Gastroschisis is a congenital, typically isolated, full-thickness abdominal wall defect in which the abdominal contents, usually only the small intestine, remain outside the abdominal cavity. It is commonly detected on fetal ultrasonography, and has generally excellent survival and outcomes, though these can be decreased in cases of complicated gastroschisis. We present the case of a female infant with a prenatal diagnosis of gastroschisis who required a prolonged and complex resuscitation after delivery. In addition to her gastroschisis, she presented with a history and physical examination consistent with severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and was treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH) without further compromise to her bowel. In addition, careful consideration of neuroprotection, fluid status, bowel viability, and hemodynamics were undertaken in her care. She was discharged home on full enteral feeds, with only mild language and gross motor delays at 6 months of age. To our knowledge, there are no reports in the literature of the use of TH in the setting of unrepaired simple gastroschisis.
Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is a benign proliferative histiocytic disorder of the dendritic cell phenotype. It mostly presents in the pediatric age group as a solitary skin lesion. We describe a rare case of an infant born with disseminated JXG who presented with a blueberry muffin rash at birth. A term infant was noted to have multiple petechiae, purple nodules, and macules (1 mm-2 cm in diameter) and hepatosplenomegaly, at the time of birth. Further investigations revealed thrombocytopenia and direct hyperbilirubinemia and a magnetic resonance imaging showed scattered tiny foci of restricted diffusion in multiple areas of the brain. Patient received multiple platelet transfusions in the first few weeks with gradual improvement in thrombocytopenia. Ultimately, a biopsy of one of the lesions revealed the diagnosis of disseminated JXG with notable atypical features. Somatic mutation analysis showed a novel MYH9-FLT3 fusion, but a bone marrow biopsy was negative. The lesions faded over time, relative to patient's growth and normal neurodevelopment was noted at 18 months of age. JXG should be considered in the differentials of blueberry muffin rash in an infant. Although, JXG is mostly a self-limited condition, congenital disseminated JXG may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
Maternal syphilis infection is a common infectious cause of nonimmune hydrops fetalis. Generally, hydrops fetalis is equated with poor prognoses in affected pregnancies. A 38-year-old G5P2114 presented at 28 5/7 weeks' gestation with newly diagnosed primary syphilis infection, sonographic findings of hydrops fetalis, and elevated middle cerebral artery Dopplers concerning for fetal anemia. Following treatment with intramuscular penicillin, the symptoms of hydrops fetalis were resolved and our patient delivered a healthy male neonate with no signs of congenital syphilis at the time of delivery. Routine and early testing for syphilis is an important component of prenatal care. Though not previously documented, the secondary findings of suspected fetal syphilis may be able to completely resolve in utero with penicillin treatment.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive restrictive lung disease. Data on the impact of pregnancy on IPF and maternal outcome is extremely limited. We present the case of a 35-year-old woman, gravida 1 para 0 with familial IPF with no oxygen requirement prior to pregnancy. The patient demonstrated significant deterioration in her lung function beginning at 22 weeks' gestation and underwent hospitalization at 27 2/7 weeks gestation due to acute on chronic hypoxic respiratory failure, ultimately requiring delivery at 28 weeks' gestation. The patient has not regained her baseline pulmonary function and remains oxygen dependent at 5 months postpartum. Based on limited available data, significant maternal morbidity and mortality is reported for women with IPF who become pregnant. Key Points Pregnancy outcomes in IPF are more severe than chronic interstitial lung disease due to connective tissue disorders.Deterioration in lung function amongst pregnant women with IPF occurs predominantly in the late second trimester, and lung function does not appear to recover postpartum.Significant maternal morbidity and mortality (40% at 1 year postpartum) is reported for women with IPF who become pregnant.
We report a case of a patient with severe fetal hydrops and refractory ascites, diagnosed as mucopolysaccharidosis type VII (MPS VII) by whole-exome sequencing, and discharged at 5 months of age after long-term ventilatory management. A male neonate was born by emergency cesarean section due to fetal distress at 30 1/7 weeks' gestation. Physical examination and X-rays revealed pleural effusion, ascites, and generalized edema, indicating severe fetal hydrops. He underwent tracheal intubation because of respiratory distress that was attributed to massive ascites, pulmonary hypoplasia, and pulmonary hypertension. He received mechanical ventilation and inhaled nitric oxide therapy. Prednisone, octreotide, and a factor XIII preparation were used as the treatment for ascites, and the ascites gradually decreased. He was extubated within 2 months of age. At 4 months of age, the results of whole-exome sequencing of the cord blood showed a compound heterozygous mutation in the GUSB gene, the gene responsible for MPS VII. Enzyme replacement therapy was initiated, and the ascites was resolved. Careful systemic management, including lung-protective respiratory management and the early establishment of nutrition, is important for the long-term survival of infants with fetal hydrops, and early aggressive workup, including whole-genome sequencing for the cause, should be performed in the case of refractory ascites.
Duct-dependent systemic circulation is accompanied by a right-to-left ductal shunt, at least during systole. Although observations of paradoxical continuous left-to-right shunts in duct-dependent systemic circulation have been reported, the mechanism remains unclear. We report a continuous left-to-right ductal shunt throughout the cardiac cycle during the initial recovery phase from circulatory collapse and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction due to ductal closure in an infant with hypoplastic left heart and severe aortic coarctation. Further recovery improved his RV function and changed the ductal flow from continuous left-to-right to bidirectional, which is usually seen in duct-dependent systemic circulation. Marked RV dysfunction may contribute to the continuous left-to-right ductal shunt. A continuous left-to-right ductal shunt should not be used to rule out duct-dependent systemic circulation.
We describe a case of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) in a late preterm female of 35-week gestation. The mother did have a history of substance abuse, poor prenatal care, and hypertension. On the day of delivery, an ultrasound revealed skeletal dysplasia and breech with nonreassuring fetal tracing, leading to an emergency cesarean. The clinical exam was concerning for OI, and postnatal care was focused on optimizing respiratory status and minimizing pain and discomfort during routine care. Genetics, endocrine, orthopaedics, and palliative care were all involved to diagnose and educate the family. Support and education were needed for bedside staff to minimize angst at performing routine care, given the high risk of fractures. While initially stable on minimal oxygen, once the diagnosis of type III OI was made, a progressively deforming condition with respiratory status decompensation, the family wished to minimize suffering, limited aggressive medical care, and focused on comfort. The infant eventually died from respiratory failure in the neonatal intensive care unit. We present this case to demonstrate the need for an interdisciplinary team approach to support both family and staff in cases of OI.
We present a neonate with early onset apnea and bradycardia in the absence of primary cardiorespiratory and central nervous system disorders that eventually required chronic ventilator support starting at 6 hours of life. Molecular testing of paired-like homeobox 2b (PHOX2B) gene mutation confirmed the diagnosis of congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS). CCHS is a rare genetic disorder characterized by impaired central respiratory control with or without broad spectrum of autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulations. Ocular ANS dysregulation is a rare finding in CCHS individuals, and it is usually discovered later in life. However, the ophthalmic evaluation of this neonate on first day of life revealed persistent mild dilated oval pupils with limited light reactivity.

