Newborn News and Research

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Safely transporting a preterm or low birth weight infant

New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics should eliminate one of the many stresses of bringing a preterm or low birth weight infant home from the hospital.

27 Apr 2009

Four babies out of every 1,000 born in Australia suffering from serious drug withdrawal symptoms

A new study by Australian researchers has found that far more babies are now being born with serious drug withdrawal symptoms.

26 Apr 2009

Early isolation linked to enhanced response to cocaine

Drug addiction affects millions of people around the world, causing numerous problems ranging from emotional and psychological difficulties to physical and health issues.

20 Apr 2009

Vaccine for Enterotoxigenic E. coli developed

A Michigan State University researcher has developed a working vaccine for a strain of E. coli that kills 2 million to 3 million children each year in the developing world.

14 Apr 2009

Discovery of gene linked to short-rib polydactyly syndrome

After 12 years of searching, UCLA scientists have tracked down the first known gene mutation responsible for a heartbreaking disorder that kills newborn babies.

1 Apr 2009

Explanation for poor infant immune response to certain vaccines

For years, researchers and physicians have known that infants' immune systems do not respond well to certain vaccines, thus the need for additional boosters as children develop.

1 Apr 2009

Childhood hearing loss more prevalent among Hispanic-American, low-income households

A new review of medical databases shows that neonatal hearing loss, already one of the most common birth disorders in the United States, is especially prevalent among Hispanic-Americans and those from low-income households, according to the April 2009 issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

1 Apr 2009

West Nile virus studies show how star-shaped brain cells cope with infection

A new study published as the cover article for the April 2009 issue of The FASEB Journal promises to give physicians new ways to reduce deadly responses to viral infections of the brain and spinal cord.

1 Apr 2009

New insights into how brain responds to viral infection

Scientists at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health have discovered that astrocytes, supportive cells in the brain that are not derived from an immune cell lineage, respond to a molecule that mimics a viral infection using cellular machinery similar to that used by classical immune cells in the blood.

1 Apr 2009

Amniotic fluid may be a new source of stem cells

For the first time, scientists have shown that amniotic fluid (the protective liquid surrounding an embryo) may be a potential new source of stem cells for therapeutic applications. The study was prepublished online on February 12, 2009, in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.

31 Mar 2009

BioMarin receives notice of allowance for Kuvan patent

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. has announced that it has received a notice from the United States Patent Office reporting allowance of claims covering once daily dosing methods for Kuvan (sapropterin dihydrochloride) in the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU).

30 Mar 2009

Mother's dental hygiene may help reduce incidence of unknown complications in pregnancy

Bacteria from a mother's mouth can be transmitted through the blood and amniotic fluid in the womb to her unborn child.

30 Mar 2009

Jaundice an unreliable method of predicting the baby's risk of hyperbilirubinemia

For hundreds of years, doctors, nurses and midwives have visually examined newborn babies for the yellowish skin tones that signify jaundice, judging that more extensive jaundice carried a greater risk of illness.

23 Mar 2009

U.S. preterm birth rate declined slightly in 2007

The nation's preterm birth rate declined slightly in 2007 – a finding that the March of Dimes hopes will prove to be the start of a new trend in improved maternal and infant health.

20 Mar 2009

Hospital newborn child practices strongly impact breastfeeding rates

Hospital practices, such as supplementing newborns with formula or water or giving them pacifiers, significantly reduce the chances that mothers who intend to exclusively breastfeed will achieve that intention, according to a new study led by a Boston University School of Public Health researcher.

20 Mar 2009