Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 42 in total

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  1. Zainal N, Rahardja A, Faris Irfan CY, Nasir A, Wan Pauzi WI, Mohamad Ikram I, et al.
    Singapore Med J, 2016 Dec;57(12):690-693.
    PMID: 26805669 DOI: 10.11622/smedj.2016019
    INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of asthma-like symptoms among schoolchildren with low birth weight (LBW), and to compare the lung function of these children with that of children with normal birth weight.

    METHODS: This was a comparative cross-sectional study. We recruited children aged 8-11 years from eight primary schools in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. The children were divided into two groups: those with LBW (< 2,500 g) and those with normal birth weight (≥ 2,500 g). Parents of the enrolled children were asked to complete a translated version of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire. Lung function tests, done using a MicroLoop Spirometer, were performed for the children in both groups by a single investigator who was blinded to the children's birth weight.

    RESULTS: The prevalence of 'ever wheezed' among the children with LBW was 12.9%. This value was significantly higher than that of the children with normal birth weight (7.8%). Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second, and forced expiratory flow when 50% and 75% of the FVC had been exhaled were significantly lower among the children with LBW as compared to the children with normal birth weight.

    CONCLUSION: LBW is associated with an increased prevalence of asthma-like symptoms and impaired lung function indices later in life. Children born with LBW may need additional follow-up so that future respiratory problems can be detected early.

  2. Mohamad Ikram I, Quah BS, Noraida R, Djokomuljanto S, Faris Irfan CY, Van Rostenberghe H
    Singapore Med J, 2011 May;52(5):356-60.
    PMID: 21633770
    The addition of glutamine to parenteral nutrition (PN) in neonates has not shown significant benefits as compared to adults thus far. This study aimed to determine the potential benefits of the addition of glutamine to neonatal PN in a tertiary hospital in a middle-income country.
  3. Habsah H, Zeehaida M, Van Rostenberghe H, Noraida R, Wan Pauzi WI, Fatimah I, et al.
    J Hosp Infect, 2005 Nov;61(3):213-8.
    PMID: 16213372
    Contaminated parenteral nutrition (PN) is an important source of infection in neonates. Many organisms have been reported to cause contamination that results in outbreaks in intensive care units. The objective of this study was to investigate an outbreak caused by Pantoea spp., which contaminates PN, in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This was a descriptive study of an outbreak of sepsis in an NICU of a tertiary teaching hospital in Malaysia. Pantoea spp. infection was detected in eight patients over a three-day period from 24 to 27 January 2004 following the administration of PN. Seven of the eight patients died due to the infection. Extensive environmental samplings for culture were performed. PN solution from the NICU and the pharmacy were also cultured during the outbreak period. Pantoea spp. was isolated from blood cultures of all infected patients, and the unused PN from the pharmacy and the NICU. All the strains of Pantoea spp. had a similar antibiotic susceptibility pattern and biochemical reaction. From the results, we concluded that PN was the source of the outbreak and the contamination may have occurred during its preparation in the pharmacy. A thorough investigation has been carried out and, where possible, corrective measures have been taken to avoid similar outbreaks in the future.
  4. Lim ZD, Pheng E, Min ETL, Van Rostenberghe H, Shatriah I
    PMID: 33916368 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073783
    Platelets are a primary source of pro- and anti-angiogenic cytokines. However, the evidence of their role in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is controversial. This retrospective study aimed to compare mean weekly platelet counts between infants with and without ROP over the first 6 weeks of life. A total of 93 infants matched by gestational age and birth weight were recruited (31 with ROP, 62 without ROP). Weekly mean platelet counts and other related risk factors were documented. The repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the repeated measure analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to compare mean platelet counts over time between the two groups, with and without adjusting for confounders. We found significant differences in the weekly mean platelet counts of infants with and without ROP over the first 6 weeks of life (p = 0.002). These differences disappeared after adjusting for covariates (p = 0.489). Lower mean platelet counts in ROP infants are not directly related to ROP, but rather to the presence of other risk factors for ROP, such as culture-proven sepsis, blood transfusion and bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
  5. Mohd Kori AM, Van Rostenberghe H, Ibrahim NR, Yaacob NM, Nasir A
    PMID: 33922783 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18094509
    Caffeine is the most commonly used methyl xanthine for the prevention of apnoea in prematurity, but the ideal dose was uncertain, until now. This study compared two doses of caffeine for the prevention of apnoea in prematurity. A clinical trial was conducted on 78 preterm infants ≤32 weeks in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. They were randomly allocated to receive the intervention (loading 40 mg/kg/day and maintenance of 20 mg/kg/day) or the control (loading 20 mg/kg/day and maintenance of 10 mg/kg/day) dose of caffeine. The primary outcome of the study was the frequency and total days of apnoea per duration of treatment for both groups. The frequency of apnoea ranged from zero to fourteen in the intervention group and zero to twelve in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups, with a p-value of 0.839. The number of days of apnoea was also similar between both groups, with a p-value of 0.928. There was also no significant difference in adverse events between both regimens. This study did not support the use of higher doses of caffeine as a prevention for apnoea in prematurity.
  6. Muhd Helmi MA, Lai NM, Van Rostenberghe H, Ayub I, Mading E
    Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2023 May 04;5(5):CD013841.
    PMID: 37142550 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013841.pub2
    BACKGROUND: Central venous catheters (CVC) are associated with potentially dangerous complications such as thromboses, pericardial effusions, extravasation, and infections in neonates. Indwelling catheters are amongst the main risk factors for nosocomial infections. The use of skin antiseptics during the preparation for central catheter insertion may prevent catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI). However, it is still not clear which antiseptic solution is the best to prevent infection with minimal side effects.

    OBJECTIVES: To systematically evaluate the safety and efficacy of different antiseptic solutions in preventing CRBSI and other related outcomes in neonates with CVC.

    SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and trial registries up to 22 April 2022. We checked reference lists of included trials and systematic reviews that related to the intervention or population examined in this Cochrane Review.  SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or cluster-RCTs were eligible for inclusion in this review if they were performed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and were comparing any antiseptic solution (single or in combination) against any other type of antiseptic solution or no antiseptic solution or placebo in preparation for central catheter insertion. We excluded cross-over trials and quasi-RCTs.

    DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used the standard methods from Cochrane Neonatal. We used the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of the evidence.

    MAIN RESULTS: We included three trials that had two different comparisons: 2% chlorhexidine in 70% isopropyl alcohol (CHG-IPA) versus 10% povidone-iodine (PI) (two trials); and CHG-IPA versus 2% chlorhexidine in aqueous solution (CHG-A) (one trial). A total of 466 neonates from level III NICUs were evaluated. All included trials were at high risk of bias. The certainty of the evidence for the primary and some important secondary outcomes ranged from very low to moderate. There were no included trials that compared antiseptic skin solutions with no antiseptic solution or placebo. CHG-IPA versus 10% PI Compared to PI, CHG-IPA may result in little to no difference in CRBSI (risk ratio (RR) 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53 to 3.25; risk difference (RD) 0.01, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.06; 352 infants, 2 trials, low-certainty evidence) and all-cause mortality (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.68; RD -0.01, 95% CI -0.08 to 0.06; 304 infants, 1 trial, low-certainty evidence). The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of CHG-IPA on CLABSI (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.07 to 15.08; RD 0.00, 95% CI -0.11 to 0.11; 48 infants, 1 trial; very low-certainty evidence) and chemical burns (RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.24 to 4.48; RD 0.00, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.03; 352 infants, 2 trials, very low-certainty evidence), compared to PI. Based on a single trial, infants receiving CHG-IPA appeared less likely to develop thyroid dysfunction compared to PI (RR 0.05, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.85; RD -0.06, 95% CI -0.10 to -0.02; number needed to treat for an additional harmful outcome (NNTH) 17, 95% CI 10 to 50; 304 infants). Neither of the two included trials assessed the outcome of premature central line removal or the proportion of infants or catheters with exit-site infection. CHG-IPA versus CHG-A The evidence suggests CHG-IPA may result in little to no difference in the rate of proven CRBSI when applied on the skin of neonates prior to central line insertion (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.34 to 1.87; RD -0.05, 95% CI -0.22 to 0.13; 106 infants, 1 trial, low-certainty evidence) and CLABSI (RR 1.14, 95% CI 0.34 to 3.84; RD 0.02, 95% CI -0.12 to 0.15; 106 infants, 1 trial, low-certainty evidence), compared to CHG-A. Compared to CHG-A, CHG-IPA probably results in little to no difference in premature catheter removal (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.26 to 3.19; RD -0.01, 95% CI -0.15 to 0.13; 106 infants, 1 trial, moderate-certainty evidence) and chemical burns (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.47 to 2.03; RD -0.01, 95% CI -0.20 to 0.18; 114 infants, 1 trial, moderate-certainty evidence). No trial assessed the outcome of all-cause mortality and the proportion of infants or catheters with exit-site infection.

    AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Based on current evidence, compared to PI, CHG-IPA may result in little to no difference in CRBSI and mortality. The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of CHG-IPA on CLABSI and chemical burns. One trial showed a statistically significant increase in thyroid dysfunction with the use of PI compared to CHG-IPA. The evidence suggests CHG-IPA may result in little to no difference in the rate of proven CRBSI and CLABSI when applied on the skin of neonates prior to central line insertion. Compared to CHG-A, CHG-IPA probably results in little to no difference in chemical burns and premature catheter removal. Further trials that compare different antiseptic solutions are required, especially in low- and middle-income countries, before stronger conclusions can be made.

  7. Saththasivam P, Voralu K, Ramli N, Mustapha MR, Omar J, Van Rostenberghe H
    Malays J Med Sci, 2010 Jul;17(3):27-31.
    PMID: 22135546 MyJurnal
    Delays in transporting blood samples may cause inaccurate results. Samples may be exposed to light or heat during delays, resulting in the degradation of analytes, for example, bilirubin. This study was done to determine the effect of delays in the transportation of blood samples on serum bilirubin test results.
  8. Sasongko TH, Othman NH, Hussain NHN, Lee YY, Abdullah S, Husin A, et al.
    Malays J Med Sci, 2017 Aug;24(4):1-4.
    PMID: 28951684 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2017.24.4.1
    The use of placebo-controlled trials in situations where established therapies are available is considered ethically problematic since the patients randomised to the placebo group are deprived of the beneficial treatment. The pharmaceutical industry and drug regulators seem to argue that placebo-controlled trials with extensive precautions and control measures in place should still be allowed since they provide necessary scientific evidence for the efficacy and safety of new drugs. On the other hand, the scientific value and usefulness for clinical decision-making may be much higher if the new drug is compared directly to existing therapies. As such, it may still be unethical to impose the burden and risk of placebo-controlled trials on patients even if extensive precautions are taken. A few exceptions do exist. The use of placebo-controlled trials in situations where an established, effective and safe therapy exists remains largely controversial.
  9. Zakaria Z, Van Rostenberghe H, Ramli N, Suhaimi MS, Hazlan SNH, Abdullah JM
    Malays J Med Sci, 2023 Aug;30(4):193-206.
    PMID: 37655147 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2023.30.4.16
    The physical examination of the newborn is essential in diagnosing neurological or neurosurgical conditions in the newborn. This article focuses on three clinical assessments of newborns and infants that are especially important if neurological problems are suspected: The Ballard score, the examination of the head in a baby with (suspected) hydrocephalus, and the neurological and developmental evaluation of an infant in an ambulatory setting. A textual description and a link to a video describe each assessment.
  10. Ariffin N, Hasan H, Ramli N, Ibrahim NR, Taib F, Rahman AA, et al.
    Am J Infect Control, 2012 Aug;40(6):572-5.
    PMID: 22854380 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2012.02.032
    Intrahospital variations in antimicrobial profiles may be related to many factors. This study compared causative agents of nosocomial bloodstream infections between a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that adopted a ward-tailored antibiotic policy and adult intensive care units (ICUs). Data on organisms from blood cultures obtained from the respective wards between 2005 and 2009 were analyzed. Compared with the adult ICUs, the NICU had a higher frequency of Enterobacteriacae and lower frequencies of typical hospital-acquired pathogens (eg, Klebsiella pneumoniae, 17.4% vs 10.0% [P < .001]; Acinetobacter baumannii, 3.9% vs 11.6% [P < .001]). Antibiotic resistance of gram-negative organisms was also significantly lower in the NICU, including resistance to imipenem (5.7% vs 32.1%; P < .001), amikacin (8.8% vs 30.3%), and ceftriaxone (36.1% vs 74.6%; P < .001). This could possibly be due to the ward-tailored antibiotic policy adopted by the NICU but not by the other ICUs.
  11. Deris ZZ, Van Rostenberghe H, Habsah H, Noraida R, Tan GC, Chan YY, et al.
    Int J Infect Dis, 2010 Jan;14(1):e73-4.
    PMID: 19482535 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2009.03.005
    We report the first case of a human Burkholderia tropica infection. The patient was a premature neonate who had necrotizing enterocolitis with bowel perforation requiring surgical intervention. The stoma care and difficulties in feeding were a chronic problem. At the age of almost 4 months he developed septicemia due to B. tropica. Three consecutive blood cultures grew this organism. The organism was cleared from the blood after a course of imipenem and resolution of post-operative ileus. Our case suggests that environmental and plant pathogens can cause human infection especially in those in an immunocompromised condition.
  12. Yusoff S, Van Rostenberghe H, Yusoff NM, Talib NA, Ramli N, Ismail NZ, et al.
    Biol. Neonate, 2006;89(3):171-6.
    PMID: 16210851
    Gilbert syndrome is caused by defects in the uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) gene. These mutations differ among different populations and many of them have been found to be genetic risk factors for the development of neonatal jaundice.
  13. Jalloh S, Van Rostenberghe H, Yusoff NM, Ghazali S, Nik Ismail NZ, Matsuo M, et al.
    Pediatr Int, 2005 Jun;47(3):258-61.
    PMID: 15910447
    The role of hemolysis in the pathophysiology of neonatal jaundice (NNJ) in patients with glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency has been questioned recently. The aim of the present study was to determine the contribution of hemolysis to the pathophysiology of jaundice in Malay neonates with G6PD deficiency and NNJ.
  14. Yusoff NM, Shirakawa T, Nishiyama K, Ghazali S, Ee CK, Orita A, et al.
    Int J Hematol, 2002 Aug;76(2):149-52.
    PMID: 12215013 DOI: 10.1007/BF02982577
    Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using multiple tandem forward primers and a common reverse primer (MPTP) was recently established as a comprehensive screening method for mutations in X-linked recessive diseases. In the work reported here, MPTP was used to scan for mutations of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) gene. Mutations in exons 3,4,5,6,7,9, 11, and 12 of the G6PD gene were screened by MPTP in 93 unrelated Malaysian patients with G6PD deficiency. Of the 93 patients, 80 (86%) had identified mutations. Although all of these were missense mutations, identified nucleotide changes were heterogeneous, with 9 mutations involving various parts of the exons. These 9 mutations were G-to-A nucleotide changes at nucleotide 871 of the G6PD gene (G871A), corresponding to G6PD Viangchan, G6PD Mediterranean (C563T), G6PD Vanua Lava (T383C), G6PD Coimbra (C592T), G6PD Kaiping (G1388A), G6PD Orissa (C131G), G6PD Mahidol (G487A), G6PD Canton (G1376T), and G6PD Chatham (G1003A). Our results document heterogeneous mutations of the G6PD gene in the Malaysian population.
  15. Yusoff NM, Van Rostenberghe H, Shirakawa T, Nishiyama K, Amin N, Darus Z, et al.
    J Hum Genet, 2003;48(12):650-653.
    PMID: 14618420 DOI: 10.1007/s10038-003-0095-2
    Southeast Asian ovalocytosis (SAO) is a red blood cell abnormality common in malaria-endemic regions and caused by a 27 nt deletion of the band 3 protein gene. Since band 3 protein, also known as anion exchanger 1, is expressed in renal distal tubules, the incidence of SAO was examined in distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA) in Malays in Kelantan, Malaysia. Twenty-two patients with dRTA and 50 healthy volunteers were examined for complication of SAO by both morphological and genetic analyses. SAO was identified in 18 of the 22 dRTA patients (81.8%), but only two of the 50 controls (4%). The incidence of SAO was significantly high in those with dRTA (p<0.001), indicating a dysfunctional role for band 3 protein/anion exchanger 1 in the development of dRTA.
  16. van Rostenberghe H, Yong A, Mohd Zin F, Fuad MDF, Idris B, Tahir NA, et al.
    MyJurnal
    Autonomy is widely accepted to be the third pillar of medical ethics. However, if it comes to refusal of life saving treatments, some extra considerations are necessary, especially if decisions are made by surrogate decision makers. Four cases of problematic decision making are presented here, followed by a discussion about the cultural and religious misconceptions about the rights of surrogate decision makers.
  17. Ibrahim NR, Kheng TH, Nasir A, Ramli N, Foo JLK, Syed Alwi SH, et al.
    Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., 2017 May;102(3):F225-F229.
    PMID: 27671836 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2015-310246
    OBJECTIVE: To determine whether feeding with 2-hourly or 3-hourly feeding interval reduces the time to achieve full enteral feeding and to compare their outcome in very low birthweight preterm infants.

    DESIGN: Parallel-group randomised controlled trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio.

    SETTING: Two regional tertiary neonatal intensive care units.

    PATIENTS: 150 preterm infants less than 35 weeks gestation with birth weight between 1.0 and 1.5 kg were recruited.

    INTERVENTIONS: Infants were enrolled to either 2-hourly or 3-hourly interval feeding after randomisation. Blinding was not possible due to the nature of the intervention.

    MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was time to achieve full enteral feeding (≥100 mL/kg/day). Secondary outcomes include time to regain birth weight, episode of feeding intolerance, peak serum bilirubin levels, duration of phototherapy, episode of necrotising enterocolitis, nosocomial sepsis and gastro-oesophageal reflux.

    RESULTS: 72 infants were available for primary outcome analysis in each group as three were excluded due to death-three deaths in each group. The mean time to full enteral feeding was 11.3 days in the 3-hourly group and 10.2 days in the 2-hourly group (mean difference 1.1 days; 95% CI -0.4 to 2.5; p=0.14). The mean time to regain birth weight was shorter in 3-hourly group (12.9 vs 14.8 days, p=0.04). Other subgroup analyses did not reveal additional significant results. No difference in adverse events was found between the groups.

    CONCLUSION: 3-hourly feeding was comparable with 2-hourly feeding to achieve full enteral feeding without any evidence of increased adverse events.

    TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12611000676910, pre-result.

  18. Isa SN, Aziz AA, Rahman AA, Ibrahim MI, Ibrahim WP, Mohamad N, et al.
    J Dev Behav Pediatr, 2013 May;34(4):262-8.
    PMID: 23538932 DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0b013e318287cdfe
    Caring for children with disabilities brings about a significant impact on the parents and families. The purposes of this study were to determine the impact of having children with disabilities on parents' health-related quality of life (HRQOL), family functioning, and total family impact and to identify the associated factors.
  19. Sutomo R, Talib NA, Yusoff NM, Van Rostenberghe H, Sadewa AH, Sunarti, et al.
    Pediatr Int, 2004 Oct;46(5):565-9.
    PMID: 15491385
    There are significant differences in the prevalence and severity of neonatal jaundice among various populations. Recently, it has been reported that a mutation of the UGT1A1 gene, glycine to arginine at codon 71 (G71R), is related to the development of neonatal jaundice in East Asian populations. However, whether the G71R mutation contributes to the high incidence of neonatal jaundice in different Asian populations remains unknown. The authors screened for this mutation in the Javanese-Indonesian and Malay-Malaysian populations.
  20. Cheung TP, Van Rostenberghe H, Ismail R, Nawawi NN, Abdullah NA, Ramli N, et al.
    Gene, 2015 Dec 1;573(2):198-204.
    PMID: 26188155 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.07.045
    Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) encoded by the nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group I, member 3 (NR1I3) gene regulates the elimination of bilirubin through activating the components of the bilirubin clearance pathway. Hence, NR1I3 genetic variants may affect bilirubin metabolism and result in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Thus far, research which investigates the association between NR1I3 variants and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia has not been undertaken in any population. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of MPJ6_1I3008 (rs10157822), IVS8+116T>G (rs4073054) and 540A>G (rs2307424) on neonatal hyperbilirubinemia development in the Malay population. Buccal swabs were collected from 232 hyperbilirubinemia and 277 control term newborns with gestational age ≥37weeks and birth weight ≥2500g. The NR1I3 variants were genotyped by using high resolution melting (HRM) assays and verified by DNA sequencing. Gender, mode of delivery and birth weight did not differ between hyperbilirubinemia and control groups. The genotypic and allelic frequencies of MPJ6_1I3008, IVS8+116T>G and 540A>G were not significantly different between the groups. However, stratification by gender revealed a significant inverse association between homozygous variant genotype of MPJ6_1I3008 and risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in the females (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.20-0.95; p=0.034). This study demonstrates that the homozygous variant genotype of MPJ6_1I3008 was associated with a significant reduced risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in the females.
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