Background The severity of respiratory distress was associated with neonatal prognosis. This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics, therapeutic interventions and short-term outcomes of late preterm or term infants who required respiratory support, and compare the usage of different illness severity assessment tools.Methods Seven neonatal intensive care units in tertiary hospitals were recruited. From November 2008 to October 2009, neonates born at ≥34 weeks＇ gestational age, admitted at 〈72 hours of age, requiring continuous positive airway pressure （CPAP） or mechanical ventilation for respiratory support were enrolled. Clinical data including demographic variables, underlying disease, complications, therapeutic interventions and short-term outcomes were collected. All infants were divided into three groups by Acute care of at-risk newborns （ACoRN） Respiratory Score 〈5, 5-8, and 〉8.Results During the study period, 503 newborn late preterm or term infants required respiratory support. The mean gestational age was （36.8±2.2） weeks, mean birth weight was （2734.5±603.5） g. The majority of the neonates were male （69.4%）, late preterm （63.3%）, delivered by cesarean section （74.8%）, admitted in the first day of life （89.3%） and outborn （born at other hospitals, 76.9%）. Of the cesarean section, 51.1% were performed electively. Infants in the severe group were more mature, had the highest rate of elective cesarean section, Apgar score 〈7 at 5 minutes and resuscitated with intubation, the in-hospital mortality increased significantly. In total, 58.1% of the patients were supported with mechanical ventilation and 17.3% received high frequency oscillation. Adjunctive therapies were commonly needed.Higher rate of infants in severe group needed mechanical ventilation or high frequency oscillation, volume expansion,bicarbonate infusion or vasopressors therapy （P 〈0.05）. The incidence of complications was also increased significantly in severe group （P 〈0.
Objective To review the role of epigenetic regulation in neonatal diseases and better understand Barker＇s ＂fetal origins of adult disease hypothesis＂.Data sources The data cited in this review were mainly obtained from the articles published in Medline/PubMed between January 1953 and December 2009.Study selection Articles associated with epigenetics and neonatal diseases were selected.Results There is a wealth of epidemiological evidence that lower birth weight is strongly correlated with an increased risk of adult diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. This phenomenon of fetal origins of adult disease is strongly associated with fetal insults to epigenetic modifications of genes. A potential role of epigenetic modifications in congenital disorders, transient neonatal diabetes mellitus （TNDM）, intrauterine growth retardation （IUGR）, and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn （PPHN） have been studied.Conclusions Acknowledgment of the role of these epigenetic modifications in neonatal diseases would be conducive to better understanding the pathogenesis of these diseases, and provide new insight for improved treatment and prevention of later adult diseases.
