Background: Preterm infants have oral feeding difficulty that often delays discharge, indicating a need for evidence-based interventions for oral–motor development. Purpose: To test the Premature Infant Oral Motor Intervention (PIOMI) on the development of oral–motor function, feeding, and anthropometric outcomes using sucking manometry. Methods: A single-blind randomized experimental design was conducted with a sample of 60 preterm infants from 2 neonatal intensive care units between May 2019 and March 2020. The experimental group received PIOMI for 5 min/d for 14 consecutive days. Sucking capacity, anthropometrics (weight and head circumference), bottle feeding, breast/chest feeding initiation, and length of hospital stay were measured. The Yakut Sucking Manometer (PCT/TR2019/050678) was developed specifically for this study and tested for the first time. Results: The experimental group had a statistically significant percent increase over controls in sucking power (69%), continuous sucking before releasing the bottle (16%), sucking time (13%), and sucking amount (12%) with partial η² values of interaction between the groups of 0.692, 0.164, 0.136, and 0.121, respectively. The experimental group had a higher increase in weight (89%) and head circumference (81%) over controls (F = 485.130, P < .001; F = 254.754, P < .001, respectively). The experimental group transitioned to oral feeding 9.9 days earlier than controls (t = −2.822; P = .007), started breast/chest feeding 10.8 days earlier (t = 3.016; P = .004), and were discharged 3.0 days earlier. Implications for Research/Practice: The PIOMI had a significant positive effect on anthropometrics, sucking capacity, readiness to initiate bottle and breast/chest feeding, and a 3-day reduction in length of hospital stay.

Objective: Abnormal trophoblastic invasion and impaired placentation have a crucial role in the etiopathogenesis of preeclampsia (PrE). Trophoblastic cells are involved in invading the maternal decidua and remodelling of the spiral arteries with matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP-14). MMP-14 cleavage of endoglin releases its extracellular region, the soluble form of endoglin (s-ENG), into the maternal circulation. In PrE, there is a relationship between endothelial dysfunction and s-ENG concentration. The aim was to determine and compare the serum levels of s-ENG and MMP-14 in different groups of PrE patients and healthy subjects. Material and Methods: The study included 30 patients with late-onset preeclampsia (L-PrE) (group 1; gestational age >= 34 weeks), 33 patients with normal pregnancy (group 2; gestational age >= 34 weeks), 31 patients early-onset preeclampsia (E-PrE) (group 3; gestational age < 34 weeks), and 31 patients with normal pregnancy (group 4; gestational age <34 weeks). s-ENG and MMP-14 concentrations measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were compared. Results: In all groups, MMP-14 concentrations decreased with increasing gestational age. s-ENG concentrations were highest in the E-PrE group. In groups 1 and 3, 29 had mild PrE while 32 suffered severe PrE and s-ENG concentrations did not differ between mild and severe preeclampsia (p=0.133). However, there was a significant difference in MMP-14 concentration comparing mild with severe PrE (3.11 +/- 0.61 vs 3.54 +/- 1.00; p=0.047, respectively). There was no correlation between s-ENG and MMP-14 concentrations. Conclusion: MMP-14 and s-ENG concentrations can be predictive biomarkers for the diagnosis of PrE. Maternal serum MMP-14 concentration may be a biomarker for determining the severity of PrE.

Hemşirelerin bakım verdiği bireylere ulaşmasını sağlayan en temel araç iletişim bilgi ve becerisidir. Bu beceri, yoğun bakım ünitesi gibi kritik ortamlarda daha önemli olmaktadır. Bu araştırma yoğun bakım hemşirelerinin iletişim becerilerini değerlendirmek amacıyla tanımlayıcı tipte yapılmıştır. Çalışma, Güneydoğu Anadolu bölgesinde bulunan dört hastanenin yoğun bakım ünitelerinden görev yapan 260 hemşire ile Ocak-Mart 2018 tarihlerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Verilerin toplanmasında, Hemşire Tanıtıcı Bilgi Formu ve İletişim Becerileri Değerlendirme Ölçeği (İBDÖ) kullanılmıştır. Katılımcıların %68.1’inin lisans ve üzeri eğitime sahip olduğu ve %56.2’sinin son bir yıl içinde iletişim becerilerine yönelik eğitim aldığı belirlenmiştir. Lisans ve üzeri düzeyde eğitime sahip hemşirelerin lise mezunu hemşirelere göre iletişim becerileri daha iyi bulunmuştur. Son bir yıl içerisinde iletişime yönelik eğitim alan hemşirelerin iletişim becerilerinin, almayanlara göre daha yüksek seviyede olduğu saptanmıştır. Çalışmadan elde edilen sonuçlar doğrultusunda; hemşirelerin iletişim becerilerini geliştirmeye yönelik hizmet içi eğitim programlarının düzenlenmesi ve sürekliliğinin sağlanması, iletişim becerilerinin belirli aralıklarla değerlendirilmesi, yoğun bakım ünitelerinde yaşanan iletişim güçlüklerinin belirlenmesi ve buna yönelik önlemlerin alınması önerilmektedir.

In this study, it was aimed to determine the difficulties in receiving care for infants who are in neonatal intensive care during the pandemic process. In this phenomenological study, interviews were conducted with semi-structured questions with the participants. While collecting the data, both observation and interview techniques were used. The situations that prevent getting care from nurses are as follows. The inability to establish skin-to-skin contact with the infant, the problems caused by the equipment that nurses have to wear, and the fear of COVID-19. Conditions that prevent receiving care from the mother are as follows: removal of family visits, interruption of kangaroo care, failure to initiate breastfeeding. As a result, infants faced many difficulties in receiving care during the pandemic period and their care could not be applied properly and regularly.

Preeclampsia (PE), the primary pathology of which is endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction, has long-lasting effects such as cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it was decided to investigate the maternal serum concentrations of EC-specific molecule-1 in patients with early-onset preeclampsia (E-PE). This study was conducted on 33 pregnant women with E-PE and 35 healthy pregnant women matched for gestational age. EC-specific molecule-1 level was measured using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The mean EC-specific molecule-1 concentrations were not significantly different between the groups (651.7 ± 632.2 pg/mL vs. 425.9 ± 263.0 pg/mL, p=.056). Among women with E-PE, the median EC-specific molecule-1 concentration did not differ significantly by disease severity (p=.115). EC-specific molecule-1 is not involved in the pathogenesis of E-PE. However, some studies in the literature report that EC-specific molecule-1 concentrations increased during the diagnosis of PE. Therefore, well-designed studies with a large sample are needed in cases of E-PE.