Editorial

Five years have already passed since Dr. George Saade and I assumed the Editors-in-Chief positions for the American Journal of Perinatology. For the second issue of 2011, I would like to take this opportunity to update our readers on a few improvements in the journal, and highlight some of the Neonatology and Pediatric articles we published in the past few years.

Over the past five years, the number and quality of manuscripts submitted to the American Journal of Perinatology has increased dramatically. The Journal is a specialty publication for obstetricians, neonatologists, perinatologists, pediatricians, and maternal/fetal medicine investigators to report new research findings. Basic science, translational investigations, and clinical studies are welcome submissions. Cellular- and animal-based laboratory studies with potential important results can lead to clinical investigations with the potential for new management and therapy. Clinical studies contribute evidence for clinicians to use for decision making in patient care. Manuscripts describing new devices and technology, quality improvement, and patient safety measures are sought to provide a broad array of important issues in perinatology.

Diagnosis and management of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) remain a challenge for neonatology. Recent contributions in the Journal include assessment of feasibility of oral ibuprofen,[1] [2] as well as safety and efficacy of intravenous ibuprofen for PDA.[3]

Community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an emerging pathogen. Stumpf et al[4] published an initial case report of community acquired MRSA and review of the literature. Pinter et al reported a 20% incidence of perinatal colonization with Staphylococcus aureus.[5]

Finally, late preterm birth has been identified as a major challenge for obstetricians as well as neonatologists and pediatricians. This area is of major interest as three-quarters of preterm infants fall into the late preterm category, accounting for almost 400,000 infants per year in the United States. Ventolini et al[6] report a lower rate of respiratory disease in infants whose mothers received antenatal corticosteroid therapy compared to those infants whose mothers did not receive steroids in a retrospective observational study. There is currently a large trial to address the potential benefits of antenatal corticosteroids for preterm delivery at 34 to 36 weeks gestation.[7]

We would like to thank the members of the editorial board, the reviewers, Thieme publishing company, and Joanne Vasami, editorial assistant. Their efforts and support are integral to the Journal.

It is anticipated that continuation of broad types of manuscripts for publication to include basic and translational studies as well as clinical investigations will be published. Electronic publication allows for rapid dissemination of results in the field of obstetrics and neonatology. It is our goal to provide authors with rapid time to publication to allow release of important results to the field of perinatology. In summary, our goals continue to include a broad array of evidence-based papers with timely publication.

REFERENCES

• 1 Aly H, Lotfy W, Badrawi N, Ghawas M, Abdel-Meguid I E, Hammad T A. Oral Ibuprofen and ductus arteriosus in premature infants: a randomized pilot study.  Am J Perinatol. 2007;  24 (5) 267-270
• 2 Cherif A, Jabnoun S, Khrouf N. Oral ibuprofen in early curative closure of patent ductus arteriosus in very premature infants.  Am J Perinatol. 2007;  24 (6) 339-345
• 3 Aranda J V, Clyman R, Cox B et al.. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on intravenous ibuprofen L-lysine for the early closure of nonsymptomatic patent ductus arteriosus within 72 hours of birth in extremely low-birth-weight infants.  Am J Perinatol. 2009;  26 (3) 235-245
• 4 Stumpf P G, Flores M, Murillo J. Serious postpartum infection due to MRSA in an asymptomatic carrier: case report and review.  Am J Perinatol. 2008;  25 (7) 413-415
• 5 Pinter D M, Mandel J, Hulten K G, Minkoff H, Tosi M F. Maternal-infant perinatal transmission of methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus.  Am J Perinatol. 2009;  26 (2) 145-151
• 6 Ventolini G, Neiger R, Mathews L, Adragna N, Belcastro M. Incidence of respiratory disorders in neonates born between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation following exposure to antenatal corticosteroids between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation.  Am J Perinatol. 2008;  25 (2) 79-83
• 7 Antenatal Late Preterm Steroids (ALPS): A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. Available at: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01222247?term=corticosteroids + and + antenatal&rank=4