gherardo rapisardi - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by gherardo rapisardi

Medico e bambino, Jun 24, 2024

Pediatric Research, Sep 1, 1990

Neuropediatrics, Apr 1, 2003

Background. Studies have reported that infants with hemiplegia of congenital origin may have a pe... more Background. Studies have reported that infants with hemiplegia of congenital origin may have a period between birth and up to 12 months when clinical signs of hemiplegia are not evident. The aim of this study was to establish whether the assessment of general movements (GMs) may help in the earlier detection of signs of hemiplegia. Subjects and Methods. Eleven infants with cerebral infarction on brain MRI, and eleven normal controls were enrolled in the study. Quality of GMs was assessed from videotapes between 3 and 6 weeks and between 9 and 16 weeks. Neurological outcome was evaluated at least at two years. Results. Seven of the 11 infants had an assessment performed between 3 and 6 weeks: abnormal GMs were observed in all the infants who developed hemiplegia, but one child had abnormal GMs and a normal outcome. All 11 infants had a scorable assessment between 9 and 16 weeks. In all a specific type of GMs, fidgety movements (FMs), were predictive of neurological outcome. The presence of early asymmetries at both 3 - 6 and 9 - 16 weeks was also significantly associated with later signs of hemiplegia. Conclusions. The assessment of GMs after the neonatal period appears to be very useful in the early identification of hemiplegia in infants with cerebral infarction. Whilst the prediction of hemiplegia should be possible from early neonatal MRI brain scans, this facility is not always available. Observation of GMs is a bedside clinical approach that allows confirmation of early prediction from MRI, early rehabilitation if needed and reassurance that neurological outcome will be good where that is appropriate.

Quaderni ACP, 2012

1pediatra, Centro per la Salute del Bambino, Trieste; European Paediatric Association, consulente... more 1pediatra, Centro per la Salute del Bambino, Trieste; European Paediatric Association, consulente OMS, Mother, Newborn and Child Health; 2pediatra neonatologo, Centro Brazelton di Firenze, U.O. di Pediatria e Neonatologia dell' Ospedale S.M. Annunziata, Firenze; 3fisioterapista, Servizio di Riabilitazione Funzionale A.O.U. Meyer e Centro Brazelton, Firenze, AIFI (Associazione Italiana Fisioterapisti), SIF (Società Italiana Fisioterapisti), IOPTP (International Organisation of Physical Therapy in Pediatrics); °pediatra di famiglia, formatrice Regione Toscana, Firenze; °°neuropsichiatra infantile, IRCCS Stella Maris, SINPIA; ^pediatra di famiglia, Pisa, FIMP (Federazione Italiana Medici Pediatri); * pediatra di famiglia, Milano, SIP; **pediatra di famiglia, Vimercate (MB), ACP

European Journal of Paediatric Neurology, 1999

varied over the total test range with the children diagnosed as DCD at the lower extreme of motor... more varied over the total test range with the children diagnosed as DCD at the lower extreme of motor performance ability. The DCD group as a whole did not perform consistently poorly in any particular test or functional grouping of tests (i.e. bimanual, balance, whole body movement tasks, etc). Concltlsion: The motor proficiency performance of children with a diagnosis of DCD gave a similar outcome in two different evaluation systems. The arbitrary diagnostic cutoff value used to diagnose DCD thus identified virtually the same children. This indicates that similar results can be obtained in an objective or in a more subjective evaluation system. DCD children are at the one extreme of a motor proficiency performance continuum in the developing child.

Acta Paediatrica, 2015

The aim of this study was to verify the influence of mother to child skin-to-skin contact and the... more The aim of this study was to verify the influence of mother to child skin-to-skin contact and the ability of 2-day-old infants to recognise their own mother's axillary odour. Methods: We tested the responses of 19 vaginally delivered, breastfeeding newborns to their mothers' axillary odours using a paired-choice test. The eight males and 11 females were exposed to their own mother's axillary odour and the odour of another unfamiliar new mother taking part in the study, and their responses to each woman were taped for 60 sec. We did this by assessing how long their heads were orientated towards pads carrying the scents of their mothers and the unfamiliar women. Results: The average time that the infants' heads were orientated towards the olfactory stimulus of their own mothers was 20.53 sec, which was significantly longer than the 11.13 sec recorded for the unfamiliar women (p < 0.05). In addition, this orientation increased significantly with the newborn infants' age in hours (Spearman's Rho = 0.58, p < 0.01) and their recognition time significantly decreased (Spearman's Rho = À0.52, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Two-day-old breastfeeding newborn infants who experienced skin-to-skin contact with their mothers were able to recognise their axillary odour.

Piccolipiù, a multicenter birth cohort in Italy: recruited at birth and followed up until at leas... more Piccolipiù, a multicenter birth cohort in Italy: recruited at birth and followed up until at least 18 years of age. At recruitment, the mothers donate a blood sample and complete a baseline questionnaire. Umbilical cord blood, pieces of umbilical cord and heel blood spots are also Farchi et al. BMC Pediatrics 2014, 14:36

Copyright © 2012 Piercarlo Ballo et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Crea... more Copyright © 2012 Piercarlo Ballo et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Management of patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is still a major clinical problem, as only half of them or slightly more show complete recovery of left ventricular (LV) function despite conventional evidence-based treatment for heart failure. Recent observations suggested that bromocriptine might favor recovery of LV systolic function in patients with PPCM. However, no evidence exists regarding its effect on LV diastolic dysfunction, which is commonly observed in these patients. Tissue Doppler (TD) is an echocardiographic technique that provides unique information on LV diastolic performance. We report the case of a 37-year-old white woman with heart failure (NYHA class II), moderate LV systolic dysfunction (ejection fr...

La Radiologia medica, 2002

PURPOSE To determine which brain metabolite ratios have the strongest correlation with poor neuro... more PURPOSE To determine which brain metabolite ratios have the strongest correlation with poor neurological outcome in newborns with perinatal asphyxia, whether the correlation is stronger with basal ganglia (BG) and whether a combined approach using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) can be used to evaluate the severity of neonatal asphyxia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty newborns with perinatal asphyxia were studied within the first week from the hypoxic insult with MRI and MRS. The MRS variables were compared with the assessment of general movements (GMs). The brain metabolite levels measured by MRS were N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline (Cho) and lactate and the ratios NAA to Cr, Lac to Cr, Cho to Cr, mI to Cr. RESULTS High lactate levels and low NAA levels were found in the newborns with the worst outcome; the levels in newborns with good outcome were within normal limits. CONCLUSIONS Correlations between NAA/Cr and Lac/Cr ratios...

Neonatology, 1989

The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage ... more The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any change in indica tions and dosage and for added warnings and precau tions. This is particularly important when the recom mended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy ing, recording, microcopying, or by any information stor age and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or, in the case of photocopying, direct payment of a specified fee to the Copyright Clearance Center (see 'Information for Readers and Subscribers').

European Journal of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Jul 1, 2010

Background: This study estimated in 7 Italian cities the prevalence of prenatal exposure to ethan... more Background: This study estimated in 7 Italian cities the prevalence of prenatal exposure to ethanol by determining fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs; palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic esters) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in neonatal meconium samples. Methods: A total of 607 meconium samples were obtained from neonatal wards of 7 public hospitals: Verona and San Daniele del Friuli in the northeast of the country, Reggio Emilia in the middle east, Florence and Rome in the center, and Naples and Crotone in the southwest of the peninsula. Meconium biomarkers were assessed by a validated methodology using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and the results categorized using the accepted cutoff of 2 nmol ⁄ g total amount of 7 FAEEs and 2 nmol ⁄ g EtG, to differentiate between heavy maternal ethanol use during pregnancy and occasional or no use at all. Results: On the basis of the above-reported cutoffs, the overall prevalence of newborns prenatally exposed to maternal ethanol was 7.9%: 0% in Verona, 4.0% in San Daniele del Friuli, 4.9% in Naples, 5.0% in Florence, 6.2% in Crotone, up to 10.6% in Reggio Emilia, and 29.4% in Rome. Low maternal education level and younger maternal age were associated with biomarker scores over the cutoff. There was also a significant correlation between the highest percentage of prenatal exposure in the capital and certain maternal sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusions: These results indicate considerable variability in the prevalence of fetal exposure to ethanol in different Italian cities, as determined by the objective measurement of biomarkers in meconium. These data, together with previous ones obtained in Barcelona, Spain, indicate that gestational ethanol exposure is widespread, at least in parts of Europe.

Medico E Bambino, Jan 31, 1999

Infancia Educar De 0 a 6 Anos, 1990