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Biomedical subjects

B Medoff-Cooper

Publications and source records attributed to B Medoff-Cooper.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Substance abuse.

The potential for human developmental toxicity caused by chemical exposure was not generally recognized until the thalidomide tragedy of the early 1960s, at which time it was acknowledged that the placenta is not a barrier protecting the fetus. The focus of this chapter is to present the role of substance abuse screening in prenatal care, the gamut of drugs, and the clinical implications of the substances abused by pregnant women, as well as the legal and ethical considerations. Physiologic and care issues will be discussed. Legal substances discussed include the commonly used artificial sweeteners, caffeine, cigarette smoking, alcohol, and over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Illegal substances discussed include marijuana, phencyclidine, lysergic acid diethylamide, opiates, and cocaine.

Ethics, Nursing↗
PubMed1992

Thermoregulation in low-birth-weight infants.

Thermoregulation is a critical component of neonatal nursing care, particularly with regard to preterm infants. To provide appropriate care, nurses must be aware of the energy balance equation, mechanisms of heat loss, and specific factors related to preterm infants. In addition to the standard care measures implemented from birth through intensive care, nurses need to be aware of principles related to weaning an infant to an open crib.

Body Temperature Regulation↗
PubMed1989

The clinical specialist-staff nurse research team: a model for clinical research.

Increasing sophistication in nursing research has created a demand for preliminary work before the completion of a design for a major research project. This report presents a method which meets this need and provides research experience to nurses working on the clinical units. The role of the doctorally prepared clinical nurse specialist (CNS) in promoting collaborative research is presented. For the staff nurse the purpose of this collaboration was to facilitate an introduction of nursing research during the completion of her BSN. A secondary purpose was to provide the doctorally prepared CNS with preliminary data on the effects of nursing care on preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Through collaborative effort, a research protocol was developed and implemented with four preterm infants. The successful completion of this project provided the CNS with preliminary data and the staff nurse with a better understanding of the complexities as well as the rewards of clinical nursing research.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia↗
PubMed1988

In vivo 31P nuclear magnetic resonance measurement of chronic changes in cerebral metabolites following neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether cerebral metabolic changes occur after intraventricular hemorrhage in the newborn. Five babies with bilateral grade 3 to 4 intraventricular hemorrhage were compared with 15 preterm infants without intraventricular hemorrhage. Cerebral high-energy phosphorus metabolites and intracellular pH were measured with in vivo 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Spectra were collected initially within the first 2 weeks of life, and then every other week until discharged from the hospital. The phosphocreatine to inorganic phosphate ratio and the phosphocreatine to adenosine triphosphate ratio were significantly lower in the group with intraventricular hemorrhage, but differences in intracellular pH were not significant. Differences between babies with and without intraventricular hemorrhage varied with postconceptional age: in those with intraventricular hemorrhage, the phosphocreatine to adenosine triphosphate ratio was decreased at all postconceptional ages, and the phosphocreatine to inorganic phosphate ratio was lower in babies with intraventricular hemorrhage and younger than 30 weeks. Results of this study confirm the presence of chronic metabolic changes following intraventricular hemorrhage which may exacerbate neurologic damage after intraventricular hemorrhage in the newborn.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The HOME scale: the influence of socioeconomic status on the evaluation of the home environment.

Caldwell's Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) was developed to provide specific and sensitive information about the home and maternal environment as a stimulus to infant learning and development. The use of the HOME scale was examined in a sample of 118 middle- and lower-income mothers and their low-birth-weight (LBW) or very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. The analysis of data demonstrated limited variability in the HOME scale total scores within each income group, and income alone was found to account for 41% of the variance in the sample. These findings raise questions about the effectiveness of the HOME scale in making useful discriminations about family functioning within an income group.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serial neurobehavioral assessments in preterm infants.

The purpose of this study was to compare serial neurobehavioral assessments in a sample of preterm infants with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) to those of a group of unaffected preterm infants. Of the 30 infants included in the study, 5 infants had a grade III or IV/VI intraventricular hemorrhage. Infants with IVH demonstrated more abnormalities in mental status and a cluster of abnormal neurologic findings (persistent ankle clonus, tremulousness, and brisk deep tendon reflexes). Of the 30 infants, 20 infants were included in a brain metabolism study. Infants who had experienced an IVH had significantly different brain metabolism findings, as measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). There was a significant correlation between one measure of brain metabolism (PCr/PI) and the neurobehavioral assessment rating for infants with IVH.

Brain↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Neonatal sucking as a clinical assessment tool: preliminary findings.

The sucking patterns of 42 healthy full-term and 44 preterm infants whose gestational age at birth was 30.9 +/- 2.1 weeks were compared using the Kron Nutritive Sucking Apparatus for a 5-minute period. The measured pressures were used to calculate six characteristics of the sucking response: maximum pressure generated, amount of nutrient consumed per suck, number of sucks per episode, the duration or width of each suck, the length of time between sucks, and the length of time between sucking episodes. The maximum pressure of the term infant (100.3 +/- 35) was higher, p less than .05, than the maximum pressure of the preterm infant (84 +/- 33). Term infants also consumed more formula per suck (45.3 +/- 20.3 vs. 37.6 +/- 15.9, p less than .05). In addition, they had more sucks/episode (13.6 +/- 8.7 vs. 7.7 +/- 4.1, p less than .001) and maintained the pressure longer for a wider suck width (0.49 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.45 +/- 0.08, p less than .05). Sucking profiles of the preterm infant are significantly different from the full-term infant. These sucking profiles can be developed as a clinically useful tool for nursing practice.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparisons of rectal, femoral, axillary, and skin-to-mattress temperatures in stable neonates.

The purpose of this study was to compare four sites for temperature recording in the neonate: rectum, femoral, axilla, and skin-to-mattress. Simultaneous measurements were made at the four sites in 99 stable, term neonates. Temperatures were recorded each minute for 15 minutes. The optimal temperatures (highest temperature recorded minus 0.2 degrees F) did not vary across the four sites, but there were significant differences in the mean times required to achieve optimal temperature and in the optimal placement times (time required for 90% of the subjects to reach optimal temperature). The rectal site required significantly less time than the other sites (M = 2.66 minutes, optimal placement time = 5 minutes). The femoral and axillary sites required significantly more time than rectal and significantly less time than skin-to-mattress (M = 6 minutes, optimal placement time = 11 minutes). The skin-to-mattress site required significantly more time than the other sites (M = 8.5 minutes, optimal placement time = 13 minutes).

Axilla↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Temperament in very low birth weight infants.

This project compared the temperament of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants to that of full-term infants at 6 and 12 months of age, assessed patterns of change in temperament from 6 to 12 months, and investigated effects of the neonatal experience on manifestations of temperament in VLBW babies. The subjects were 41 VLBW infants who were free of congenital anomalies and appropriate for gestational age. Instruments included the Infant Temperament Questionnaire (ITQ), Toddler Temperament Questionnaire (TTQ), and the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) Inventory. At 6 months, the VLBW infants were significantly less adaptable and more intense than full-term infants. There were significantly more "difficult" and fewer "easy" infants in the study group. At 12 months, the infants were less persistent than a full-term toddler. Behavioral style clusters of the toddlers did not differ significantly from published data. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the social environment of the VLBW infant plays an important role in the manifestation of childhood temperament as early as 6 months of age. Results suggest that VLBW infants do manifest behavioral styles that are different from full-term infants but are modified during the first year of life. In addition, the nine temperament dimensions were differentially affected by adverse perinatal events and environmental factors.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Developmental trends and behavioral styles in very low birth weight infants.

The purpose of this study was to gather information about the characteristics of the very low birth weight baby. Twenty-six infants were involved in the study. Their mean gestational age was 29 weeks; mean gestational age was 29 weeks; mean birthweight was 1,170 grams. At the time of the study, the chronological age when corrected for prematurity was 7.9 months. During a home visit, the Denver Developmental Screening Test, the Infant Temperament Questionnaire, and the Home Observation Measurement Evaluation Inventory were completed. Pearson product moment correlation, chi square, and t-tests were used to analyze the data. Of the infants, 42 percent were at risk for developmental delays when assessed at the corrected gestational age. The infants were significantly more difficult as measured by the Infant Temperament Questionnaire. There was a moderate relationship between difficultness and childrearing environments. The findings of this study suggested that very low birth weight infants have an increased risk for developmental delays and are apt to have difficult behavioral styles. There was a negative relationship between infants with difficult behavioral styles and maternal involvement and responsivity.

Behavior↗