Misuse or abuse of certain illicit and prescription drugs in the United States adversely affects public health in diverse ways and substantially increases overall health care expenditures. Some antenatal drug exposures can produce significant short-term consequences or serious permanent long-term…
The safe and effective use of medications in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) requires an understanding of the principles of pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) that guide individual dosing and aim to provide drug exposures designed for the best…
It is not disputed that breastfeeding has many benefits for both mother and baby and is the optimal nutrition for infants. With an increase in education and support of breastfeeding mothers throughout the United States, the rate of breastfeeding is…
Fetal Drug Disposition The use of medications during pregnancy, prescription and over-the-counter, is a common and increasing occurrence. Multiple studies have demonstrated that approximately 90% of pregnant women take at least one medication during the pregnancy. The average number of…
Normal Mother–Infant Attachment The birth of an infant initiates a series of interactions with parents (particularly the mother) designed to initiate attachment and ensure survival. Attachment is a bidirectional emotional and enduring bond that is reciprocated between infant and the…
Current recommendations for the provision of parenteral and enteral nutrition to the infant born prematurely are based on the goal of approximating the rate and composition of weight gain of a normal fetus at the same postmenstrual age. For a…
Births between 34 and 36 6/7 weeks’ gestation (referred to herein as late preterm births ) account for a significant proportion of preterm births in North America and elsewhere. These infants are larger than usual premature infants, and they are…
Developmental Challenges of Neonatal Anesthesia The administration of anesthesia to the neonatal patient requires knowledge and understanding of neonatal anatomy and pathophysiology in addition to the ability to understand how the pharmacology of standard anesthetic drugs is altered in preterm…
Introduction Diagnostic imaging is integral to the evaluation of neonates with medical and surgical conditions. Understanding the advantages and shortcomings of available imaging modalities as well as the most recent practice patterns facilitates selection of appropriate imaging. This chapter begins…
Preterm infants are exceptionally unstable in terms of respiratory control due to both immaturity of the central nervous system and susceptibility to disease and infection. As a result, they exhibit a high incidence of apnea, bradycardia, and desaturation events during…