OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of clarithromycin treatment in preventing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in Ureaplasma urealyticum–positive preterm infants. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nasopharyngeal swabs for U urealyticum culture were taken from infants with a birth weight between 750 and 1250 g in the first 3 postnatal days. Infants with a positive culture for U urealyticum were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups to receive either intravenous clarithromycin or placebo. All the patients were followed at least up to the 36th postmenstrual week. RESULTS: A total of 224 infants met the eligibility criteria of the study. Seventy-four (33%) infants had a positive culture for U urealyticum in the first 3 day cultures. The rate of BPD development was significantly higher in patients with U urealyticum positivity (15.9% vs 36.4%; P < .01). However, multivariate logistic regression analysis failed to reveal a significant association between the presence of U urealyticum and BPD development (odds ratio: 2.4 [95% confidence interval: 0.9–6.3]; P = .06). Clarithromycin treatment resulted in eradication of U urealyticum in 68.5% of the patients. The incidence of BPD was significantly lower in the clarithromycin group than in the placebo group (2.9% vs 36.4%; P < .001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed the independent preventive effect of clarithromycin for the development of BPD (odds ratio: 27.2 [95% confidence interval: 2.5–296.1]; P = .007). CONCLUSIONS: Clarithromycin treatment prevents development of BPD in preterm infants who are born at 750 to 1250 g and colonized with U urealyticum.

Aim: The present study aims to determine the knowledge, attitudes and views of mothers regarding infant feeding, breast milk, wet-nursing, milk kinship and human milk banks.

Background. Colchicine poisoning is potentially life-threatening. Deaths generally result from hypovolemic shock and cardiovascular collapse or secondary to rapidly progressive multiorgan failure. Objective. The purpose of this study is to discuss the clinical effects, treatments and outcomes of pediatric colchicine poisoning and highlight the possible benefits of urgent plasma and whole blood exchange therapy for those patients who were believed to ingest potentially lethal doses of the drug. Methods. Current study was designed as an observational case series study. The medical records of children aged 0–16 years who were hospitalized for colchicine poisoning at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of, between November 1985 and March 2011 were retrospectively evaluated. Results. We present twenty-three children with colchicine poisoning. Nausea and vomiting were the most common presenting complaint, in 70% of patients. Sixteen of the 23 cases presented after ingesting sub-toxic doses of colchicine (< 0.5 mg/kg), whereas 3 patients had consumed toxic doses of the drug (0.5–0.8 mg/kg). The remaining 4 patients were hospitalized after taking colchicine at a lethal dose (> 0.8 mg/kg). Three patients (13%) died. Conclusions. Any patient suspected of ingesting high doses of colchicine should prompt immediate fluid and electrolyte resuscitation and invasive hemodynamic monitorization in a pediatric intensive care unit. Although there is lack of strong evidence, early initiation of either whole blood or plasma exchange may be considered in patients presenting with lethal-dose colchicine intoxication. These reported experience of us put forth further research for consideration.