Preterm infants are at higher risk of developing early-onset sepsis (EOS). Due to non-specific clinical manifestations and lack of laboratory tests for prompt diagnosis of EOS, inappropriate use of antibiotics is common in preterm infants. Prolonged exposure to antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance and significantly increases the risk of mortality and morbidity. Based on the latest progress in the diagnosis and treatment for EOS, both in China and overseas, and considering the current condition in Hunan Province, the expert panel of neonatologists in Hunan have reached this consensus after many discussions. This consensus clarifies the risk factors, proposes the diagnostic criteria, and recommends the antibiotic use strategies for EOS in preterm infants. It is emphasized that blood culture results and clinical manifestations are the main basis for the diagnosis of EOS and the duration of antibiotics use in preterm infants.

At present, non-standard use of antibiotics remains a common phenomenon in the treatment of preterm infants with early-onset sepsis (EOS) in China. The expert panel of neonatologists in Hunan Province formulated a consensus on the diagnosis and use of antibiotics for EOS in preterm infant

This paper is a comment on "Recommendation on the diagnosis and the use of antibiotics for early-onset sepsis in preterm infants:consensus of the expert panel from Hunan Province"[Chinese J Contemp Pediatr, 2020, 22(1):1-6]. This consensus offers suggestions for the diagnosis and antibiotic therapy of early-onset sepsis (EOS) in preterm infants in Hunan Province, which is of great significance for reducing unreasonable and unnecessary use of antibiotics. Based on this consensus, this comment discusses the diagnosis of EOS and the use of antibiotics in preterm infants.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of C-reactive protein (CRP)-guided antibiotic treatment strategy for neonates with suspected early-onset sepsis (EOS). Methods A total of 428 neonates, with a gestational age of > 35 weeks, who were admitted to the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from February to July, 2019 and were suspected of EOS were enrolled as the observation group. The effect of antibiotic treatment was prospectively observed, and if clinical symptoms were improved and CRP was < 10 mg/L in two consecutive tests, discontinuation of antibiotics was considered. A total of 328 neonates (gestational age of > 35 weeks) who were admitted to this hospital from February to July, 2018 and were suspected of EOS were enrolled as the control group, and the use of antibiotics was analyzed retrospectively. The two groups were compared in terms of duration of antibiotic treatment, length of hospital stay, incidence rate of repeated infection and clinical outcome. Results Compared with the control group, the observation group had significantly shorter duration of antibiotic treatment and length of hospital stay (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the incidence rate of repeated infection and clinical outcome between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions For neonates with a gestational age of > 35 weeks and a suspected diagnosis of EOS, CRP-guided antibiotic treatment strategy can shorten duration of antibiotic treatment and length of hospital stay and does not increase the incidence rate of repeated infection. Therefore, it holds promise for clinical application.

Objective To study the value of body fat mass measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in predicting abnormal blood pressure and abnormal glucose metabolism in children. Methods Stratified cluster sampling was used to select the students aged 6-16 years, and a questionnaire survey and physical examination were performed. The BIA apparatus was used to measure body fat mass. Body mass index (BMI), body fat mass index (FMI), and fat mass percentage (FMP) were calculated. Fasting blood glucose level were measured. Results A total of 14 293 children were enrolled, among whom boys accounted for 49.89%. In boys and girls, the percentile values (P₆₀, P₆₅, P₇₀, P₇₅, P₈₀, P₈₅, P₉₀, P₉₅) of FMI and FMP fitted by the LMS method were taken as the cut-off values. Based on the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the P₇₀ values with a better value in predicting abnormal blood pressure and blood glucose metabolism were selected as the cut-off values for excessive body fat. When FMI or FMP was controlled below P₇₀, the incidence of abnormal blood pressure or abnormal glucose metabolism may be decreased in 8.25%-43.24% of the children. Conclusions The evaluation of obesity based on FMI and FMP has a certain value in screening for hypertension and hyperglycemia in children, which can be further verified in the future prevention and treatment of obesity and related chronic diseases in children.

Objective To study the expression of microRNA-495-5p (miRNA-495-5p) in the serum of preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) based on a bioinformatics analysis, and to provide a theoretical basis for further research on the association between miRNA-495-5p and BPD. Methods A total of 40 preterm infants who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit from January 2015 to December 2016 were enrolled. Among these infants, 20 with early clinical manifestations of BPD were enrolled as the BPD group, and 20 without such manifestations were enrolled as the control group. Peripheral blood samples were collected. The miRNA microarray technique was used to screen out differentially expressed miRNAs in serum between the two groups. RT-PCR was used for validation of results. TargetScan, miRDB, and miRWalk databases were used to predict the target genes of miRNA-495-5p. The DAVID database was used to perform gene ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of the target genes. Results Compared with the control group, the BPD group had a significant increase in the expression of miRNA-495-5p in serum (P < 0.05). A total of 117 target genes of miRNA-495-5p were predicted by the above three databases and they were involved in several molecular functions (including transcriptional regulatory activity, transcriptional activation activity, and transcription cofactor activity), biological processes (such as metabolic regulation, DNA-dependent transcriptional regulation, and vascular pattern), and cell components (including nucleoplasm, membrane components, and insoluble components) (P < 0.05). As for signaling pathways, these genes were significantly enriched in the mTOR signaling pathway (P < 0.05). Conclusions MiRNA-495-5p may be involved in the development and progression of BPD by regulating angiogenesis, stem cell differentiation, apoptosis, and autophagy, which provides clues for further research on the role and functional mechanism of miRNA-495-5p in BPD.

Objective To study the association of related maternal factors with the susceptibility to congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in neonates. Methods A case-control study was designed. The neonates who were diagnosed with CH in Neonatal Screening Center of Henan Province from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017 were enrolled as cases. Healthy neonates, matched for sex and age were enrolled as controls. A conditional logistic regression analysis and additive and multiplicative interaction analyses were used to identify the risk factors for susceptibility to CH. Results A total of 2 771 661 neonates were screened during this period, among whom 1 494 neonates were diagnosed with CH, with a crude incidence rate of 53.9/100 000. A total of 843 pairs of the cases and the controls completed the telephone survey and provided qualified data. The conditional logistic regression analysis showed that an older maternal age at delivery, a low educational level in mothers, living in the rural area, a family history of thyroid diseases, histories of exposure to formaldehyde during pregnancy, exposure to radiation during pregnancy, and medication during pregnancy, were risk factors for CH (P < 0.05), while low maternal age at delivery and progesterone intake during pregnancy were protective factors against CH (P < 0.05). Conclusions An older maternal age at delivery, a low educational level in mothers, living in the rural area, a family history of thyroid diseases, and histories of exposure to formaldehyde during pregnancy, exposure to radiation during pregnancy and medication during pregnancy may increase the susceptibility to CH in neonates.

Objective To study the influence of dasatinib treatment on body height in children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 86 AML children aged < 17 years. According to the treatment regimen, these children were divided into a conventional chemotherapy group and a dasatinib chemotherapy group. The 57 children in the conventional chemotherapy group were given conventional chemotherapy drugs without tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and the 29 children in the dasatinib chemotherapy group were given conventional chemotherapy drugs and dasatinib. The two groups were compared in terms of height standard deviation score (HtSDS) at the beginning of treatment and after treatment, as well as the change in HtSDS after 1 and 2 years of treatment. Results There was no significant difference in HtSDS between the conventional and dasatinib chemotherapy groups before treatment. Within the first two years of treatment, the dasatinib chemotherapy group had a similar change trend of HtSDS as the conventional chemotherapy group. Four children in the dasatinib chemotherapy group reached the final adult height during follow-up, which was significantly lower than the target height (P=0.044). In the conventional chemotherapy group, there was no significant difference between final adult height and target height. In the dasatinib chemotherapy group, the children in adolescence had a significant change in HtSDS after treatment (P=0.032). Conclusions Dasatinib treatment may affect the final height of children with AML, and the use of dasatinib after the beginning of adolescence may lead to growth disorder, but dasatinib treatment has little effect on body height in the short-term treatment.

Objective To study the protective effect of asiaticoside against hyperoxia-induced bronchopulmonary dysplasia in neonatal rats based on the microRNA-155 (miR-155)/suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS1) axis. Methods Neonatal rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a low-dose asiaticoside group (10 mg/kg), a middle-dose asiaticoside group (25 mg/kg), a high-dose asiaticoside group (50 mg/kg), and a budesonide group (1.5 mg/kg), with 12 rats in each group. All rats except those in the control group were exposed to a high concentration of oxygen for 14 days to establish a neonatal rat model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The low-, middle-, and high-dose asiaticoside groups were given asiaticoside at different doses by gavage, and those in the budesonide group were given budesonide aerosol treatment. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe lung tissue development and measure radial alveolar count (RAC) and mean linear intercept (MLI). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) detection kits were used to measure the levels of SOD and MDA in lung tissue. ELISA was used to measure the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of miR-155 and SOCS1 in lung tissue. Western blotting was used to measure the protein expression of SOCS1 in lung tissue. Results Compared with the control group, the model group had the symptoms of bronchopulmonary dysplasia such as a disordered structure of lung tissue, enlargement of alveolar fusion, uneven alveolar septa, enlargement of average alveolar space, and a reduction in alveolar number. The model group also had significant increases in MLI, MDA level in lung tissue, serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, and miR-155 level in lung tissue (P < 0.05) and significant reductions in RAC, SOD level, and mRNA and protein expression of SOCS1 in lung tissue (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the low-, middle-, and high-dose asiaticoside groups and the budesonide group had significant improvement in the above symptoms of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, significant reductions in MLI, MDA level in lung tissue, serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, and miR-155 level in lung tissue (P < 0.05), and significant increases in RAC, SOD level, and mRNA and protein expression of SOCS1 in lung tissue (P < 0.05). Asiaticoside improved the above symptoms and indices in a dose-dependent manner. There were no significant differences in the above indices between the high-dose asiaticoside and budesonide groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions Asiaticoside can alleviate inflammation injury induced by hyperoxia in neonatal rats and improve the symptoms of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in a dose-dependent manner, possibly by down-regulating the expression of miR-155 and up-regulating the expression of SOCS1.