Article
Pediatrics
Qi Zhou, Edmond Kelly, Thuy Mai Luu, Xiang Y. Ye, Joseph Ting, Prakesh S. S. Shah, Shoo K. K. Lee
Summary: This study examined the incidence, mortality, short-term morbidity, and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of invasive fungal infection (IFI) among preterm infants in Canada. The study found that the incidence of IFI was 1.3%, and infants with IFI had higher mortality and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes compared to those with non-fungal infections and no infections.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2023)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Heather B. Howell, Matthew Lin, Michele Zaccario, Sadaf Kazmi, Felice Sklamberg, Nicholas Santaniello, Elena Wachtel
Summary: This study aimed to assess the correlation between hypernatremia during the first week of life in premature infants and their neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months of corrected age. It was found that preterm infants with hypernatremia had lower fine motor scores at 18 months of corrected age.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PERINATOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Katherine E. Chetta, Elizabeth V. Schulz, Carol L. Wagner
Summary: Human milk has significant effects on the gut microbiome, somatic growth, and neurocognitive outcomes. Continued research promises to improve donor human milk and donor milk derived products to achieve better outcomes for infants who do not receive their own mother's milk. The promotion of human milk is well-founded on evidence from the previous half century.
SEMINARS IN PERINATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Erandi Hewawasam, Carmel T. Collins, Beverly S. Muhlhausler, Lisa N. Yelland, Lisa G. Smithers, John Colombo, Maria Makrides, Andrew J. McPhee, Jacqueline F. Gould
Summary: This study found that DHA supplementation in infants born preterm did not improve attention at 18 months' corrected age.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Alex M. Pagnozzi, Liza van Eijk, Kerstin Pannek, Roslyn N. Boyd, Susmita Saha, Joanne George, Samudragupta Bora, DanaKai Bradford, Michael Fahey, Michael Ditchfield, Atul Malhotra, Helen Liley, Paul B. Colditz, Stephen Rose, Jurgen Fripp
Summary: Infants born very preterm face neurodevelopmental challenges and early identification through clinical assessment and MRI can enable targeted interventions. This study used a prospective cohort of preterm infants and identified early MRI biomarkers for neurodevelopmental outcomes using advanced imaging techniques. The results demonstrated the utility of MRI prior to term equivalent age for predicting outcomes and initiating early interventions.
Article
Pediatrics
Oriane Lovey, Myriam Bickle-Graz, Mathilde Morisod Harari, Antje Horsch, Juliane Schneider
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a standardised joint observation (JOIN) on the neurodevelopment of preterm infants at six months corrected age, but results showed no significant improvement in neurodevelopment between the intervention and control groups.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Alexandra K. Calor, Dana F. J. Yumani, Mirjam M. van Weissenbruch
Summary: The research indicates that fat intake in the first postnatal weeks is positively associated with BMC and BMD at term corrected age, while protein and fat intake in the early weeks of life can predict BMD at six months corrected age. These findings suggest that early nutritional intervention is crucial for bone health in the first months of life.
Article
Pediatrics
Amelia Srajer, Smita Roychoudhury, Selphee Tang, Shabih U. Hasan, Sarfaraz Momin, Leonora Hendson, Belal Alshaikh, Kamran Yusuf
Summary: This study investigated the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants exposed to acetaminophen postnatally. The results showed that postnatal acetaminophen had no negative impact on neurodevelopment in preterm infants born at less than 29 weeks gestational age. These findings need to be validated in larger cohorts and longer-term studies.
PEDIATRIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Keyu Jia, Shuchen Wang, Qi Dai, Yao Feng, Qiuyi Zhang, Qianyu Zhao, Fuxue Chen, Zi Li, Ying Xiao, Yan Zhong, Zhenni Zhu, Hongwei Wang, Junbo Wang, Zhong-Cheng Luo, Hong Zhou, Ying Gao
Summary: This study found associations between breast-milk rubidium (Rb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and strontium (Sr) and neurodevelopment in breastfed infants. However, further studies are needed to validate these findings.
JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Katherine Marie Ottolini, Elizabeth Vinson Schulz, Catherine Limperopoulos, Nickie Andescavage
Summary: Premature infants are born before a critical window of rapid placental nutrient transfer and fetal growth in the third trimester, leading to growth failure and neurodevelopmental impairments. Human milk is recommended for preterm infants, but additional fortification is needed to meet nutritional demands. Individualized fortification methods show promise in improving growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Mohamad Hadhud, Itai Gross, Noa Hurvitz, Lea Ohana Sarna Cahan, Zivanit Ergaz, Giora Weiser, Noa Ofek Shlomai, Smadar Eventov Friedman, Saar Hashavya
Summary: Adjusting the chronological age of preterm infants according to their gestational age is a widely accepted practice, but its validation in assessing infection in these infants is lacking. Correcting for chronological age is especially critical in infants with a chronological age above 3 months, but a corrected age below 3 months due to differences in assessment protocols. This study assessed the difference in incidence of serious bacterial infection (SBI) according to chronological and corrected age in preterm infants.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Giannoula Gialeli, Ourania Panagopoulou, Georgios Liosis, Tania Siahanidou
Summary: Breast milk feeding, especially in preterm babies, has many advantages, including reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases and improving neurodevelopmental outcomes. The bioactive components of breast milk, such as non-coding RNAs, stem cells, and microbiome, may play a role in this association through potential epigenetic effects.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Kyoung Eun Joung, Camilia R. Martin, Sara Cherkerzian, Mark Kellogg, Mandy Brown Belfort
Summary: Leptin intake in milk was positively associated with weight gain and weight z-scores in preterm infants, while adiponectin intake was associated with length z-scores and negatively with head circumference z-scores after adjusting for protein and calorie intake. Insulin intake did not show significant associations with growth outcomes. Further research regarding the long-term effects of milk hormones is warranted.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2021)
Article
Pediatrics
Anna Szabina Szele, Jozsef Mihaly Gall, Beata Erika Nagy
Summary: This study investigated the neurodevelopmental outcomes among Hungarian preterm infants and explored the associations between medically assisted reproduction, pregnancy planning, and Bayley-III Screening Test results. The findings suggested that infants conceived through medically assisted reproduction showed better neurodevelopmental skills. Unplanned pregnancies were associated with lower cognitive and language skills.
ITALIAN JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hongcheng Wei, Xiaochen Zhang, Xu Yang, Qiurun Yu, Siting Deng, Quanquan Guan, Danrong Chen, Mingzhi Zhang, Beibei Gao, Shangcheng Xu, Yankai Xia
Summary: This study investigated the internal pesticides exposure levels in pregnant Chinese women and identified specific pesticides associated with domain-specific neuropsychological development. The results showed significant inverse associations between prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos, mirex, atrazine, and dimethipin and the domain-specific neuropsychological development of children at 12 and 18 months of age.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Kwi Moon, Shripada Rao, Sanjay Patole, Karen Simmer
Summary: A survey of clinical practices regarding the use of parenteral nutrition in term and late preterm infants in Australia and New Zealand revealed variations among clinicians, emphasizing the need for high-quality research in this population.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Shripada Rao, Meera Esvaran, Liwei Chen, Anthony D. Keil, Ian Gollow, Karen Simmer, Bernd Wemheuer, Patricia Conway, Sanjay Patole
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of probiotic supplementation on gut dysbiosis in neonates with congenital gastrointestinal surgical conditions. The results showed that probiotic supplementation attenuated gut dysbiosis and significantly reduced the relative abundance of potentially pathogenic families, while increasing the relative abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae.
PEDIATRIC RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jane Tuckerman, Kelly Harper, Thomas R. Sullivan, Jennifer Fereday, Jennifer Couper, Nicholas Smith, Andrew Tai, Andrew Kelly, Richard Couper, Mark Friswell, Louise Flood, Margaret Danchin, Christopher C. Blyth, Helen Marshall
Summary: Influenza immunisation is crucial for public health, but the vaccination rate for children and adolescents with special risk medical conditions is suboptimal. Flutext-4U is an innovative strategy targeting healthcare providers and parents to increase influenza immunisation coverage.
Article
Nursing
Sharon L. Perrella, Kathryn Nancarrow, Alethea Rea, Kevin Murray, Karen N. Simmer, Donna T. Geddes
Summary: This study describes the characteristics of postdischarge breastfeeding of mother-preterm infant dyads up to 12 weeks corrected gestational age (CGA), finding that most mothers with a full milk supply at discharge successfully transition to predominant breastfeeding. Frequent milk removal needs to be prioritized throughout the preterm infant's hospital stay.
ADVANCES IN NEONATAL CARE
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Gayatri Athalye-Jape, Meera Esvaran, Sanjay Patole, Karen Simmer, Elizabeth Nathan, Dorota Doherty, Anthony Keil, Shripada Rao, Liwei Chen, Lakshmi Chandrasekaran, Chooi Kok, Stephan Schuster, Patricia Conway
Summary: The study found that triple-strain probiotics and single-strain probiotics have similar effects on preterm infants. Both probiotics were effective in reducing dysbiosis in the gut microbiota. However, further research is needed to examine the long-term implications of increased propionate and butyrate.
BMJ OPEN GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2022)
Review
Pediatrics
Shripada Rao, Meera Esvaran, Liwei Chen, Chooi Kok, Anthony D. Keil, Ian Gollow, Karen Simmer, Bernd Wemheuer, Patricia Conway, Sanjay Patole
Summary: This article presents a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) that demonstrates the positive effects of probiotic supplementation in neonates with congenital gastrointestinal surgical conditions. The supplementation attenuates gut dysbiosis, increases levels of short-chain fatty acids in stool, and improves the growth of head circumference. The article also provides evidence-based guidelines for the design of future multicenter RCTs in this field.
PEDIATRIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Julie Hibbert, Tobias Strunk, Elizabeth Nathan, Amy Prosser, Dorota Doherty, Karen Simmer, Peter Richmond, David Burgner, Andrew Currie
Summary: This study aimed to characterize and compare leukocyte populations in preterm infants with and without late-onset sepsis (LOS) during the first month of life. The results showed that compared to infants without LOS, infants who developed LOS had lower counts and frequencies of neutrophils, basophils, and non-cytotoxic T lymphocytes, as well as higher counts of immature granulocytes over the first month of life. Furthermore, changes in non-cytotoxic T lymphocytes occurred following LOS, suggesting sepsis-induced immune suppression.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Debra J. Palmer, Thomas R. Sullivan, Dianne E. Campbell, Ralph Nanan, Michael S. Gold, Peter S. Hsu, Merryn J. Netting, Vicki McWilliam, Jennifer J. Koplin, Kirsten P. Perrett, Patrick Quinn, Michael O'Sullivan, Susan L. Prescott, Rosalie Grivell, Maria Makrides
Summary: Clinical studies suggest that early life intervention strategies can reduce the global burden of food allergies. This study aims to determine the impact of higher maternal food allergen consumption during pregnancy and lactation on infant food allergy outcomes.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Karen P. Best, Jacqueline F. Gould, Maria Makrides, Thomas Sullivan, Jeanie Cheong, Shao J. Zhou, Stefan Kane, Huda Safa, A. Sparks, Lex W. Doyle, A. J. McPhee, Tanya A. C. Nippita, Hossein H. A. Afzali, Rosalie Grivell, D. Mackerras, E. Knight, Simon Wood, Tim Green
Summary: This study aims to determine the effect of reducing iodine intake from supplements on the cognitive development of children at 24 months of age. A total of 754 pregnant women will be randomly assigned to receive either a low iodine or a common dose of iodine supplement. The primary outcome is the developmental quotient of infants at 24 months of age.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lisa N. Yelland, Thomas R. Sullivan, Robert A. Gibson, Lucy A. Simmonds, Sagar K. Thakkar, Fang Huang, Surabhi Devaraj, Karen P. Best, Irma Silva Zolezzi, Maria Makrides
Summary: This study aimed to identify the maternal characteristics that predict whether women with a singleton pregnancy will benefit from omega-3 supplementation to reduce their risk of prematurity. The results showed that women with low omega-3 levels in early pregnancy benefit the most from taking omega-3 supplements to reduce the risk of early preterm birth (EPTB). In addition, multiparous women and those who avoid alcohol before pregnancy are more likely to benefit from omega-3 supplementation in reducing preterm birth (PTB) risk.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Thomas R. Sullivan, Jacqueline F. Gould, Jana M. Bednarz, Andrew J. McPhee, Robert Gibson, Peter J. Anderson, Karen P. Best, Mary Sharp, Jeanie L. Y. Cheong, Gillian F. Opie, Javeed Travadi, Peter G. Davis, Karen Simmer, Carmel T. Collins, Lex W. Doyle, Maria Makrides
Summary: High-dose DHA supplementation can improve IQ in premature infants, but it may increase the risk of BPD. This study found that the increased risk of BPD with DHA supplementation was not associated with a decrease in IQ benefit, suggesting that the IQ improvement from DHA supplementation is largely independent of BPD.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Kwi Moon, Elizabeth Mckinnon, Sanjay Patole, Karen Simmer, Shripada Rao
Summary: This study aimed to describe the practices of parenteral nutrition (PN) and clinical outcomes in term and late preterm infants. A retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary NICU, collecting data on patient characteristics, daily nutrition, and clinical outcomes. The study found that the intake of amino acids and lipids in some infants was low, and there was mild to moderate postnatal growth restriction.
CLINICAL NUTRITION ESPEN
(2023)
Article
Mathematical & Computational Biology
Lisa N. Yelland, Jennie Louise, Brennan C. Kahan, Tim P. Morris, Katherine J. Lee, Thomas R. Sullivan
Summary: Many trials use stratified randomisation to allocate participants, but it is unclear how to adjust for stratification variables affected by misclassification. A simulation study comparing different adjustment methods for continuous outcomes was conducted. Adjusting for the true strata was found to be optimal, while adjusting for the randomisation strata or the updated strata depended on the specific setting. The updated strata method is recommended for adjustment, along with subgroup analyses, in order to address stratification errors in practice.
STATISTICS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Michael J. Stark, Carmel T. Collins, Chad C. Andersen, Tara M. Crawford, Thomas R. Sullivan, Jana Bednarz, Rachael Morton, Denese C. Marks, Mbathio Dieng, Louise S. Owen, Gillian Opie, Javeed Travadi, Kenneth Tan, Scott Morris
Summary: This study is a multicentre, randomised, double-blinded trial comparing washed versus unwashed red cells in infants <28 weeks' gestation who require transfusion. The primary outcome is a composite of mortality and/or major morbidity to first discharge home. To detect a 10% absolute reduction in the composite outcome from 69% to 59%, a sample size of 1124 infants is required. The findings of the study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed articles and conferences.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Thomas R. Sullivan, Lisa N. Yelland, Robert A. Gibson, Sagar K. Thakkar, Fang Huang, Karen P. Best, Surabhi Devaraj, Irma Silva Zolezzi, Maria Makrides
Summary: The Omega-3 to Reduce the Incidence of Prematurity (ORIP) trial found that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation can reduce the risk of prematurity in singleton pregnancies with low n-3 status early on. There are certain factors, such as age, education level, alcohol consumption, previous births, and dietary supplement intake, that are associated with compliance with the supplementation. The study also found that the supplementation can reduce the risk of preterm birth in compliant women, but not early preterm birth.
