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Research Article: Monitoring of the Healthy Neonatal Transition Period with Serial Lung Ultrasound

Date Published: 2023-07-29

Abstract:
Ultrasound has been used to observe lung aeration and fluid clearance during the neonatal transition period, but there is no consensus regarding the optimal timing of lung ultrasound. We aimed to monitor the trend of the serial lung ultrasound score (LUS) and extended LUS (eLUS) throughout the neonatal transition period (?1, 2, 4, 8, 24, and 48 h after birth), assess any correlation to the clinical presentation (using the Silverman Andersen Respiratory Severity Score (RSS)), and determine the optimal time of the ultrasound. We found both LUS and eLUS decreased significantly after 2 h of life and had similar statistical differences among the serial time points. Although both scores had a positive, moderate correlation to the RSS overall (Pearson correlation 0.499 [p < 0.001] between LUS and RSS, 0.504 [p < 0.001] between eLUS and RSS), the correlation was poor within 1 h of life (Pearson correlation 0.15 [p = 0.389] between LUS and RSS, 0.099 [p = 0.573] between eLUS and RSS). For better clinical correlation, the first lung ultrasound for the neonate may be performed at 2 h of life. Further research is warranted to explore the clinical value and limitations of earlier (?1 h of life) lung ultrasound examinations.

Introduction:
The fetal lung is a fluid-filled organ, and the fluid is important for lung development in utero [1]. The fluid clearance from the lungs during the neonatal transition period is complex, poorly understood, and may start before, during, and after delivery [2,3,4,5]. The process includes mechanical force as the neonate passes through the birth canal and fluid resorption to the pulmonary epithelium, which is induced by increased adrenaline and vasopressin [6,7,8]. If the fluid clearance is inadequate, the neonate may…

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