Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 136 in total

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  1. Boo NY
    Ann Acad Med Singap, 2008 Dec;37(12 Suppl):60-3.
    PMID: 19904452
    Auditory neuropathy is defined by the presence of normal evoked otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and absent or abnormal auditory brainstem responses (ABR). The sites of lesion could be at the cochlear inner hair cells, spiral ganglion cells of the cochlea, synapse between the inner hair cells and auditory nerve, or the auditory nerve itself. Genetic, infectious or neonatal/perinatal insults are the 3 most commonly identified underlying causes. Children usually present with delay in speech and language development while adult patients present with hearing loss and disproportionately poor speech discrimination for the degree of hearing loss. Although cochlear implant is the treatment of choice, current evidence show that it benefits only those patients with endocochlear lesions, but not those with cochlear nerve deficiency or central nervous system disorders. As auditory neuropathy is a disorder with potential long-term impact on a child's development, early hearing screen using both OAE and ABR should be carried out on all newborns and infants to allow early detection and intervention.
  2. Boo NY
    Med J Malaysia, 1992 Mar;47(1):56-9.
    PMID: 1387451
    A prospective study was carried out in the Maternity Hospital, Kuala Lumpur in 1989 to determine the morbidity and mortality of infants of diabetic mothers. Out of 24,856 neonates born during the study period, 54 neonates (2.2 per 1000 livebirths) were born to mothers who were diagnosed to have diabetes mellitus before the current pregnancy or who had impaired glucose tolerance test during the current pregnancy. Almost a third (29.6 percent) of these infants of diabetic mothers had birthweight of 4000 grams and above, and 37.0 percent of the 54 babies were large-for-gestational age. Hypoglycemia occurred in 9/54 (16.7 percent) of the neonates, respiratory distress syndrome in 5/54 (9.3 percent), shoulder dystocia in 7/54 (13.0 percent), and congenital abnormalities in 4/54 (7.4 percent). Three (5.6 percent) neonates died during the neonatal period. The results of this study suggest a need to intensify control of maternal diabetes mellitus during pregnancy in order to reduce the rates of morbidity and mortality of their infants.
  3. Boo NY
    Med J Malaysia, 1989 Mar;44(1):35-40.
    PMID: 2626112
    Over a seven month period in 1986, 164 (1.1%) of a total 15,131 neonates delivered in the Maternity Hospital, Kuala Lumpur were born to mothers with prolonged rupture of the fetal membranes. Septic work-ups were performed on 163 of these babies shortly after birth, 77 of them had no bacteriological, radiological or other clinical evidence of infection. The remaining 86 had additional history of illness. Nine of these 86 babies had proven infection: four with septicemia, one with meningitis and four others with congenital pneumonia. This study showed that neonates had risk of infection only when maternal history of prolonged rupture of the fetal membranes was associated with other clinical evidence of infection. However, even in this group of neonates at risk, 89.5% of them were not infected. Therefore, there is still a need to develop a simple, rapid, reliable and cheap laboratory method to help early identification of the infected from the non-infected neonates in order to prevent unnecessary antibiotic treatment and hospital stay.
  4. Boo NY
    Malays J Pathol, 2016 Dec;38(3):223-227.
    PMID: 28028291 MyJurnal
    Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is the most commonly acquired gastrointestinal disease of neonates, particularly the very preterm (gestation <32 weeks) and/or very low birth weight (<1500g). It is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Despite improvement in neonatal care and increased use of expressed breast milk (EBM), the incidence remains high in many neonatal intensive care units (NICU), and even shows increasing trend in some countries. Numerous studies have pointed to the infective nature of NEC. Some investigators have reported an increase in the incidence of NEC in their NICU when the percentage of infants with pathogens isolated from their gut increased, and decreased when gut colonisation rate was low. Both bacteria and viruses have been reported to be associated with outbreaks of NEC. The majority (>90%) of the NEC cases occurred in neonates on enteral feeding. Studies have shown that milk (whether EBM or formula) fed to neonates was not sterile and were further contaminated during collection, transport, storage and/or feeding. Other investigators have reported a reduction in the incidence of NEC when they improved infection control measures and hygienic procedures in handling milk. It is, therefore, hypothesised that the most common cause of NEC is due to the feeding of neonates, particularly the vulnerable very preterm small neonates, with milk heavily contaminated during collection at source, transport, storage and/or feeding. Because of the immaturity of the immune system of the neonates, excessive inflammatory response to the pathogen load in the gut leads to the pathogenesis of NEC.
  5. Boo NY
    Singapore Med J, 2009 Feb;50(2):152-9.
    PMID: 19296030
    The neonatal resuscitation programme (NRP) published by the American Academy of Paediatrics and American Heart Association was launched in Malaysia in 1996. This study aimed to review the outcome of NRP in Malaysia during the first eight years.
  6. Boo NY
    Singapore Med J, 1992 Feb;33(1):33-7.
    PMID: 1598605
    Between January 1989 to April 1990 (16 months), a prospective observational study was carried out on 329 consecutive very low birthweight (VLBW) less than or equal to 1500 grams) Malaysian neonates born in the Maternity Hospital, Kuala Lumpur before their first discharge from the hospital. The objectives of the study were to determine the common causes of early morbidity and mortality of this group of Malaysian neonates. The study shows that the incidence of Malaysian VLBW neonates was 9.9 per 1000 livebirths (95% confidence intervals 9.0 to 10.8). The mean duration of stay in the hospital was 19.3 days (SD = 21.4). One hundred and ninety-six (59.6 percent) of the VLBW neonates died. They accounted for 60 percent (196/334) of all neonatal deaths in the hospital during the study period. Mortality was significantly higher in neonates of birthweight less than 1000 grams (p less than 0.01) and of gestation of less than 33 weeks (p less than 0.001). The three most common clinical problems were respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (72.6 percent), septicemia (28.0 percent) and intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) (21.9 percent). Death occurred in 71.1 percent of the septicemic patients. The most common causative organisms of septicemia were multiresistant klebsiella (52.3 percent) and multiresistant acinetobacter (14.7 percent). RDS (33.2 percent), septicemia (29.6%) and IVH (17.9 percent) were the three most common causes of death. Improvement in the nursing staff situation and basic neonatal care facilities in this hospital and prevention of premature delivery could help to decrease morbidity and mortality in this group of neonates.
  7. Boo NY
    Singapore Med J, 1990 Jun;31(3):207-10.
    PMID: 2392696
    In a 30-month prospective study, between January 1987 and June 1989, 101 of 64,424 Malaysian neonates (1.6 per 1000 livebirths) born in the Maternity Hospital, Kuala Lumpur were found to have subaponeurotic haemorrhage shortly after delivery. The incidence was highest in neonates weighting 4000 gm or more. There was no significant difference in incidence of this condition in neonates of different ethnic origins. Hypoprothrombinemia was present in only 5/101 (5.0%) of the affected neonates. Sixty seven (66.3%) of the neonates with subaponeurotic haemorrhage had history of trial of vacuum extraction. The incidence of subaponeurotic haemorrhage was significantly higher in neonates delivered by vacuum extraction than by other modes of delivery in this hospital (41.4 per 1000 livebirths in neonates delivered by vacuum extraction versus 1.0 per 1000 livebirths in neonates delivered by other modes). Those neonates who developed subaponeurotic haemorrhage without trial of vacuum extraction had a history of either prolonged labour or difficult delivery. Thirty-three (32.7%) of the neonates with subaponeurotic haemorrhage developed anaemia which required blood transfusion and 3/33 (9.1%) were in shock. Fifty seven (56.4%) of the neonates with subaponeurotic haemorrhage developed hyperbilirubinemia due to the haemorrhage. Four (7.0%) of them had severe unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia which required exchange transfusion. The results of this study suggest that subaponeurotic haemorrhage in Malaysian neonates was commonly associated with vacuum extraction and was not a benign condition.
  8. Boo NY, Ishak S
    J Paediatr Child Health, 2007 Apr;43(4):297-302.
    PMID: 17444833
    To determine the sensitivity and specificity of different levels of bilirubin measured by the transcutaneous bilirubinometer Bilicheck on forehead and sternum for predicting severe hyperbilirubinaemia of total serum bilirubin (TSB)>or=300 micromol/L in Malay, Chinese and Indian infants.
  9. Boo NY, Selvarani S
    Singapore Med J, 2005 Aug;46(8):387-91.
    PMID: 16049607
    This study aimed to determine the proportions of normothermic infants who remained normothermic, and hypothermic infants who became normothermic following the use of a heated water-filled mattress (HWM) in the labour room.
  10. Boo NY, Rajaram T
    Singapore Med J, 1989 Aug;30(4):368-71.
    PMID: 2814540
    A prospective study was carried out in the Maternity Hospital, Kuala Lumpur over a 2-year period. During this time, 52,379 deliveries took place. 36 neonates (0.7 per 1000 births) were found to have congenital dislocation of the hips (CDH) by both the Ortolani and Barlow's manoeuvre. CDH was most common in the females (female to male ratio was 2.3:1), the first borns (50% of the affected cases) and babies who had breech delivery (10.7 per 1000 births). In 21 (58.3%) of the affected neonates, CDH occurred in both hips. According to the classification of newborn infants' hips by Finlay et al, 88.9% of the neonates had unstable hips while 8.3% had pathological hips. Family history of CDH was present in 5% of the patients. 8 (22.2%) of the neonates had other associated congenital abnormalities.
  11. Boo NY, Jamli FM
    J Paediatr Child Health, 2007 Dec;43(12):831-6.
    PMID: 17803670
    To compare weight gain and head growth in very-low-birthweight (VLBW, <1501 g) infants with or without exposure to short duration of skin-to-skin contact (STSC) during their stay in a neonatal intensive care unit.
  12. Boo NY, Goh ES
    J Trop Pediatr, 1999 Aug;45(4):195-201.
    PMID: 10467829
    In a case-control study carried out in the Kuala Lumpur Maternity Hospital between 1st July 1995 and 31st January 1996 the objectives were (1) to determine the rate of breastfeeding in surviving very low birthweight (VLBW, < or = 1500 g) Malaysian infants following the introduction of the Baby Friendly Hospital Concept, and (2) to identify significant predictors associated with successful breastfeeding in these infants. During the study period, 201 (1.24 per cent) of live-born infants were VLBW infants, 192 (95.5 per cent) were Malaysians, and 141 (73.4 per cent) of them survived to go home. The breastfeeding rate among all surviving VLBW Malaysian infants at the time of discharge was 40.2 per cent (57/141). The mothers of 126 (89.4 per cent) VLBW Malaysian infants were interviewed before discharge. Logistic regression analysis showed that, after controlling for various confounders, the significant predictors associated with successful breastfeeding were: (a) Malay mothers (odds ratio: 6.0; 95 per cent CI: 1.9, 19.4), (b) mothers with educational levels of between 7 and 9 years (odds ratio: 3.6; 95 per cent CI: 1.0, 12.2), and (c) earlier age of commencement of enteral feeds in the VLBW infants (for each additional day delay in commencement of feeding, odds ratio of breastfeeding was 0.5; 95 per cent CI: 0.4, 0.8).
  13. Cheah FC, Boo NY
    J Trop Pediatr, 2000 Feb;46(1):46-50.
    PMID: 10730042
    Cleaning newborn infants with coconut oil shortly after birth is a common practice in Malaysian labour rooms. This study aimed: (1) to determine whether this practice was associated with a significant decrease in the core temperature of infants; and (2) to identify significant risk factors associated with neonatal hypothermia. The core temperature of 227 randomly selected normal-term infants immediately before and after cleaning in labour rooms was measured with an infrared tympanic thermometer inserted into their left ears. Their mean post-cleaning body temperature (36.6 degrees C, SD = 1.0) was significantly lower than their mean pre-cleaning temperature (37.1 degrees C, SD = 1.0; p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors significantly associated with pre-cleaning hypothermia (< 36.5 degrees C) were: (1) not being placed under radiant warmer before cleaning p = 0.03); and (2) lower labour room temperature (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis also showed that the risk factors significantly associated with post-cleaning hypothermia were: (1) lower labour room temperature (p < 0.001); (2) lower pre-cleaning body temperature (p < 0.001); and (3) longer duration of cleaning (p = 0.002). In conclusion, to prevent neonatal hypothermia, labour room temperature should be set at a higher level and cleaning infants in the labour room should be discouraged.
  14. Boo NY, Lee HT
    J Paediatr Child Health, 2002 Apr;38(2):151-5.
    PMID: 12030996
    OBJECTIVE: To compare the rates of decrease in serum bilirubin levels in severely jaundiced healthy term infants given oral or intravenous fluid supplementation during phototherapy.

    METHODS: A randomized controlled study was carried out in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia over a 12-month period. Fifty-four healthy term infants with severe hyperbilirubinemia were randomized to receive either solely enteral feeds (n = 27) or both enteral and intravenous (n = 27) fluid during phototherapy.

    RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the mean birthweight, mean gestational age, ethnic distribution, gender distribution, modes of delivery and types of feeding between the two groups. Similarly, there was no significant difference in the mean indirect serum bilirubin (iSB) level at the time of admission to the NICU between the enteral (359 +/- 69 micromol/L [mean +/- SD]) and intravenous group (372 +/- 59 micromol/L; P = 0.4). The mean rates of decrease in iSB during the first 4 h of phototherapy were also not significantly different between the enteral group (10.4 +/- 4.9 micromol/L per h) and intravenous group (11.2 +/- 7.4 micromol/L per h; P = 0.6). There was no significant difference in the proportion of infants requiring exchange transfusion (P = 0.3) nor in the median duration of hospitalization (P = 0.7) between the two groups. No infant developed vomiting or abdominal distension during the study period.

    CONCLUSION: Severely jaundiced healthy term infants had similar rates of decrease in iSB levels during the first 4 h of intensive phototherapy, irrespective of whether they received oral or intravenous fluid supplementation. However, using the oral route avoided the need for intravenous cannulae and their attendant complications.

  15. Boo NY, Chan BH
    Med J Malaysia, 1998 Dec;53(4):358-64.
    PMID: 10971978
    A prospective observational study was carried out over a seven month period in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a large Malaysian maternity hospital to determine the rate of blood transfusion and the incidence of transfusion reactions in newborn infants. During the study period, the rates of blood transfusion was 6.1% (n = 117) of NICU admission or 8.2 per 1,000 live births. The median birth weight of the infants who had received blood transfusion was 1,740 grams (range: 725-4,350), and their mean gestational age was 33.6 weeks (sd = 5.1, range = 24-41 weeks). The median age of infants when they first received blood transfusion was 4.0 days (range: 1-27 days). When compared with infants of birth weight between 3,000 and 3,499 grams, infants of birth weight less than 1,500 grams received significantly higher median number of transfusions per infant, (p < 0.001). The incidence of transfusion reaction was 2.7% (3/110) of all transfused infants or 1.3% (3/223) of all blood transfusions. Febrile nonhemolytic reaction was the only type of transfusion reaction detected during the study period. This study showed that transfusion reactions in newborn infants were not common.
  16. Boo NY, Pong KM
    J Paediatr Child Health, 2001 Apr;37(2):118-24.
    PMID: 11328464
    OBJECTIVES: To determine the number of providers and instructors trained by the initial 37 core instructors during the first 2 years following the launch of the Malaysian Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP). To identify remediable problems which interfered with the propagation of the NRP in Malaysia.

    METHODOLOGY: A prospective observational study carried out over a 2-year period between 2 September 1996 to 2 September 1998. For every training course conducted, the instructors completed a NRP course report form (Form A) that documented the instructors involved in the course. For every participant who attended the course and successfully completed it, the instructors submitted a record form (Form B) that contained the name, hospital address, department, profession, place of work, language used for training and the marks obtained by the individual participant. After each course, completed forms A and B were returned to the NRP secretariat for compilation.

    RESULTS: Of the 37 core instructors, 35 (94.6%) carried out training courses in their respective home states. A further 513 new instructors and 2256 providers were trained subsequently. A total of 2806 health personnel from all 13 states of Malaysia were NRP-certified during the first 2 years. However, 61.2% (n = 335) of the 550 instructors were inactive trainers, having trained less than four personnel per instructor a year. Most of the NRP-certified personnel were either doctors (32.0%) or nursing staff (64.4%). More than 60% of these worked either in the labour rooms, neonatal intensive care units or special care nurseries. At least one person from all three university hospitals and all general hospitals, 89.3% (92/103) of the district hospitals, 3.5% (73/2090) of the maternal and child health services, and 21% (46/219) of the private hospitals and maternity homes, were trained in the NRP.

    CONCLUSION: Dissemination of the NRP in Malaysia during the first 2 years was very encouraging. Further efforts should be made to spread the program to private hospitals and the maternal and child health services. In view of the large number of inactive instructors, the criteria for future selection of instructors should be more stringent.

  17. Boo NY, Chor CY
    J Paediatr Child Health, 1994 Feb;30(1):23-7.
    PMID: 8148183
    A study carried out in the Maternity Hospital, Kuala Lumpur over a 6 year period from 1986 to 1991, showed that the annual rates of septicaemia ranged from 5.2 to 10.2/100 admissions. Septicaemia accounted for between 11.0 to 30.4% of all neonatal deaths. The case fatality ratios ranged from 23.0 to 52.2%, being highest in 1989 when basic facilities were compromised. Low birthweight neonates accounted for 55.5% of those with septicaemia. The most common causative organisms were Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus in 1986 and 1987, but from 1988 Klebsiella species became the most common. More than 50% of neonatal septicaemia occurred after the age of 2 days. The results of the study demonstrated the dynamism of infection control: when control measures introduced earlier were not sustained, outbreaks of nosocomial infection recurred or worsened.
  18. Boo NY, Lye MS
    J Trop Pediatr, 1992 12;38(6):284-9.
    PMID: 1844086 DOI: 10.1093/tropej/38.6.284
    A 2-month prospective study was carried out in a Kuala Lumpur maternity hospital to determine the antenatal and intrapartum factors associated with perinatal asphyxia in the Malaysian neonates. The incidence of perinatal asphyxia was 18.7 per 1000 livebirths. Of the 75 asphyxiated neonates born during this period, 70 (93.3 per cent) were of term or post-term gestation. The incidence of perinatal asphyxia was more common in the neonates with one of the following characteristics: low birth weight (< 2500 g), breech delivery, or delivery by instrumentation or lower segment Caesarean section (P < 0.001). Conditional logistic regression analysis of the asphyxiated and the control neonates in a nested case-control study (after controlling for sex, race, birth weight, modes of delivery, and maternal gravida) showed that there were two associated factors which were of statistical significance. These were: small-for-gestation neonates and the presence of intrapartum problems. Our study suggests that to reduce the incidence of perinatal asphyxia, the common causes of small-for-gestation neonates and the common types of intrapartum problems should be identified to enable appropriate preventive measures to be carried out.
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