Belgian Journal of Paediatrics
The medical and ethical challenges of extremely low birth weight infants with severe comorbidity: a case report of a 26 weeks old neonate with Maple Syrup Urine Disease
Vol. 24 No. 2 (2022), Case reports
Vol. 24 No. 2 (2022)

The medical and ethical challenges of extremely low birth weight infants with severe comorbidity: a case report of a 26 weeks old neonate with Maple Syrup Urine Disease

Case reports
Published 2022-07-12 — Updated on 2023-01-17
Phebe Debouver
Department of Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
Lara Garabedian
Department of Neonatology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
Patrick Verloo
Department of Pediatric Neurology and Metabolic Disorders, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
Annelies Keymeulen
Department of Neonatology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium

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Keywords

case report
ethics
extremely low birth weight
maple syrup urine disease
prematurity

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How to Cite

Debouver, P., Garabedian, L., Verloo, P., & Keymeulen, A. (2023). The medical and ethical challenges of extremely low birth weight infants with severe comorbidity: a case report of a 26 weeks old neonate with Maple Syrup Urine Disease. Belgian Journal of Paediatrics, 24(2), 135–136. Retrieved from https://belgjpaediatrics.com/index.php/bjp/article/view/80 (Original work published July 12, 2022)
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Abstract

Infants born extremely preterm or with extremely low birth weight (ELBW) are at high risk of death and severe morbidity. We present a patient born at 26 weeks’ gestation with severe intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD). The need for enteral feeding in MSUD patients and the practical and medical infeasibility of performing hemodialysis in our ELBW neonate substantially decreased therapeutic options. If severe comorbidity further complicates the care for ELBW infants, therapeutic options might be limited. Ethical considerations need to be taken into account when deciding on the best outcome for the individual neonate.

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