Research

Phenotypic Driven Growth Trajectories in Very Preterm Infants to Define Nutritionally Mediated Health Outcomes and Modifiable Targets

The goal of this study is to better understand the dynamic of infant nutrition, growth, and health outcomes by adopting an integrative approach that incorporates nutritional and non-nutritional factors like clinical course, social, and environmental exposures. It is widely known that early nutritional intake and growth of very preterm babies in the NICU have a positive impact on their health and neurodevelopment; but little is known about how to optimally track this growth, and the role of nutrition and its efficacy. In fact, the current practice to assess the growth of premature babies only considers physical measures like weight and length, without taking into account other physical measures, their clinical journey, and sociodemographic experience both in the NICU and after discharge.

The purpose of this study is to identify changes in the immune system of individuals who have anxiety during pregnancy and whether those changes are related to the risk for allergy in their infants. The importance of this research to public health is that it may help scientists to understand why some children have a higher risk of allergies and help us to identify biomarkers that can determine the allergy risk of infants. This research may also help us to design future studies of ways to intervene prior to birth to change the allergic risk of children. 

Almost 10 million children in the US are affected by at least one allergic disease, and the rates of allergies are rising. We know that genetic risk and environmental exposures can affect this risk for allergy, and we know that children born to individuals who are anxious in pregnancy have higher rates of allergy – but we don’t know why.

In this study, we want to examine the function of the immune systems of pregnant individuals with anxiety and determine whether any changes in immune functioning are related to markers of risk for allergy that we can identify in newborns. We will also observe your child’s eating patterns in infancy and measure additional markers of allergy when your baby is about one year old. 

Please click here to take the survey to determine your eligibility for the study.

During the third trimester of pregnancy the placenta selectively transfers fatty acids to the baby, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA). These nutrients are critical building blocks for brain and eye development and are important for proper functioning of the immune system. Preterm infants largely miss the last trimester and rely on intravenous nutrition, human milk, and formula to provide these fatty acids. However, despite these nutritional sources, preterm babies develop DHA and ARA deficiencies. As of today, we don't know the best way to improve DHA and ARA status in preterm babies.  Recently, a DHA & ARA supplement was made available. In this study, we hope to better understand how this supplement alters DHA and ARA status and how babies breakdown (or metabolize) these fatty acids.