Other content tagged: news research
Professor Dieter Wolke wins award for Distinguished Contributions to British Developmental Psychology
Professor Dieter Wolke from the University of Warwick receives the award for Distinguished Contributions to British Developmental Psychology. With his work Professor Wolke is doing invaluable research on how preterm birth affects brain and psychological long-term development and consequently, the quality of life of preterms. After the announcement Professor Wolke commented: “I am very delighted that I am the 2020 Distinguished Contribution to British Developmental Psychology Award winner. I have to thank my…
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RECAP preterm: the ACTION cohort
The main idea behind the Italian ACTION (ACcess To Intensive Obstetrical and Neonatal care) follow-up project was to assess the outcomes of every very preterm birth occurring in a given geographical area, as opposed to those cared for in maternities and NICUs of tertiary hospitals only, and to identify factors that could explain such outcomes and suggest possible strategies for improvement. Thus, the initial cohort recruitment in 2003-05 and collection of perinatal data up…
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New study HAPP-e is looking for participants from all over the world
Studying the health of adults born preterm is the aim of the EU-funded study HAPP-e, which has been recently launched. Focus point of HAPP-e is an electronic cohort. Researchers will follow a group of adults born preterm over a longer period of time and study the participant’s health and life conditions. Both recruitment and follow-up of will entirely be performed using digital tools, such as a web-platform. This makes the study…
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Lifeline for preterm babies – funding announced for new stem cell research
What role can stem cells play in regenerating a damaged brain caused by preterm birth? The new project PREMSTEM, in which EFCNI is taking part, researches if stem cells can be used to regenerate the brain damage caused by preterm birth. To ‘rebuild’ the damaged areas of the brain, scientists will use human mesenchymal stem cells (H-MSC) – those taken from umbilical cord tissue as opposed to human embryonic stem cells (hESC). PREMSTEM, which was launched in January, consists of…
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Retinopathy of prematurity – not only an acute condition? An interview with Professor Armin Wolf
Interview with Professor Armin Wolf, Deputy Hospital Director, Eye Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a condition that is found in the eyes of very preterm born babies. It is characterised by changes in the developing blood vessels of the retina (the light-sensitive layer in the back of the eye that sends visual signals to the brain). If detected timely, it can usually be treated and a blindness can be prevented. Still, it is a condition of the…
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Single-family rooms vs. open-bay unit: new study reveals differences in psychological well-being of parents of very preterm babies depending on type of NICU design
In a study from Norway, researchers compared depression, anxiety, stress and attachment scores in parents of very preterm babies who were accommodated either in a single-family room (SFR) or in an open-bay (OB) unit. When a child is born preterm, parents often suffer from the immediate and lengthy separation from their babies in the hospital. As our instincts are programmed to take care of our…
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Enteral nutrition: how to support growth and development of preterm and ill newborns safely
Interview with Dr Corinna Gebauer, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany If a preterm baby or a hospitalized newborn cannot be fed normally, because they are not yet able to coordinate sucking and swallowing, for instance, then enteral feeding can be a way of nutritional support. In this interview, Dr Corinna Gebauer, from the University Hospital Leipzig, Germany, shares her expertise about nutritional support for newborns and the aspect…
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Series of RECAP cohorts – part 6: Follow-up of the POPS cohort in the Netherlands
Dr Sylvia van der Pal & Professor Erik Verrips In 1983, a unique nationwide cohort of 1.338 very preterm (below 32 weeks of gestation) or VLBW (birth weight below 1500 g) infants in the Netherlands was collected and followed at several ages; the POPS (Project On Preterm and Small for gestational age infants) cohort. The studies with the POPS cohort have provided insight into how Dutch adolescents who were born very preterm or VLBW reach adulthood. …
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Applying a “living guidelines” approach to keep recommendations up to date
How can the WHO most efficiently keep its global recommendations up to date? BMJ Global Health has recently published the insightful article "Developing and applying a 'living guidelines' approach to WHO recommendations on maternal and perinatal health", describing how the WHO successfully developed and applied a ‘living guidelines’ approach to its maternal and perinatal health (MPH) recommendations, based on a systematic and continuous process of prioritisation and updating. The new dynamic approach uses an evidence-informed, consultative prioritisation process, rapid updating…
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PARCA-R: Screening of cognitive and language delay in preterm born infants
The standardisation on over 6000 infants of the PARCA-R for the screening of cognitive and language delay has just been published in the Lancet Child & Adolescence Health. 6000 infants at the age of 2 were tested in cognitive and language development. PARCA-R stands for Parent Report of Children’s Abilities-Revised. It is a parent completed questionnaire that can be used to assess children's cognitive and language development at 24 months of age. The PARCA-R is used as an outcome measure…
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