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Purpose: This study aimed to examine the health concerns of parents regarding their premature infants and to identify changes in these concerns during perinatal period and after discharge. Methods: This was a retrospective study performed at a single tertiary center that enrolled 119 premature infants who were discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and visited the outpatient pediatrics department between December 2018 and October 2021. Data on the concerns of 176 parents regarding enrolled premature infants' health from before birth to 1 week after NICU discharge were obtained from outpatient records. The t test and with the chi-squared test were used to analyze the data for this study. Results: The consistently greatest focus of parents' health concerns was the respiratory system. The second focus of parents' health concerns before discharge was the central nervous system. However, during the first week after NICU discharge, the gastrointestinal system was the second-most frequent focus of parents' health concerns among parents of infants without diseases related to prematurity and infants with older gestational ages. Conclusion: The results of this study offer insights into the health concerns among parents of premature infants. Parental health concerns about premature infants vary over time, from before birth to post-discharge, necessitating supportive interventions to enhance parental understanding of their child's health status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is one of the most fatal respiratory morbidities in preterm infants, causing adverse respiratory and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Despite advances in neonatal ventilator care, the incidence of BPD has been static or even increased. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of BPD in a single center over 10 years. Methods: Preterm infants with gestational age (GA) <30 weeks who were admitted to Inje University Busan Paik Hospital from January 2009 to December 2018 and survived 28 days or more were enrolled. The incidence of BPD according to year and GA and the risk factors of BPD were evaluated. Results: Among 629 infants, 521 infants who survived 28 days or more were enrolled (BPD group, n=252; non-BPD group, n=269). The incidence of BPD was 48.4%, with moderate to severe BPD accounting for 13.9%. In preterm infants with GA =25, 26 to 27, and 28 to 29 weeks, the incidences of BPD were 57.5%, 51.5%, and 14.6%, respectively, with moderate to severe BPD accounting for 23.8%, 10.5%, and 3.7%, respectively. The incidence of BPD decreased from 68% in 2009 to 34.3% in 2014. Subsequently, it increased. Surfactant re-dosing and patent ductus arteriosus were more frequent in the BPD group than in the non-BPD group. Conclusion: BPD did not decrease over the previous 10 years despite advances in neonatal care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baller-Gerold syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by premature fusion of the cranial sutures and malformation of the upper limb extremities at birth. Although the pathogenesis of Baller-Gerold Syndrome is not fully understood, it is mainly caused by mutations in the RecQ like helicase 4 (RECQL4) gene located on chromosome 8q24.3, which encodes the RECQL4 protein involved in normal DNA replication and repair. This study reports the case of a female premature infant with craniosynostosis of bilateral coronal sutures, resulting in a dysmorphic face and hypoplastic thumbs on both hands at birth, which are consistent with the core characteristics of Baller-Gerold syndrome. Diagnostic whole exome sequencing of the patient revealed a homozygous deletion from exon 13 to 18 in the RECQL4 gene. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first reported case of Baller-Gerold syndrome with RECQL4 gene mutation confirmed by diagnostic whole exome sequencing in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]