Introduction Infants with complex phenotypes and infants born at early gestational age are two of the most challenging groups of patients cared for in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Since the initial reports of the sequence of the human genome,…
Introduction Genetic diseases are a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Estimates of the incidence of genetic disease in neonates admitted to intensive care units have historically been based on targeted genetic testing of cohorts selected to have a…
Introduction Approximately 1% to 10% of all births in the United States are complicated by chorioamnionitis, but the incidence varies significantly by study population, gestational age at presentation, and diagnostic criteria. Histologic chorioamnionitis is a pathologic term that refers to…
Introduction Although clinically managed as if it were a single disease, preterm birth is increasingly recognized as a syndrome secondary to multiple causative mechanisms and etiologies. In this chapter, we discuss the epidemiology of preterm birth, the endocrinology and physiology…
Introduction Preeclampsia is a multiorgan disease specific to pregnancy most often characterized by hypertension and proteinuria occurring after 20 weeks gestation. It is among the most common medical complication of pregnancy and is a leading cause of maternal/fetal morbidity and…
Acknowledgments The authors’ research on neurulation and NTDs is supported by grants from the Medical Research Council, Wellcome, NC3Rs, Sparks, Newlife, Action Medical Research, the Bo Hjelt Spina Bifida Foundation, Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, and the National Institute…
Bacterial Meningitis Meningitis is a life-threatening infection of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the pia mater, the arachnoid, and the subarachnoid space. The microorganisms can activate the host immune response, and both inflammatory mediators and microorganisms can break…
Acknowledgment This work was partially supported by NIH grants NS 100850, NS 099109, NS 088197. Introduction The pathophysiology of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) defines the response of central nervous system (CNS) to ischemia and reperfusion.…
Acknowledgments The authors thank Maria Isabel Gomez for her expert help in organization and formatting the manuscript. Introduction Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of blindness in children worldwide and is increasing in emerging countries able to save…
Acknowledgment The editors thank David P. Carlton for his excellent work on this chapter in the fifth edition. It has been republished here essentially unchanged. General Considerations Edema is the clinical term used to describe excessive fluid accumulation in the…