Neonatology

Is Surfactant Treatment at Birth Associated With Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia?
Is Surfactant Treatment at Birth Associated With Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia? 1024 683 Pam Georgiana

An observational study reviews a contemporary cohort of preterm infants. Recently, Leif D. Nelin, MD, division chief of neonatology at Nationwide Children’s and a professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, and a team of doctors in the Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) Collaborative Registry speculated that the use of surfactant treatment in…

Supporting Tracheostomy Decision-Making for Families and Providers
Supporting Tracheostomy Decision-Making for Families and Providers 1024 683 Abbie Miller

The Trach Scoring Tool, developed by leaders in bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, offers support for physicians and families. The decision of when to do a tracheostomy on an infant is difficult, to say the least, says Leif Nelin, MD, division chief of Neonatology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Every family has different knowledge,…

Study Reveals New Use for GER Tool in Neonates: Swallowing Analysis
Study Reveals New Use for GER Tool in Neonates: Swallowing Analysis 1024 683 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
Dr. Jadcherla

Investigators have repurposed a simple test for gastroesophageal reflux (GER) disease to provide valuable insight into multiple swallowing abnormalities in newborn babies. A tool used to diagnose gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in hospitalized neonates now has another use: characterizing swallowing abilities. The researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital who pioneered the objective use of the test,…

Early Detection and Multidisciplinary Care: Successful Management of Duodenal Atresia
Early Detection and Multidisciplinary Care: Successful Management of Duodenal Atresia 1024 737 Pam Georgiana
person in scrubs holding a baby

The team in the Fetal Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital shares their comprehensive approach for best possible outcomes.  When a routine ultrasound reveals two enlarged, fluid-filled bubbles in the baby’s abdomen, known as the “double bubble” sign, pregnant patients and their families often feel scared and concerned. These bubbles indicate duodenal atresia, a congenital condition…

Optimizing Prenatal and Neonatal Care for Infants With Treatable Rare Diseases
Optimizing Prenatal and Neonatal Care for Infants With Treatable Rare Diseases 1024 619 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

As new treatments emerge and diagnostics improve, earlier interventions offer infants with rare metabolic and neurodegenerative conditions a future wildly different than ever before. Not long ago, a diagnosis of molybdenum cofactor deficiency (MoCD) type A meant death before kindergarten. Since the FDA approval of NULIBRY® (fosdenopterin) in 2021, however, children diagnosed with MoCD type…

Supporting Optimal Developmental Outcomes After Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
Supporting Optimal Developmental Outcomes After Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome 1024 575 Abbie Miller
Toddler playing with toys

Children with prenatal opioid exposure have a higher risk for developmental and behavioral concerns. Prenatal opioid exposure is still far too common. Experts estimate that one infant who has been exposed to opioids is born every 15 minutes in the United States.  While standard diagnostic criteria for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) were recently proposed,…

Improving UTI Detection in Neonates: Antimicrobial Peptides and Cotton Balls
Improving UTI Detection in Neonates: Antimicrobial Peptides and Cotton Balls 1024 683 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

New research sets the stage for less-invasive urinary tract infection identification in neonates 22-37 weeks gestational age. A team of researchers driving the revolution in urinary tract infection (UTI) identification using antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) has now expanded their focus from adults and children to newborns – including those born prematurely. Their latest study, published in…

Higher Respiratory Severity Scores Associated with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension Risk
Higher Respiratory Severity Scores Associated with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension Risk 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD

The RSS score is noninvasive and may be clinically useful for risk stratification in extremely preterm infants. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s report that elevations in the respiratory severity score were correlated with an increased risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia-associated pulmonary hypertension in preterm infants. This study identifies a pragmatic clinical risk score that can be measured…

RSV in Infants and High-Risk Children: A Commentary on the Roll-out of a New Preventive Medication
RSV in Infants and High-Risk Children: A Commentary on the Roll-out of a New Preventive Medication 1024 575 Pam Georgiana

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes more than 2 million outpatient visits, as many as 80,000 hospitalizations, and 100 to 300 deaths in children under 5 years old annually. Infants under 6 months of age are at the most significant risk of hospitalization. Although the highest…

What Are the Risk Factors for Recurrent Wheezing in Late Preterm Infants?
What Are the Risk Factors for Recurrent Wheezing in Late Preterm Infants? 1024 683 Pam Georgiana

A collaboration between a pulmonary medicine fellow and allergy and immunology expert identifies four risk factors associated with recurrent wheezing in these patients.   When Brooke R. Gustafson, MD, a member of the Section of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine at Nationwide Children’s and an assistant professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine,…

GERD Less Likely Cause of Irritability and Back Arching in Infants
GERD Less Likely Cause of Irritability and Back Arching in Infants 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

In infants, frequent irritability and arching of the back can be concerning to parents and providers. These symptoms are often attributed to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a disease in which the lower esophageal sphincter does not close or opens at the wrong time. As a result, food and stomach acid can come back up into…

Expanding Access to Genomic Testing in Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Units
Expanding Access to Genomic Testing in Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Units 1024 575 Pam Georgiana
conceptual art of DNA

Recent study identifies variations in availability and highlights opportunities to improve access to genomic testing in the United States and Canada. In the Nationwide Children’s Hospital neonatal intensive care unit, patients needing rapid genome sequencing can get it on demand without administrative approval. However, that is not the case in all level IV neonatal intensive…

Probiotics Delivered in Biofilm State Protect the Intestines and Brain in NEC Model
Probiotics Delivered in Biofilm State Protect the Intestines and Brain in NEC Model 898 504 Abbie Miller

Biofilm formulation of Limosilactobacillus reuteri protects against necrotizing enterocolitis in piglet model.  Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a debilitating and deadly condition affecting infants born preterm. In NEC cases, intestinal tissues become inflamed, and in severe cases, there is ischemia and death of the involved intestines. Treatment for NEC often involves surgery to remove the dying…

Ensuring Vulnerable Babies Receive the Benefits of Human Milk
Ensuring Vulnerable Babies Receive the Benefits of Human Milk 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
small baby with nose canula

A QI project increases human milk consumption among newborns hospitalized with congenital heart disease. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend human milk for infants because of its important health benefits. However, most newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD) are separated from their mothers shortly after birth and admitted to a…

A Decade of Evidence: The SIMPLE Program Shows Continued Success
A Decade of Evidence: The SIMPLE Program Shows Continued Success 1024 575 Pam Georgiana

In 2010, Nationwide Children’s Hospitals NICU leaders observed that infant feeding practices varied depending on the provider, resulting in significant variations in milestones and length of hospital stays (LOHS). They asked Sudarshan R. Jadcherla, MD, and Erika Osborn, NNP, to partner with stakeholders, including nurses, physicians, nutritionists, lactation experts, and others, to develop an evidence-based…

Using Machine Learning to Classify Treatment Approaches for Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Using Machine Learning to Classify Treatment Approaches for Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia 1024 683 Pam Georgiana

We don’t yet know the best way to help infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) breathe using ventilators. Currently, doctors across the country and around the world use a variety of different approaches.  These variations depend on the severity of a patient’s medical condition, the ventilator settings used, and location-specific standards. Matthew Kielt, MD, a…

Assessing Respiratory Stability in Infants Hospitalized with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Assessing Respiratory Stability in Infants Hospitalized with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD

The Behavioral Signs of Respiratory Instability Scale is a valid, reliable measure of respiratory status and developmental ability. In a new study, researchers at Nationwide Children’s evaluated the Behavioral Signs of Respiratory Instability (BSRI) Scale, which was developed as an objective measure of developmental capacity of infants with severe forms of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The…

An Alternative Method for Diagnosing Central Adrenal Insufficiency in Newborns
An Alternative Method for Diagnosing Central Adrenal Insufficiency in Newborns 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
Baby in NICU

Researchers evaluate the utility of random cortisol levels to diagnose adrenal insufficiency. In infants with central adrenal insufficiency, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) fails to signal to the adrenal gland, leading to decreased cortisol levels. It is a potentially life-threatening condition requiring urgent diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosing central adrenal insufficiency typically involves a low-dose synthetic ACTH (cosyntropin)…

Kidney Support for Babies: Building a Comprehensive and Integrated Neonatal Kidney Support Therapy Program
Kidney Support for Babies: Building a Comprehensive and Integrated Neonatal Kidney Support Therapy Program 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
Nurse caring for infant in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Kidney support therapy (KST), commonly referred to as dialysis, is a life-saving procedure used to manage complications associated with acute kidney injury and kidney failure, such as fluid overload and electrolyte imbalances, or to remove toxins, such as those in patients with inborn errors of metabolism. Most KST or dialysis machines are designed for adults…

Advancing Genomics-Driven Precision Medicine in the NICU
Advancing Genomics-Driven Precision Medicine in the NICU 1024 683 Natalie Wilson

According to the Children’s Hospitals Neonatal Consortium, as many as half of newborns hospitalized in level IV neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) due to critical illness have an underlying genetic condition. Most don’t get their diagnosis for months or even years. However, clinical assays, new testing modalities and clinical trials are improving their care. Advanced…

Preterm Birth Increases Health Vulnerabilities of Babies With Down Syndrome
Preterm Birth Increases Health Vulnerabilities of Babies With Down Syndrome 1024 624 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

Babies with Down syndrome who are born preterm have higher prenatal morbidity and mortality rates than those in babies with Down syndrome born at term, suggesting pediatricians can lower their risk threshold for certain screenings or interventions. Compared with age-matched neonates without Down syndrome, babies with Down syndrome are more likely to experience developmental delay,…

Using Machine Learning in the Electronic Medical Record to Save Lives
Using Machine Learning in the Electronic Medical Record to Save Lives 1024 683 Abbie Miller
physicians in white coats looking at a tablet

The deterioration risk index identifies patients at risk for deterioration and poor outcomes, triggering the care team to act before a crisis happens. In a report published in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, a team from Nationwide Children’s Hospital describes a machine learning tool for timely identification of hospitalized children at risk for deterioration – a…

5 Things Neonatologists Should Know About Vitamin K Deficiency
5 Things Neonatologists Should Know About Vitamin K Deficiency 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD

Vitamin K prophylaxis is safe and effective. Why are more parents refusing it, and what can be done? In a new perspective paper in the Journal of Perinatology, researchers from Nationwide Children’s say that vitamin K prophylaxis is an essential component of newborn care and yet, parental refusal of the intervention is on the rise.…

Substantial Variation in Fluid Balance Among Preterm Neonates
Substantial Variation in Fluid Balance Among Preterm Neonates 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
Nurse caring for infant in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

In neonates, approximately 75 to 90% of the body weight consists of body fluid. The amount varies with gestational age, with higher total body fluid percentages in extremely preterm infants, those born at 22 to 28 weeks of gestation. These extremely preterm infants have immature skin and kidneys and thus immature fluid homeostasis regulatory mechanisms,…

Featured Researcher — Jonathan Slaughter, MD, MPH
Featured Researcher — Jonathan Slaughter, MD, MPH 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Jonathan Slaughter, MD, MPH, neonatologist and principal investigator in the Center for Perinatal Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, works to identify best practices and reduce treatment variation to improve neonatal clinical care and outcomes. His career took off when, after casually observing practice variation across the institutions where he received training, he noticed that preterm…

Low-Resource Screening Tool Demonstrates Superior Predictive Value for Cerebral Palsy in Infants
Low-Resource Screening Tool Demonstrates Superior Predictive Value for Cerebral Palsy in Infants 1024 683 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

The use of lower-resource screening tools for cerebral palsy in infants can help increase early detection of the condition and promote access to early interventions.   A recent study reported that the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE), when compared with the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP), had the better predictive value for detecting cerebral…

Development of Acute Kidney Injury as a Potential Biomarker of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants
Development of Acute Kidney Injury as a Potential Biomarker of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD

Regular measurement of serum creatinine levels could help identify necrotizing enterocolitis sooner. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) evaluated serum creatinine levels and the development of acute kidney injury as a potential biomarker of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants. The retrospective chart review showed that acute kidney injury is more prevalent in…

American Academy of Pediatrics Updates Guidelines for the Management of Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia
American Academy of Pediatrics Updates Guidelines for the Management of Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia 1024 737 Emily Siebenmorgen
person in scrubs holding a baby

Nationwide Children’s physicians collaborate on updates to testing, treatment and follow-up recommendations for preventing hazardous hyperbilirubinemia and possible brain damage. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) recommendations for managing hyperbilirubinemia in infants 35 gestational weeks and older are among its most accessed sets of clinical practice guidelines. A team led by Alex Kemper, MD, MPH,…

Predicting Response to Bronchodilators in Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Predicting Response to Bronchodilators in Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD

Study emphasizes importance of identifying those patients who will respond to treatment. Certain pulmonary function test parameters in newborns with bronchopulmonary dysplasia are associated with bronchodilator response, according to a new study from researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The team also found that responders had evidence of greater dysanaptic lung growth than nonresponders. Bronchodilators are…

Do Symptom Scores and pH Impedance Correlate in Infants Treated for Gastroesophageal Reflux?
Do Symptom Scores and pH Impedance Correlate in Infants Treated for Gastroesophageal Reflux? 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) — the passage of gastric contents into the esophagus — is a physiologic process that can be considered normal or abnormal depending on whether troublesome symptoms and/or complications also occur. In infants, it is difficult for clinicians to distinguish between GER and pathophysiologic GER disease (GERD). “Current diagnostic criteria for GERD are…

Quality Improvement Scorecard Enhances Safety for Newborns
Quality Improvement Scorecard Enhances Safety for Newborns 1024 683 Emily Siebenmorgen

The collaborative program between academic and community hospitals improves neonatal care quality. In a recent study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital and affiliated level one and two community hospital nurseries implemented a quality improvement (QI) scorecard and found improvements in important perinatal outcomes. “Roughly half of all newborns in…

Nafcillin is a Safe Alternative to Vancomycin for Empirical Treatment of Late-Onset Sepsis Among Infants in the NICU
Nafcillin is a Safe Alternative to Vancomycin for Empirical Treatment of Late-Onset Sepsis Among Infants in the NICU 1024 681 Mary Bates, PhD
sleeping infant

Guidelines to reduce vancomycin use at three Ohio NICUs did not impact mortality rate. In 2014, the Neonatal Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital recommended nafcillin rather than vancomycin for empirical therapy of possible late-onset sepsis in infants without a history of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection or colonization. In a new study, researchers…

Improving Racial Diversity and Equity in Clinical Trials
Improving Racial Diversity and Equity in Clinical Trials 1024 511 Jeb Phillips

There is now broad consensus across medicine that clinical trials must be more representative of minority populations. How can that be achieved? Last year, a group of Nationwide Children’s Hospital neonatologists published an unusually pointed critique of racial and ethnic representation in neonatal clinical trials in the Journal of Perinatology. They wrote that the lack…

Multi-Disciplinary Team Develops Evidence-Based Guidelines for Acute Management of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns
Multi-Disciplinary Team Develops Evidence-Based Guidelines for Acute Management of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns 200 133 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

What began as an internal effort to simplify practice has transformed into published evidence-based guidelines to standardize care for acute stabilization and management of newborns with pulmonary hypertension.   Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a highly varied and changeable condition that presents a challenge for clinical management, even among tertiary care centers…

Improving Identification of Neonatal Acute Kidney Injury in the NICU
Improving Identification of Neonatal Acute Kidney Injury in the NICU 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD

Approaches at three different institutions all resulted in improved identification and care of acute kidney injury in newborns. In a new study, researchers describe three different approaches to standardizing the identification and care of acute kidney injury (AKI) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), including the approach taken at Nationwide Children’s. They report that…

What is “Normal” Thyroid Functioning in Preterm Infants?
What is “Normal” Thyroid Functioning in Preterm Infants? 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
Baby in NICU

Study provides one of the largest samples of thyroid values in preterm infants to establish reference intervals. Preterm infants are born with an immature hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, putting them at risk for hypothyroidism from a delayed rise in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Currently in the United States, the thyroid function of all infants is evaluated within the…

Building Baby Brains With smallTalk: From Foreign Language Learning at Home to Bridging Gaps in the NICU
Building Baby Brains With smallTalk: From Foreign Language Learning at Home to Bridging Gaps in the NICU 1024 683 Jessica Nye, PhD
smallTalk egg

The best language learners on the planet are children — especially babies. Your brain is most active in creating the language center of your brain, connecting neurons and creating the highways and pathways for processing language, during infancy. In fact, language learning begins in utero. The developing brain of a fetus starts to wire language…

Children Testing Positive for X-ALD on Updated Newborn Screening Panels Require Long-Term Monitoring
Children Testing Positive for X-ALD on Updated Newborn Screening Panels Require Long-Term Monitoring 1024 575 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

A condition soon to be added to the Ohio Newborn Screening Panel may not affect children for years or even decades after diagnosis, and follow-up involves more than just the infant. Hospitals across the country collect a card of small drops of blood from a baby’s heel shortly after birth. These “bloodspots” are used to…

Addition of a Radiation-Free Evaluation and Parent-Chosen Feeding Method Leads to Superior Outcomes for Infants With Swallowing Difficulties
Addition of a Radiation-Free Evaluation and Parent-Chosen Feeding Method Leads to Superior Outcomes for Infants With Swallowing Difficulties 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

A recent NIH-NIDDK-funded study suggests that application of novel high-resolution manometry along with guided parental involvement can improve oral feeding success for infants with swallowing difficulties. The prevalence of swallowing difficulties among neonatal intensive care graduates is increasing.  Swallowing difficulties or dysphagia in infants are associated with airway and digestive consequences often presenting with signs…

Challenges and Experiences of LGBTQI+ Parents Regarding Infant Feeding
Challenges and Experiences of LGBTQI+ Parents Regarding Infant Feeding 1024 681 Mary Bates, PhD
sleeping infant

New study identifies challenges faced by LGBTQI+ parents, factors that can help healthcare providers improve their support. A new study is the first to explore the experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, or Intersex, Plus (LGBTQI+) parents and identify the factors that influence their decisions on infant nutrition. The authors of the report say…

Treating Intrauterine Opioid Exposure in Infants Born Preterm
Treating Intrauterine Opioid Exposure in Infants Born Preterm 1024 575 Deborah L. Ungerleider, MD, FAAP

We need a protocol to evaluate and treat neonatal abstinence syndrome in preterm infants. Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) occurs when infants who are exposed to opioids in utero develop withdrawal signs and symptoms after birth.1 According to past studies, NAS occurs in 55% to 94% of infants exposed to opioids, with an increasing incidence between…

Is Tracheostomy Tube Placement in Preemies Safe?
Is Tracheostomy Tube Placement in Preemies Safe? 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
Nurse caring for infant in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

The procedure is safe and effective in newborns requiring high ventilator pressures. Tracheostomy tube placement is a common procedure performed for premature infants requiring respiratory assistance. Compared to an endotracheal tube, placement of a tracheostomy tube is thought to allow the infant more opportunities for comfort, interaction, nutrition and growth. However, rates of tracheostomy tube…

Featured Researcher — Rodney Britt, PhD
Featured Researcher — Rodney Britt, PhD 150 150 Natalie Wilson

Rodney D. Britt Jr., PhD, is a principal investigator in the Center for Perinatal Research at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University. Dr. Britt earned his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from North Carolina A&T State University and his doctorate degree in…

Specialized Treatment for Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Increases Survival
Specialized Treatment for Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Increases Survival 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
Dr. Edward Shepherd

Most infants with established BPD referred to Nationwide’s BPD Center improve and survive, despite the severity of their illness. In a new study, researchers analyzed the in-hospital outcomes for preterm infants with established bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) referred to Nationwide Children’s Comprehensive Center for BPD. They found that despite the high degree of illness severity in…

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Characterizing the Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Characterizing the Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
Nurse caring for infant in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

  Precise definitions and/or classifications of bronchopulmonary dysplasia are needed to optimize outcomes. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are continuing to help refine the definition of severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD). In a recent study, members of the BPD Collaborative demonstrated that preterm infants with sBPD who were on invasive mechanical ventilation at 36 weeks, a…

Diuretic Therapy in Preterm Infants With Acute Kidney Injury Is Common: Should It Be?
Diuretic Therapy in Preterm Infants With Acute Kidney Injury Is Common: Should It Be? 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
small baby with nose canula

Lack of efficacy and safety data on diuretic therapy in the critically ill infants is cause for concern. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are beginning to fill in the gaps. Despite the common use of diuretic therapy in preterm infants with acute kidney injury, to date, no large studies have evaluated the patterns of prescription…

Understanding Immune Responses to Build a Better Vaccine
Understanding Immune Responses to Build a Better Vaccine 1024 606 Abbie Miller

Researchers have used studies of respiratory syncytial virus and infant immune responses to develop a promising vaccine candidate. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an incredibly common yet potentially deadly pathogen. Almost everyone becomes infected with RSV during their first three years of life, but for certain populations — infants and elderly or immunocompromised people —…

Global Study Highlights Antibiotic Overuse in the NICU
Global Study Highlights Antibiotic Overuse in the NICU 1024 683 Abbie Miller
Baby in NICU

Antimicrobial stewardship programs were associated with lower antibiotic use, regardless of the country’s income level. Excessive antibiotic use among infants born preterm in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) is associated with poor patient outcomes, such as sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and others, and contributes to the emergence of multi-drug resistant microbes. A new…

No Evidence Supporting Prophylactic Indomethacin Treatment for Most Preterm Infants
No Evidence Supporting Prophylactic Indomethacin Treatment for Most Preterm Infants 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
Nurse caring for infant in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Inconsistency among studies prompted researchers to take a closer look at the drug’s effects. Despite limited evidence supporting its use, prophylactic indomethacin treatment is often administered to very preterm infants within the first 24-hours after birth to reduce the risks of intraventricular hemorrhage and longer-term neonatal morbidities, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Data from a…

Neurodevelopmental Trajectory in Infants With Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
Neurodevelopmental Trajectory in Infants With Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD

Infants exposed to opioids in utero begin showing cognitive and language deficits in their second year. In a new study, researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital report the neurodevelopmental outcomes of infants with pharmacologically treated neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS, formerly called neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS) through 2 years of age. The results showed that…