Previous studies have suggested that elective cesarean section may be performed earlier than appropriate, often for reasons of convenience, and that many of these cesarean deliveries are repeat procedures. The new results suggest that a high percentage of elective cesarean deliveries at US academic medical centers are performed before 39 weeks’ gestation i.e., at 37-38 weeks. These deliveries are associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes, including adverse respiratory outcomes, mechanical ventilation, and hospitalization for 5 days or longer. These findings support recommendations to delay elective delivery until 39 weeks of gestation.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the ability of universal primer 16S rRNA gene PCR to diagnose blood culture–positive neonatal sepsis before and after starting antibiotic treatment in 242 neonates at a level 3 neonatal intensive care unit. Blood culture was positive in 52 neonates while corresponding 0-hour PCR was positive in 57 subjects. The authors concluded that universal primer PCR can accurately diagnose neonatal sepsis before but not after antibiotic drugs are given.

The discovery of abnormal salivary peptides in a subgroup of patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may prove to be a useful biomarker for the disorder, a small study suggests. Researchers found that more than 60% of children with ASD had hypophosphorylation of at least 1 of 4 salivary peptides. The molecular basis of ASD may be partly explained by a defect in the phosphorylation process during the development of the central nervous system in the embryo or in early infancy.

The primary aim of this study was to better define both the type and incidence of cranial computed tomography (CT) abnormalities in 156 children following submersion injury. Eighteen percent (n=28) of children had an abnormal initial head CT, and 15% (n=24) initially had a normal head CT and later had an abnormal CT. Abnormal CT findings included diffuse loss of gray-white differentiation (75%) and bilateral basal ganglia edema/infarct (50%). All children with an abnormal initial CT presented with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 3, and all eventually died. Outcome was also very poor in those with a normal first CT and an abnormal second CT; 54% died and 42% remained in a persistent vegetative state.