CareFusion to Sell Neurodiagnostic Business to Natus Medical for $58 Million

SAN DIEGO and SAN CARLOS, Calif., April 23, 2012 (PRNewswire via COMTEX) CareFusion, a global medical technology company, and Natus Medical Incorporated, a leading provider of health care screening, diagnostic and treatment products, today announced that they have entered into an agreement to sell the CareFusion Nicolet business to Natus for a cash purchase price of approximately $58 million. Based in Madison, Wis., the Nicolet business employs more than 400 people worldwide and generated sales of approximately $95 million in 2011.

Swab study shows MRSA in pregnancy may not mean much

April 19, 2012 Vanderbilt pediatric infectious disease researchers studying methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) say fears that mothers carrying the germ may set their newborns up for infection are unfounded.

UPDATED: U.S. Marshals seize ultrasound gel containing dangerous levels of bacteria

April 18, 2012 FDA warns that 16 patients got infected from product including babies in neonatal intensive care. The FDA in July raised concerns over cleanliness and sterilization during an inspection at a New Jersey company which had a batch of its ultrasound gel seized by federal agents Wednesday because the FDA says tests showed it was tainted with dangerous levels of bacteria and which may have infected babies in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Nanotechnology-based drug treatment to prevent cerebral palsy

(Nanowerk News) Researchers at the Perinatology Research Branch of the National Institutes of Health, housed at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and the Detroit Medical Center, have demonstrated that a nanotechnology-based drug treatment in newborn rabbits with cerebral palsy enabled dramatic improvement of movement disorders and the inflammatory process of the brain that causes many cases of CP. The findings strongly suggest that there may be an opportunity immediately after birth for drug treatment that could minimize CP.

Early Milk Feeds Safe, Beneficial in Growth-Restricted Preemies

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) April 13, 2012 It's safe and beneficial to start small-volume milk feeds early, between 24 and 48 hours after birth, in preterm growth-restricted babies, as long as they are not clinically sick and unstable, according to a large study from the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Nutrition Cycling No Help Against Cholestasis in VLBW Infants

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) April 11, 2012 Parenteral nutrition cycling does not help avoid cholestasis in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, researchers have found.

More Protein Improves Energy Balance in Critically Ill Children

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) April 10, 2012 In children on mechanical ventilation, higher energy and protein intakes seem to be associated with a positive protein balance, a new meta-analysis suggests.

Operations, machine learning and premature babies. An astonishing connection between web ops and medical care.

IBM discovered that by applying machine learning to the full data stream, they were able to diagnose some dangerous infections a full day before any symptoms were noticeable to a human.

Study reveals improvements in neonatal care

There have been significant improvements in the care given to newborn babies in England over the last ten years, new research shows. Researchers at Imperial College London studied maternity units between 1998 and 2000 and between 2009 and 2010.

New app helps parents in NICU

A smart phone application has been developed to help parents of premature and sick babies decipher the medical terminology they hear in Neonatal Intensive Care Units and Special Care Nurseries.

Máxima Medical Center and Philips collaborate on unique new mother and child care concept

Veldhoven, The Netherlands - Maxima Medical Center (Veldhoven, The Netherlands) and Royal Philips Electronics today announced that a major milestone has been reached in the realization of a unique new mother and child care concept. Premature babies currently receiving care at the medical center's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will from today be moved to new accommodation in the Woman-Mother-Child center in the Maxima Medical Center in Veldhoven.

Lung Function Deficits in Babies May Lead to Future Asthma

March 30, 2012 In the future, scientists may want to explore ways to prevent childhood asthma long before it fully evidences itself, by focusing on neonates and young babies. New research suggests that lung function deficits related to future asthma may develop before birth, in infanthood, and in early childhood, suggesting that asthma research could target prevention at these times.

MSSA isolation practices should be revisited for NICU babies

Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus is as much of a risk to very low birth weight infants as methicillin-resistant S. aureus, but does not receive equal prevention and treatment measures. Andi L. Shane, MD, MPH, MSc, and colleagues, of the department of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare, collected data from very low birth weight (VLBW) infants who were treated at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network centers to determine the type of staphylococcal infection and disease outcomes.

New Analysis Could Give Cues About When to Move Infants from NICU

ScienceDaily (Mar. 26, 2012) Late gestation is a busy time for babies getting ready for life outside the womb, particularly for functions critical to life such as breathing and maintaining an adequate heartbeat. These two functions are connected in mature infants and healthy people throughout life, so measuring their level of connectedness can give doctors a cue about whether an infant is ready to head home or needs to remain in the care of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Guidelines Often Not Followed for Pregnant Women With Herpes

March 16, 2012 Although physicians in the United States typically follow the neonatal herpes prevention guidelines issued by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), most prescribe antivirals and some perform cesarean delivery in clinical situations not indicated by the guidelines, new research suggests.