Neonatal Intensive Care News and Research

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Daily probiotics help prevent severe gut disease in preterm babies

Probiotic supplementation in very preterm infants is linked to lower rates of necrotizing enterocolitis and mortality, according to a nationwide Swedish study.

30 Sep 2026

Severe intestinal inflammation in preterm infants directly triggers brain damage

NEC is one of the most common and lethal gastrointestinal emergencies in preterm infants, with mortality rates ranging from 15% to 30%.

16 Sep 2026

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease research

Marcel Nelen discusses his team’s early evaluation of a new workflow for rare disease genomics.

From Illumina, Inc. 10 Sep 2026

Metformin cuts preterm birth risk among high-risk mothers

A common diabetes medication can reduce the risk of early and preterm births for mothers at high metabolic risk, according to new research led by Monash University.

26 Aug 2026

Improved indoor lighting may prevent nearsightedness in children

Research has already shown that the more time children spend playing with screens indoors instead of playing outdoors, the more likely they are to develop myopia.

18 Aug 2026

UH psychologist receives NIH grant to evaluate remote parenting program for premature infants

A University of Houston psychologist has received a $2.8 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to lead the first randomized clinical trial testing whether a remotely delivered parenting program can improve healthy infant brain development to support long-term mental health outcomes for babies born prematurely.

29 Jul 2026

New CHEST guideline outlines sleep apnea management during pregnancy

The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) recently released a new clinical guideline on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in pregnancy.

27 Jul 2026

Individualized treatment speeds recovery for babies with opioid withdrawal

A major new study shows that individualized treatment for babies born with opioid withdrawal can speed recovery and reduce time spent in the hospital.

24 Jul 2026

Study tracks school readiness and academic performance in preterm children

More than half of children (57 per cent) born before 32 weeks were not ready for school at five years of age, including in areas such as communication and language, and physical and emotional development.

14 Jul 2026

Silk patch enables painless monitoring of premature babies' health

In the neonatal intensive care unit, the most fragile patients in medicine are often the most heavily wired. Premature babies, some weighing less than a pound, can be tethered to a tangle of cables, monitors, and sensors.

9 Jul 2026

Culturally tailored midwifery care improves First Nations birth outcomes

More First Nations babies are being born healthy through a culturally tailored midwifery model of care delivered at three major maternity services in Melbourne, according to a large-scale study led by La Trobe University.

9 Jul 2026

Breast milk sugars help shape infant gut microbiota during weaning

Research from DTU and Rigshospitalet shows that sugars in breast milk play an important role in the development of the gut microbiota, during weaning or transition from breast milk to solid food.

30 Jun 2026

Longer breastfeeding links to fewer ADHD symptoms in children

Longer durations of full breastfeeding are linked to fewer ADHD symptoms in children, suggesting early feeding patterns may influence neurodevelopment.

23 Jun 2026

Nursery videos effectively educate first-time fathers on infant care

Brief videos shown in the hospital newborn nursery may be an effective way to educate first-time fathers on infant care topics, such as safe sleep, infant crying and car safety, according to a pilot study published in the journal Pediatrics Open Science.

19 Jun 2026

Noninvasive technology detects early intestinal disease in premature infants

A new noninvasive technology, called broadband optical spectroscopy (BOS), has promise to reliably detect necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants at earlier stages, before this devastating intestinal disease progresses enough to be visible on x-ray, according to a first-in-human study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago published in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery.

5 Jun 2026

Immediate kangaroo mother care boosts survival for premature infants

Preterm birth and low birth weight remain major contributors to neonatal death and long-term developmental challenges.

29 May 2026

Prenatal therapy for cystic fibrosis improves lifelong health outcomes

This Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) is highlighting a growing shift in care: starting cystic fibrosis treatment before birth to improve lifelong health outcomes and reduce hospital stays.

27 May 2026

Novel wearable ultrasound patch improves high-risk pregnancy monitoring

Current fetal monitoring tools for physicians to closely follow high-risk pregnancies are inadequate, so researchers at Stanford Medicine, the University of California San Diego and Oxford University developed a wearable ultrasound patch to monitor such pregnancies.

26 May 2026

Study uncovers overlooked crisis of paternal deaths after childbirth

It took the better part of a century for maternal mortality to be recognized, forgotten and finally recognized again as an urgent public health crisis in the United States.

4 May 2026

Maternal weight before pregnancy may shape toddlers’ development

A nationwide Korean cohort study of 258,367 mother-child pairs found that maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with developmental delay risk in children aged 18 to 36 months. Children of underweight mothers showed modest early risks that later attenuated, while obesity-related risks persisted across developmental domains.

29 Apr 2026