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ObjectiveSize at birth is a key indicator of in utero growth. Our objective was to generate sex-specific percentiles for birth weight and head circumference in neonates born between 22 and 29 weeks gestation from pregnancies without hypertension or diabetes and assess differences between vaginal and caesarean births and between singletons and twins.MethodsWe used data from 12 countries participating in the International Network for Evaluating Outcomes in Neonates database from 2007 to 2021. We excluded data that were influenced by truncation with 1500g birth weight cut-offs in databases and neonates with major congenital anomalies or born to mothers with hypertension or diabetes.ResultsAfter exclusions, 132 727 neonates contributed to birth weight and 65 406 contributed to head circumference. The percentiles of birth weight were similar between countries at the 50th and 90th percentiles, though variability was noted in the lower percentiles from countries with smaller sample sizes. Head circumference percentiles were comparable between countries. Caesarean births had birth weights similar to vaginal births until 26 weeks after which the weight at 10th percentile diverged by approximately 239 g at 29 weeks. Vaginal births had birth weights very similar to Hadlock’s intrauterine estimated fetal weights. There were no differences in head circumference between vaginal and caesarean births and between singletons and twins.ConclusionsWe present updated information on weight and head circumference at birth for preterm neonates of 22–29 weeks gestation born to mothers without hypertension or diabetes derived from a large multicountry cohort. Research is needed to explore the predictive value of these birth size data for health and developmental outcomes.

Infants born in Japan are reported to have a low incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) among countries, and these differences remained significant after adjusting for common clinical factors. To investigate the impact of ethnic background, we compared the incidence of NEC between infants born in Japan and those born to mothers of Japanese ethnicity in California. Preterm infants born between 2008 and 2019 at 22–29 weeks of gestational age were analyzed retrospectively. Four groups were analyzed: infants born in Japan (JP), infants born in California to mothers born in Japan (JP-J), infants born in California to mothers with Japanese ethnicity but born in the United States or another country (JP-CA), and a comparison group of infants born in California to non-Hispanic White mothers (NHW-CA). Each cohort consisted of 52,049, 115, 226, and 12,275 infants, respectively. Unadjusted NEC incidences were significantly lower in JP compared to the other three cohorts (1.7% JP, 4.5% JP-J, 4.6% JP-CA, and 3.3% NHW-CA, respectively; p < 0.01). After adjusting for confounding factors, odds ratios for NEC in JP vs. JP-J, JP-CA, and NHW-CA were 3.04 (1.18–7.80), 2.89 (1.45–5.75), and 1.96 (1.56–2.47), respectively. This study suggests that differences in NEC incidence in Japan are not explained by ethnicity. Clinical trial regstration number : Registration numbers is UMIN000006961 ( https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000008217 ) for the Neonatal Research Network of Japan. However, the the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative (CPQCC) aims only to assess neonatal outcomes for the purpose of quality assessment and improvement. So, no clinical trial number is available. Please refer to the web site https://www.cpqcc.org/ .

IntroductionReducing neonatal deaths in premature infants in low- and middle-income countries is key to reducing global neonatal mortality. International neonatal networks, along with patient registries of premature infants, have contributed to improving the quality of neonatal care; however, the involvement of low-to-middle-income countries was limited. This project aims to form an international collaboration among neonatal networks in Asia (AsianNeo), including low-, middle- and high-income countries (or regions). Specifically, it aims to determine outcomes in sick newborn infants, especially very low birth weight (VLBW) infants or very preterm infants, with a view to improving the quality of care for such infants.Methods and analysisCurrently, AsianNeo comprises nine neonatal networks from Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand. AsianNeo will undertake the following four studies: (1) institutional questionnaire surveys investigating neonatal intensive care unit resources and the clinical management of sick newborn infants, with a focus on VLBW infants (nine countries/regions); (2) a retrospective cohort study to describe and compare the outcomes of VLBW infants among Asian countries and regions (four countries/regions); (3) a prospective cohort study to develop the AsianNeo registry of VLBW infants (six countries/regions); and (4) implementation and evaluation of educational and quality improvement projects in AsianNeo countries and regions (nine countries/regions).Ethics and disseminationThe study protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Board of the National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan (reference number 2020–244, 2022–156). The study findings will be disseminated through educational programmes, quality improvement activities, conference presentations and medical journal publications.

Ensuring a healthy lifestyle for the increasing number of Vietnamese migrants living in Japan is a key public health issue, including infectious disease responses such as tuberculosis (TB). To develop risk communication in relation to the TB response, this study aimed to explore the health issues and health-related behaviors of Vietnamese migrants living in Japan using a mixed method. A survey was conducted on Vietnam-born migrants, aged 18 years and over, in Tokyo. The survey consisted of questions on the following components: (1) demographics; (2) health-related issues and behavior; and (3) health-seeking behavior, information, and communication. A total 165 participants participated in the survey. The majority of the participants were young adults. 13% of the participants responded that they were concerned about their health. Moreover, 22% and 7% of the participants reported weight loss and respiratory symptoms, respectively. 44% of the participants answered they had no one to consult about their health in Japan when they needed it, and 58% answered they had no awareness of any Vietnamese-language health consultation services. Logistic regression analysis revealed that people who contact family members living in Vietnam or overseas using social networking services (SNSs) when they needed to consult someone about their health (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 6.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.52–24.43) were more likely to present with one or more of the typical TB symptoms, compared to those who did not consult someone in this manner. Current smokers (OR = 3.08, 95% CI 1.15–8.23) were more likely to have health problems compared to non-smokers. The key informant interviews revealed that individual factors, the health system, and socio-environmental factors may hinder Vietnamese migrants’ health-seeking and health-information-seeking behaviors in Japan. TB risk communication approaches for migrants need to be developed considering their health-related behaviors while addressing their health needs.

Background Addressing tuberculosis (TB) among migrants from high-burden countries is important for the health of migrants and for public health in low-TB-burden countries. Therefore, approaches that enable migrants to access TB diagnostic services and care early are required. To develop TB risk communication for migrants from high-TB-burden countries, this study aimed to assess Vietnamese migrants’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards TB and its association with health-seeking behaviors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among Vietnam-born migrants aged 18 years and older in two cities in Japan. A self-administered online survey consisted of questions on demographics, health-related issues and behaviors, and the KAP towards TB. Participants who would not seek healthcare even if they had TB symptoms were categorized as having \"non-health-seeking behavior\", and related factors were examined using multiple logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 230 Vietnamese migrants participated in this study. Technical intern trainees (46.1%) and workers (28.7%) comprised the majority of the participants. Overall, 73.9% believed that persons infected with TB were infectious, and 46.1% reported concerns about being diagnosed with TB. Their concerns included maintaining employment and continuing schooling during treatment. Ten percent of the participants stated that they would not consult a doctor even if they developed TB symptoms. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that participants who believed that TB could not be cured were significantly more likely to exhibit non-health-seeking behavior (adjusted odds ratio: 3.12, 95% confidence interval 1.14–8.52) compared to those who believed TB could be cured. Conclusions Tailored TB risk communication should address migrants’ misconceptions and concerns regarding TB in the host countries. Further efforts are needed to improve TB knowledge through TB education and to disseminate information before and after migration. Creating a supportive environment, such as language assistance and work- and school-related social support, is also needed to facilitate the early detection of TB and healthcare access among migrants.