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Neonatology 2018 Dec 6;115(2):182-188. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New

Background: Pre-clinical research, which encompasses studies in animals and in the laboratory, has made significant contributions to the improvement of neonatal outcomes.

Methods: Here, we describe examples of how pre-clinical research can be the starting point on the journey to the development of new interventions to improve neonatal care and outcomes and discuss recent progress in ensuring methodological and ethical rigour in pre-clinical research involving animal models.

Results: Studies in pregnant sheep led to the serendipitous discovery that preterm lambs born after exogenous corticosteroid exposure were able to aerate their lungs. Read More

Cell Physiol Biochem 2018 Dec 6;51(5):2030-2040. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing,

Background/aims: Preeclampsia (PE) is a gestational disorder defined as hypertension and proteinuria, which is deemed a major cause of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression patterns of placental laminin (LN)-α5 expression in normal and PE pregnancies, as well as evaluating the effects of LN-α5 on trophoblast proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion.

Methods: LN-α5 expression levels were examined by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and further confirmed by western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. Read More

Early Hum Dev 2018 Dec 3;128:48-54. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship of parent-reported child behaviors on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to cognition, language, and motor skills on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development - III (Bayley-III) in toddlers born extremely preterm.

Study Design: Toddlers born extremely preterm (gestational ages 22 0/7 to 26 6/7 weeks) were tested at 22-26 months corrected age with Bayley-III while parents completed the CBCL. Socio-demographic variables and medical history were recorded. Read More

Brain Res 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research, Oslo University Hospital, Norway. Electronic address:

The spinal locomotor central pattern generator (CPG) in neonatal mice exhibits diverse output patterns, ranging from sub-rhythmic to multi-rhythmic to fictive locomotion, depending on its general level of excitation and neuromodulatory status (Sharples and Whelan, 2017). We have recently reported that the locomotor CPG in neonatal mice rapidly recovers the ability to produce neurochemically induced fictive locomotion following an upper lumbar spinal cord compression injury (Züchner et al., 2018). Read More

J Pediatr (Rio J) 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Departamento de Pediatria, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Serviço de Neonatologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Objectives: There are several factors that influence the postnatal growth of preterm infants. It is crucial to define how to evaluate the growth rate of each preterm child and its individual trajectory, the type of growth curve, either with parameters of prescriptive curves for healthy preterm infants with no morbidities or, in the case of preterm infants and their "bundle of vulnerabilities", growth curves that may represent how they are actually growing, with the aim of directing appropriate nutritional care to each gestational age range.

Data Sources: The main studies with growth curves for growth monitoring and the appropriate nutritional adjustments that prioritized the individual trajectory of postnatal growth rate were reviewed. Read More

Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc 2018 11 30;56(4):379-386. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Hospital de Ginecología y Obstetricia No. 3 “Dr. Víctor Manuel Espinoza de los Reyes Sánchez”, Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos. Ciudad de México, México

Background: In severe preeclampsia (SP), pregnancy interruption is the first recommendation. However, some patients receive expectant treatment.

Objetive: To determine maternal and perinatal results of expectant treatment of SP in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a high-specialty hospital. Read More

Acta Med Port 2018 Nov 30;31(11):648-655. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Serviço de Neonatologia. Departamento de Pediatria. Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria. Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte. Lisboa. Clínica Universitária de Pediatria. Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa. Portugal.

Introduction: Prematurity and low birth weight have been associated with increased neonatal morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate possible risk factors for prematurity associated with fetal growth restriction and being small for gestational age and to determine the incidence of morbidity in these two groups of infants.

Material And Methods: Retrospective case-control study of newborns with gestational age of less than 32 weeks, with obstetric diagnosis of fetal growth restriction and with the clinical diagnosis of small for gestational age, admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary hospital for a period of six years. Read More

Pediatr Crit Care Med 2018 Dec;19(12):1175-1176

Division of Pediatric Critical and Emergency Care, Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Verona University Hospital, Verona, Italy.

Med Care 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Department of Health Services Administration, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD.

Background: Newborn care is one of the most frequent types of hospitalization and Medicaid covers over 50% of all births nationwide. However, little is known about regional variation in Medicaid newborn care spending and its drivers.

Objectives: To measure the contribution of market-level prices, utilization, and health risk on regional variation in spending among newborn Medicaid population in Texas. Read More

Ir Med J 2018 08 13;111(7):785. Epub 2018 Aug 13.

Department of Paediatrics, Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath

Pediatr Blood Cancer 2018 Dec 5:e27572. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster Children's Hospital, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Background: Neonatal portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is uncommon with potentially serious complications that may manifest in infancy and childhood.

Objective: The primary aim of our study was to describe the short-term and long-term outcomes of neonatal PVT.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted from 2008 to 2016 of neonates diagnosed with PVT. Read More

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Molecular & Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on fetal and neonatal cardiac geometry and function around the time of birth.

Methods: A prospective study of 75 pregnant women delivering at term, comprising of 54 normal pregnancies and 21 with a diagnosis GDM. Fetal and neonatal conventional cardiac indices, spectral tissue Doppler and 2D speckle tracking imaging were performed a few days before and within hours of birth. Read More

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Vascular Biology Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, United Kingdom.

Background: A minimum data set, known as a core outcome set, should standardise outcome selection, collection, and reporting across future twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome research.

Methods: An international steering group including healthcare professionals, researchers, and patients, guided the development of this core outcome set. Potential core outcomes, identified through a comprehensive literature review, were entered into a three round Delphi survey. Read More

World J Pediatr 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Midwifery, Students Research Committee, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

Background: Jaundice is a common neonatal problem. This study was conducted to determine the effect of metoclopramide on neonatal bilirubin and maternal prolactin (primary outcomes) and milk volume (secondary outcome).

Methods: This triple-blind, randomized, controlled, clinical trial was conducted on 112 mothers. Read More

Health Econ Rev 2018 Dec 5;8(1):32. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4222, Australia.

Background: Critical evaluation of the cost-effectiveness and clinical effectiveness of continuity of midwifery care models for women experiencing complex pregnancy is an important consideration in the review and reform of maternity services. Most studies either focus on women who experience healthy pregnancy or mixed risk samples. These results may not be generalised across the childbearing continuum to women with risk factors. Read More

Front Vet Sci 2018 21;5:292. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Calgary, AB, Canada.

Calves that have undergone a dystocia are often hypoxic and acidemic, which can result in reduced vigor and subsequent mortality. Methods of field resuscitation of apneic newborn calves are often ineffective and therefore underutilized. This proof-of-concept study aimed to determine the efficacy of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) as well as the current industry standard method of ventilation, the McCulloch Calf Aspirator/ Resuscitator (MMR) for positive pressure ventilation of neonatal calves. Read More

Front Pediatr 2018 16;6:323. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

Neonatal and Intensive Care Department, University Hospital, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.

High-pressure processing (HPP) is a non-thermal technology that is being increasingly applied in food industries worldwide. It was proposed that this method could be used as an alternative to holder pasteurization (HoP; 62.5°C, 30 min) in milk banks but its impact on the immunologic, enzymatic and hormonal components of human milk has not yet been evaluated in detail. Read More

Case Rep Gastroenterol 2018 Sep-Dec;12(3):661-670. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.

Zellweger spectrum disorders (ZSDs) are a subgroup of peroxisomal biogenesis disorders with a generalized defect in peroxisome function. Liver disease in ZSDs has been associated with the lack of peroxisomal β-oxidation of C-bile acid intermediates to form primary C-bile acids, which prevents normal physiologic feedback and leads to accumulation of hepatotoxic bile acid intermediates. Primary bile acid therapy, oral cholic acid (CA), as adjunctive treatment for ZSDs, restores physiologic feedback inhibition on bile acid synthesis and inhibits formation of hepatotoxic bile acid intermediates. Read More

Pediatric Health Med Ther 2018 9;9:147-155. Epub 2018 Nov 9.

School of Public Health, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia,

Background: Home-based neonatal care is associated with a reduction in neonatal mortality in settings with poor access to health facility-based care. The first day of a child's life is a day of unparalleled opportunity to spare lives and sets the level for a sound future. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and timing of home-based neonatal care by health extension workers (HEWs) in the rural Sidama Zone of southern Ethiopia. Read More

Int J Womens Health 2018 9;10:723-732. Epub 2018 Nov 9.

Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada,

Shoulder dystocia can lead to death or brain damage for the baby. Traction on the head can damage the brachial plexus. The diagnosis should be made when the mother cannot push the shoulders out with her own efforts with the next contraction after delivery of the head. Read More

Infect Drug Resist 2018 8;11:2211-2217. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Dentistry and Oral Medicine, Future University, Cairo, Egypt.

Introduction: is a significant hospital-acquired pathogen, and many outbreaks of infection have been reported in neonates. We report a sudden breakout of harboring the and metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) genes that occurred from March to August 2015 in the neonatal intensive care unit of Cairo University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt.

Methods: During the study period, 40 nonduplicate clinical isolates of were collected from blood culture samples. Read More

Pediatr Res 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, LAC+USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is one of the most frequent diagnoses made in neonates. A high level of unconjugated bilirubin that is unbound to albumin is neurotoxic when the level exceeds age-specific thresholds or at lower levels in neonates with neurotoxic risk factors. Lower range of unbound bilirubin results in apoptosis, while moderate-to-high levels result in neuronal necrosis. Read More

J Perinatol 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.

Objective: To characterize the association of histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) with neurodevelopmental outcomes in children born at <30 weeks gestation.

Study Design: This retrospective cohort study included infants born 2006-2012 in whom placental histopathology, neonatal outcomes, and Bayley-III assessment at age 2 years were available. We assessed the association of HCA exposure with cognitive, language, and motor delay with logistic regression models adjusted for gestational age, sex, small for gestational age and brain injury. Read More

J Perinatol 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.

Objective: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a commonly observed condition in preterm infants. Prior studies have suggested a role for genetics in determining spontaneous ductal closure. Using samples from a large neonatal cohort we tested the hypothesis that common genetic variations are associated with PDA in extremely preterm infants. Read More

J Perinatol 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Objectives: To describe the findings, resulting changes in management, and safety profile of flexible bronchoscopy in the neonates with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Study Design: This was a retrospective case series of twenty-seven neonates with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia who underwent flexible bronchoscopy in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Results: Flexible bronchoscopy revealed airway pathology in 20/27 (74%) patients. Read More

J Perinatol 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatal & Developmental Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.

Objective: Examine the adoption and presence of preterm, neuro-centric care practices across neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Study Design: Statewide, cross-sectional survey of California NICUs. Data were collected surrounding the timing of adoption and presence of delivery room practices, nursing protocols, provider management practices and quality improvement initiatives. Read More

JCI Insight 2018 Dec 6;3(23). Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Animal Radiology, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

In diabetic retinopathy (DR), pericyte dropout from capillary walls is believed to cause the breakdown of the blood-retina barrier (BRB), which subsequently leads to vision-threatening retinal edema. While various proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines are upregulated in eyes with DR, their distinct contributions to disease progression remain elusive. Here, we evaluated roles of stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) and its receptor CXCR4 in the BRB breakdown initiated by pericyte deficiency. Read More

Pediatrics 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Maternal-Infant Care Research Center, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Background: Although caffeine use for apnea of prematurity is well studied, the long-term safety and benefit of routine early caffeine administration has not been explored. Our objective was to determine the association between early (within 2 days of birth) versus late caffeine exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants.

Methods: Infants of <29 weeks' gestation born between April 2009 and September 2011 and admitted to Canadian Neonatal Network units and then assessed at Canadian Neonatal Follow-up Network centers were studied. Read More

Clin Chem 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Molecular Medicine and SurgeryCenter for Molecular Medicine Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden.

J Virol 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common congenital infection worldwide, and a frequent cause of hearing loss and debilitating neurologic disease in newborn infants. Thus, a vaccine to prevent HCMV-associated congenital disease is a public health priority. One potential strategy is vaccination of women of child-bearing age to prevent maternal HCMV acquisition during pregnancy. Read More

Development 2018 Dec 5;145(23). Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Developmental Genetics, Institute of Advanced Medicine, Wakayama Medical University (WMU), Kimiidera, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan.

Previous studies have established that fetal Leydig cells (FLCs) and adult Leydig cells (ALCs) show distinct functional characteristics. However, the lineage relationship between FLCs and ALCs has not been clarified yet. Here, we reveal that a subset of FLCs dedifferentiate at fetal stages to give rise to ALCs at the pubertal stage. Read More

J Cell Sci 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province China

Mitochondria are important for energy production and cardiomyocytes homeostasis. OMA1, a metalloendopeptidase, initiates the proteolytic process of pro-fusion protein, OPA1, to deteriorate mitochondrial structure and function. In this study, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes (NMCMs) subjected to hypoxia-reperfusion (H/R) and/or HO were used to mimic oxidative stress in the heart following ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). Read More

Sci Transl Med 2018 Dec;10(470)

Departments of Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Civil and Environmental Engineering, Center for Bio-Integrated Electronics, Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.

Exposure to electromagnetic radiation can have a profound impact on human health. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun causes skin cancer. Blue light affects the body's circadian melatonin rhythm. Read More

J Pediatr Surg 2018 Nov 7. Epub 2018 Nov 7.

Department of Paediatric Surgery, Evelina Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. Electronic address:

Aim: Infants with oesophageal atresia and distal tracheoesophageal fistula (OA-TOF) occasionally require endotracheal intubation prior to definitive surgery. This creates the risk of preferential ventilation of the fistula leading to gastric distention and subsequent perforation. We aimed to reassess the risk of preoperative positive-pressure ventilation and update recommendations for emergency surgery in this cohort. Read More

J Clin Sleep Med 2018 Nov 29. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Abstract: We present a case of a 27-year-old woman in whom idiopathic hypersomnolence was diagnosed in adolescence with adequate symptomatic control on daily dosage of 250 mg of modafinil. She maintained this dosage throughout her pregnancy and during the peripartum period, but did not breastfeed her newborn because of a lack of information on the transmission of modafinil in human breast milk. Samples of her breast milk were obtained at various times over a 24-hour period and analyzed using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Read More

J Transl Med 2018 Dec 5;16(1):339. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Pediatrics, Navy General Hospital, No. 6, Fucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China.

Background: Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ADMSC) therapy can promote recovery from cerebral ischemia; however, more information regarding appropriate sources of ADMSCs is required. This study was aimed at analyzing the immunogenicity of rat ADMSCs by comparing the immunological effects of intraparenchymal administration of allogeneic ADMSCs (allo-ADMSCs) and autologous ADMSCs (auto-ADMSCs) after the acute phase of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats.

Methods: Allo- or auto-ADMSCs from rats (1 × 10 cells) were transplanted into Lewis rats 8 days post MCAO. Read More

J Neuroinflammation 2018 Dec 5;15(1):336. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Paediatrics, Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montreal, H3T 1C5, QC, Canada.

Background: The extension of sepsis encompassing the preterm newborn's brain is often overlooked due to technical challenges in this highly vulnerable population, yet it leads to substantial long-term neurodevelopmental disabilities. In this study, we demonstrate how neonatal neuroinflammation following postnatal E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure in rat pups results in persistent reduction in sialylation of cerebral glycoproteins. Read More

BMC Health Serv Res 2018 Dec 5;18(1):944. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Headquarters, PO Box 9356, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

Background: The Lake and Western Zones of Tanzania that encompass eight regions namely; Kagera, Geita, Simiyu, Shinyanga, Mwanza, Mara Tabora and Kigoma have consistently been reported with the poorest Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) indicators in the country. This study sought to establish the provision of Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) signal functions and reasons for the failure to do so among health centers and hospitals in the two zones.

Methods: All the 261 public and private hospitals and health centers providing Obstetric Care services in Lake and Western Zones were surveyed in 2014. Read More

J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2018 Dec 5:1-161. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Jichi Medical University , Shimotsuke , Tochigi , Japan.

Objectives: To clarify perinatal outcomes of patients with placenta previa (PP) with the placenta mainly positioned in the lateral uterine wall (lateral PP), thereby clinically characterizing this condition.

Study Design: The retrospective cohort study was performed involving patients with lateral PP between January 2006 and December 2016. The placental position was determined and classified by magnetic resonance imaging. Read More

Biosensors (Basel) 2018 Dec 4;8(4). Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Biocrede Inc., Plymouth, MI 48170, USA.

We present an animal model used to evaluate the in vivo performance of electrochemical amperometric continuous lactate sensors compared to blood gas instruments. Electrochemical lactate sensors were fabricated, placed into 5 Fr central venous catheters (CVCs), and paired with wireless potentiostat devices. Following in vivo evaluation and calibration, sensors were placed within the jugular and femoral veins of a porcine subject as a preliminary assessment of in vivo measurement accuracy. Read More

Am J Perinatol 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Maternal and Child Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Objective:  To determine if increasing predicted risk of cesarean was associated with longer labor length and increased morbidity among women undergoing induction with an unfavorable cervix.

Study Design:  Using a publically available database, we evaluated whether a previously validated prediction model for cesarean delivery after induction was associated with labor length, maternal morbidity (third-/fourth-degree lacerations, endometritis, blood transfusion, wound infection, venous thromboembolism, hysterectomy, intensive care unit admission, and death), and neonatal morbidity (blood transfusion, encephalopathy, intraventricular hemorrhage, severe respiratory distress syndrome, necrotizing enterocolitis, and sepsis). Full-term (≥37 weeks) singleton gestations with intact membranes and an unfavorable cervix (Bishop score ≤6 and dilation ≤2 cm) undergoing induction of labor were included. Read More

Clin Chim Acta 2018 Nov 30. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Department of Genetic Metabolism, Children's Hospital, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning 530003, People's Republic of China. Electronic address:

Background: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most common neonatal endocrine disorder. Although most patients present with isolated CH, some patients present with CH and extra-thyroidal congenital malformations (ECMs), for which less is known about the underlying genetics. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic mechanisms in patients with CH and ECMs using chromosomal microarray (CMA) and whole exome sequencing (WES). Read More

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

We have prepared and tested in vivo a novel nanoengineered hybrid electroconductive cardiac patch for treating the infarcted myocardium. Of the prepared and tested patches, only those containing spherical nanogold were able to increase connexin-43 expression in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes cultured under electrical stimulation. In vivo data indicated that only nanogold containing patches were able to recover cardiac function. Read More

Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, 12270, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, United States.

Supplemental O2 (hyperoxia; 30-90% O2) is a necessary intervention for premature infants, but contributes to development of neonatal and pediatric asthma, necessitating better understanding of contributory mechanisms in hyperoxia-induced changes to airway structure and function. In adults, environmental stressors promote formation of senescent cells that secrete factors (senescence-associated secretory phenotype; SASP), which can be inflammatory and have paracrine effects that enhance chronic lung diseases. Hyperoxia-induced changes in airway structure and function are mediated in part by effects on airway smooth muscle (ASM). Read More

Dev Med Child Neurol 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Obstetrical, Perinatal and Pediatric Epidemiology Research Team, Center for Epidemiology and Statistics, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.

Aim: Children born very preterm require additional specialist care because of the health and developmental risks associated with preterm birth, but information on their health service use is sparse. We sought to describe the use of specialist services by children born very preterm in Europe.

Method: We analysed data from the multi-regional, population-based Effective Perinatal Intensive Care in Europe (EPICE) cohort of births before 32 weeks' gestation in 11 European countries. Read More

Poult Sci 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.

Calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) are essential minerals involved in many biological processes including bone development and mineralization. Plasma concentration of both minerals is tightly regulated, and Ca and P homeostasis is maintained via intestinal absorption, bone storage and exchange, and renal reabsorption. In the current broiler production systems, chicks are deprived of food and water for up to 72 h due to uneven hatching, hatchery procedures, and transportation time to farms. Read More

Int J Epidemiol 2018 Nov 30. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Clinical and Population Health, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia.

Background: In Australia's Northern Territory, 33% of babies are born to Indigenous mothers, who experience high rates of hyperglycemia in pregnancy. We aimed to determine the extent to which pregnancy outcomes for Indigenous Australian women are explained by relative frequencies of diabetes type [type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and gestational diabetes (GDM)].

Methods: This prospective birth cohort study examined participants recruited from a hyperglycemia in pregnancy register. Read More

PLoS One 2018 3;13(12):e0207952. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

FutureNeuro Research Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.

MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNA that regulate gene expression at a post-transcriptional level. MicroRNAs have been identified in various body fluids under normal conditions and their stability as well as their dysregulation in disease has led to ongoing interest in their diagnostic and prognostic potential. Circulating microRNAs may be valuable predictors of early-life complications such as birth asphyxia or neonatal seizures but there are relatively few data on microRNA content in plasma from healthy babies. Read More

J Vis Exp 2018 Nov 14(141). Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University; Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center;

The goal of this protocol is to isolate oxytocin-receptor rich brain nuclei in the neonatal brain before and after first colostrum feeding. The expression of proteins known to respond to metabolic stress was measured in brain-nuclei isolates using Western blotting. This was done to assess whether metabolic stress-induced nutrient insufficiency in the body triggered neuronal stress. Read More