Perinatal factors influencing the earliest establishment of the infant microbiome.

While extensive research exists on the human microbiome, a number of outstanding questions remain regarding the infant microbiome in the initial stages of life. This study aimed to determine the timing of very early microbial colonization in humans, assess the contribution of maternal microbial sources to their offspring and examine the effects of perinatal factors such as delivery mode, gestational age, and feeding practices on the maternal and infant microbiota in early life. Using a cohort of 18 healthy mother-infant dyads, maternal saliva (within 24 h postpartum), vaginal (1 h prepartum), and placental (1 h postpartum) samples were collected.

Assessment of absolute abundance in mother-infant gut microbiome using marine-sourced bacterial DNA spike-in and comparison with conventional quantification methods.

To evaluate the effectiveness of marine-sourced bacterial DNA spike-in quantification for determining absolute microbial abundance in the gut microbiome of mother-infant pairs and to compare this method with conventional quantification techniques. We conducted a pilot study involving six mother-infant pairs, applying a DNA spike-in quantification method using bacterial DNA from sp. APC 3896 and sp.

Assessment of Diastolic Function during the transitional period and infancy using Serial Echocardiography in a tertiary neonatal unit (DiFuSE): a longitudinal prospective observational study protocol.

Introduction: There are structural and functional modifications that occur to the neonatal heart immediately after birth. While a number of studies recently have assessed cardiac function in the newborn, there is a dearth of data on diastolic function in the neonatal period during transition and into infancy. The objective of this study is to assess diastolic function in a large cohort of infants to provide normative reference values and to assess the influence of predefined maternal and infant characteristics.

Late-onset sepsis treatment in very preterm infants alters longitudinal microbiome trajectory with lower abundance of despite probiotic supplementation.

Introduction: Taxonomic instability within the dynamic gut microbiome of very preterm infants can be associated with various adverse outcomes. This longitudinal study was designed to follow the trajectory of microbiome composition and abundance in a cohort of probiotic supplemented very preterm infants with and without sepsis.

Methods: Stool samples ( = 180) from probiotic-supplemented participants with culture-positive sepsis ( = 8) and matched healthy controls ( = 10) were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing.

Respiratory Function Monitoring and Visual Attention in Resuscitating Term Infants: A Manikin-Based Randomised Crossover Trial.

Aim: Determine the effect of Respiratory Function Monitor (RFM) use on the time taken to provide 30 s of effective positive pressure ventilation (PPV) in a simulated newborn-term resuscitation.

Methods: Randomised crossover trial conducted at Cork University Maternity Hospital (Ireland). Participants performed two simulated manikin resuscitations with and without a RFM visible.

Addressing the Humans in the Delivery Room-Optimising Neonatal Monitoring and Decision-Making in Transition.

During the first minutes of life, complex dynamic processes occur, facilitating a normal transition to ex utero life. In healthy term infants, these processes typically occur with minimal intervention required but are often more challenging for the preterm infant. These challenges involve not only the physiological processes encountered but also an organizational process: that of a team of healthcare providers led by a neonatologist, establishing a diagnosis based on clinical and technical information and initiating time-critical and potentially life-altering interventions.

Effect of timing of umbilical cord clamping on cerebral regional tissue oxygenation: a secondary analysis of the COSGOD III trial.

Aim: To determine how different cord clamping strategies affect cerebral oxygenation in the first 15 min after birth in preterm infants.

Methods: A post-hoc secondary outcome analysis of a multicentre prospective randomised clinical trial (COSGOD III) conducted between October 2017 and October 2021 in 11 tertiary neonatal intensive care units in six countries in Europe and in Canada. In the present ancillary study, all included premature neonates (<32 weeks gestation) were retrospectively assigned to three groups according to the timing of cord clamping (G1<30 s, G2 30-60 s, G3>30 s).

Brain oxygenation monitoring during neonatal stabilization and resuscitation and its potential for improving preterm infant outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis with Bayesian analysis.

Unlabelled: Neonatal stabilization and resuscitation in preterm infants are critical interventions. Cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (CrSO2) measured with near-infrared spectroscopy monitoring offers potential benefits by providing real-time information on brain oxygenation. This systematic review aimed to determine if CrSO2-monitoring to guide neonatal resuscitation after birth can improve survival without cerebral injury.

The effect of maternal position on cerebral oxygenation in premature infants during Kangaroo care: a randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To assess whether there was an optimal maternal position (30° versus 60° incline) for kangaroo mother care.

Design: Single centre cross-over randomised controlled trial. Mothers were randomly assigned to start at either a 30° or 60° angle.

Detection of Neurovascular Coupling in Full-Term Neonates Using Wavelet Coherence and Phase-Locking Value.

This study proposes a new method to monitor neurovascular coupling and to help determine the level of brain injury in full-term neonates with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE). The wavelet coherence method is used to assess the coupling between the regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) as measured by NIRS and the lower envelope of EEG power in that region of the brain. This paper also provides methods for the visualization of the phase-locking value between these signals based on both the cross-wavelet and the Hilbert Transform methods.

Observational study protocol: the faecal microbiome in the acute stage of new-onset paediatric type 1 diabetes in an Irish cohort.

Introduction: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune-mediated disorder caused by the destruction of pancreatic beta cells. Although there is an underlying genetic predisposition to developing T1D, the trigger is multifactorial and likely includes environmental factors. The intestinal microbiome has been identified as one such factor.

Outcomes of extremely preterm infants who participated in a randomised trial of dopamine for treatment of hypotension (the HIP trial) at 2 years corrected age.

Objective: To determine survival and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the Hypotension in Preterm (HIP) trial.

Design: Prospective follow-up of infants enrolled in randomised controlled trial.

Participants: 58 infants born before 28 weeks of gestation with low mean arterial blood pressure.

RNAi library screening reveals Gβ1, Casein Kinase 2 and ICAP-1 as novel regulators of LFA-1-mediated T cell polarity and migration.

The αβ integrin LFA-1 plays a key role in T-cell adhesion to the endothelial vasculature and migration into both secondary lymphoid organs and peripheral tissues via interactions with its target protein ICAM-1, but the pathways that regulate LFA-1-mediated T-cell polarity and migration are not fully understood. In this study we screened two RNAi libraries targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR)/GPCR-associated proteins and kinases in a HuT 78 T cell line model of LFA-1-stimulated T-cell migration. Based on staining of the actin cytoskeleton, multiple parameters to measure cell morphology were used to assess the contribution of 1109 genes to LFA-1-mediated T-cell polarity and migration.

Cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy guided neonatal intensive care management for the preterm infant.

Infants requiring admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are particularly vulnerable to developing brain injury. The severity of the underlying clinical conditions and the complexity of care call for continuous, cot-side, non-invasive monitoring tools. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) measures the regional tissue oxygen saturation of hemoglobin (rStO) and provides continuous information on the net-result of several factors.

Machine learning models of cerebral oxygenation (rcSO) for brain injury detection in neonates with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.

The present study was designed to test the potential utility of regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rcSO) in detecting term infants with brain injury. The study also examined whether quantitative rcSO features are associated with grade of hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE). We analysed 58 term infants with HIE (>36 weeks of gestational age) enrolled in a prospective observational study.

Somatic cell count as an indicator of subclinical mastitis and increased inflammatory response in asymptomatic lactating women.

Unlabelled: Subclinical mastitis is an asymptomatic inflammatory condition that can be difficult to define and diagnose. In the dairy industry, subclinical mastitis is diagnosed by milk somatic cell counts (SCCs) of ≥250,000 cells mL. In this pilot study, we assessed the efficacy of this index to identify human subclinical mastitis by comparing SCC levels with the inflammatory response [interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels] in 37 samples from asymptomatic and 10 clinical mastitis (CM) lactating women.

The interplay between diet and the gut microbiome: implications for health and disease.

Diet has a pivotal role in shaping the composition, function and diversity of the gut microbiome, with various diets having a profound impact on the stability, functionality and diversity of the microbial community within our gut. Understanding the profound impact of varied diets on the microbiome is crucial, as it will enable us not only to make well-informed dietary decisions for better metabolic and intestinal health, but also to prevent and slow the onset of specific diet-related diseases that stem from suboptimal diets. In this Review, we explore how geographical location affects the gut microbiome and how different diets shape its composition and function.

Neonatal blood pressure by birth weight, gestational age, and postnatal age: a systematic review.

Background: Blood pressure is a vital hemodynamic marker during the neonatal period. However, normative values are often derived from small observational studies. Understanding the normative range would help to identify ideal thresholds for intervention to treat hypotension or hypertension.