Neonatology News and Research

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Social, emotional factors may raise risk of postpartum depression in mothers of preterm infants

Postpartum depression is the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting up to 15 percent of all women within the first three months following delivery.

14 Sep 2016

Experts develop urine-based method to diagnose conditions in newborn babies

Experts from the V. I. Kulakov Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have devised a method that uses the urinary proteome to diagnose conditions in newborn babies.

9 Sep 2016

CHORI scientists reveal improved protective antibody responses to new meningococcal vaccine

A study conducted by UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute scientists shows greatly improved protective antibody responses to a new mutant vaccine antigen for prevention of disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis - also known as meningococcus - that has the potential to improve the current vaccines for meningitis.

9 Sep 2016

Smartphone application may be feasible, effective sexual health education tool for teenage girls

Across the globe, there is increased focus on developing interventions related to comprehensive sexual health education for adolescents, with the ultimate goal of combatting unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

8 Sep 2016

Clinics with comprehensive care for premature infants alleviate concerns for parents

On January 24, 2013, Iris Vega-Figueroa's life changed completely. That's the day she gave birth to her twin girls, Iris and Geraldine. The twins were monoamniotic-monochorionic, meaning they shared one amniotic sack and one placenta in the womb. These rare pregnancies are considered high risk because of the uneven blood flow that occurs between the infants through the placenta.

8 Aug 2016

Disordered airway microbiome at birth may be linked to severe neonatal lung disease

In contrast to the general belief that the airways of an infant are sterile until after birth, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers and colleagues have found that the infant airway is already colonized with bacteria or bacterial DNA when a baby is born -- and this is true for infants born as early as 24 weeks gestation.

5 Aug 2016

UAB receives NIH grants in three perinatal networks to improve maternal and infant health

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is the only university to be awarded grants in all three perinatal networks from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to improve maternal and infant health.

20 Jul 2016

Researchers reveal novel mechanism by which viral protein VII suppresses immune alarm signals

Viruses must avoid a host's immune system to establish successful infections—and scientists have discovered another tool that viruses use to frustrate host defenses.

30 Jun 2016

High levels of zinc may lead to kidney stone formation

David Killilea, PhD, a staff scientist at Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute- the research arm of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland - co-authored a study into the causes of kidney stones.

28 Jun 2016

Late-term gestation may increase cognitive ability, physical disability risk in children

Researchers have found that spending a week longer in the womb may give babies a tiny leg up on cognitive ability. The trade-off, however, seems to be a slight increase in the chance of having a physical disability.

8 Jun 2016

Innovative technology in NICU can predict risk of major infections in premature or critically ill babies

A new technology in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at UC San Diego Health is able to predict the risk of life-threatening infections up to 24 hours before they appear in severely premature or critically ill infants. Infection is the leading cause of death in this fragile patient population.

11 May 2016

MII-pH can help doctors confirm diagnosis of GERD in newborns before treatment

Millions of Americans currently use medication for their indigestion and reflux, so it may come as no surprise that parents and doctors also prescribe medicine for newborns with reflux. However, according to a new study, newborns are likely being over treated the majority of the time with interventions - including surgery - that have risks for the infant.

3 May 2016

Acid suppression drugs frequently prescribed for high-risk newborns, study shows

Since 2006, several published studies have associated the use of some acid suppression medications in hospitalized high-risk babies with infections, necrotizing enterocolitis and increased risk of death. Those medications - histamine-2 receptor antagonists, such as ranitidine (Zantac and others), and proton pump inhibitors, such as esomeprazole (Nexium and others) - were originally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in adults and older children.

27 Apr 2016

Study shows preterm born individuals at risk of lower health-related quality of life

Parents of very premature babies are more worried about their grown up children's lives than mothers and fathers whose babies were born full term.

25 Mar 2016

FDA announces required class-wide safety labeling changes for IR opioid pain medications

In a continuing effort to educate prescribers and patients about the potential risks related to opioid use, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced required class-wide safety labeling changes for immediate-release (IR) opioid pain medications. Among the changes, the FDA is requiring a new boxed warning about the serious risks of misuse, abuse, addiction, overdose and death.

23 Mar 2016

Steroid use in late preterm delivery can reduce rate of neonatal respiratory complications

Current recommendations are for all women who go into labor prior to 34 weeks gestation to be given antenatal corticosteroids (betamethasone) to help mature the baby's lungs. However, many babies born in the late preterm period - between 34 and 36 weeks gestation - require respiratory support at birth.

4 Mar 2016

Study demonstrating link between anal cancer and HPV infection published in Obstetrics & Gynecology

Researchers at Women & Infants Hospital, a Care New England hospital, recently published the results of a study demonstrating a connection between anal cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

18 Feb 2016

Study finds gender differences in scholarly productivity among academic gynecologic oncologists

The differences between men and women seem to infiltrate yet another aspect of medicine with a study spearheaded at Women & Infants Hospital, a Care New England hospital, indicating that younger female gynecologic oncologists were less productive scholastically and, therefore, poorly represented in the higher academic ranks, than their male contemporaries.

18 Feb 2016

Researchers reveal inherited genetic mutations associated with ovarian cancer risk

Previous research has established a link between genetic mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes to an increased risk of developing ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer in women.

11 Feb 2016

Post-term deliveries associated with increased short-term risks to newborns

While pregnancy is considered full-term at 40 weeks, only some 5 percent of women actually give birth on their predetermined due date. Most OBGYNs recommend more frequent and more vigilant monitoring after 40 weeks and sometimes the artificial induction of labor. But many pregnant women refuse induction due to the risk of stress to the fetus or increased likelihood of requiring a caesarean section.

20 Jan 2016