Research by Greater Baltimore Medical Center clinicians has prompted changes in delivery room practices that could help many low-weight babies avoid lung disease.
Babies weighing less than 5.5 pounds can suffer from chronic lung disease, which can lead to long hospital stays, frequent readmission to the hospital and a risk of neurodevelopmental delays.
Dr. Howard Birenbaum, GBMC’s director of neonatology, and other researchers studied practices that would reduce chronic lung disease cases. The findings were reported in this month’s edition of the journal Pediatrics.
The changes include avoiding endotracheal intubation in the delivery room and using continuous positive airway pressure machines in the delivery room to help the babies breathe.
Birenbaum noticed an increase in the incidence of chronic lung disease between 1997 and 2002, and in 2003, implemented this initiative. By 2005, lung disease cases decreased to 20.5 percent, down from 46.5 percent in 2002.
Hopkins researchers honored for contributions to science
Five Johns Hopkins researchers were elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which recognizes advances in science and its applications.
The fellows, who are among 486 worldwide, are Jonathan Bagger, Ted Dawson, Barbara Landau, Jun Liu and Jeremy Nathans.
Bagger, a professor in the physics and astronomy department at the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, contributed to theoretical high-energy physics.
Dawson, a professor of neurology and neuroscience and director of the Movement Disorders Center and the Neuroregeneration and Stem Cell Programs in the Institute for Cell Engineering, worked with neurodegenerative disease.
Landau, a professor and chairwoman of the cognitive science department at the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, worked with the origins and nature of language and its development under certain environmental conditions.
Liu, professor of pharmacology and molecular sciences at the School of Medicine, worked on communication in the immune system regarding cell death and growth.
Nathans, a professor of molecular biology and genetics and opthamology at the School of Medicine, worked with color vision and visual disorders.
