetal Doppler can measure heart rate in newborns accurately and rapidly and is useful for evaluating heart rate not only at rest but also during neonatal resuscitation, especially in asphyxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes a case of retinopathy of prematurity after sildenafil (SIL) treatment in a preterm infant. Topics covered include sildenafil as a vasodilator that elevates cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP) concentration, how SIL increases intraocular pressure and choroidal blood flow, and the effectiveness of SIL for the treatment of preterm infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia and pulmonary arterial hypertension.