Candidiasis in Pregnancy: Relevant Aspects of the Pathology for the Mother and the Fetus and Therapeutic Strategies.

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common condition that can lead to significant discomfort, affecting approximately 70-75% of women at least once in their lives. During pregnancy, the prevalence of VVC is estimated to be around 20%, peaking at about 30% in the third trimester, with a number of specific risk factors predisposing to yeast infection being identified and needing elucidation. This review aims to provide updated knowledge on candidiasis during pregnancy, addressing risk factors and maternal and neonatal outcomes, as well as discussing optimal therapeutic strategies to safeguard mothers and newborns.

Vitamin D Supplementation in Neonatal and Infant MIS-C Following COVID-19 Infection.

To date, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still represents a great clinical challenge worldwide, and effective anti-COVID-19 drugs are limited. For this reason, nutritional supplements have been investigated as adjuvant therapeutic approaches in disease management. Among such supplements, vitamin D has gained great interest, due to its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory actions both in adult and pediatric populations.

Effect of Lactoferrin on Clinical Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: The LAC Randomized Clinical Trial.

As lactoferrin is a nutritional supplement with proven antiviral and immunomodulatory abilities, it may be used to improve the clinical course of COVID-19. The clinical efficacy and safety of bovine lactoferrin were evaluated in the LAC randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. A total of 218 hospitalized adult patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 were randomized to receive 800 mg/die oral bovine lactoferrin (n = 113) or placebo (n = 105), both given in combination with standard COVID-19 therapy.

New strategies for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the main cause of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in newborns in the first two years of life. RSV disease has a traditional seasonal trend, with an onset and offset, duration and peak. Prematurity, male gender, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), critical congenital cardiovascular disorders (CCHD), neuromuscular diseases, congenital and inherited airways anatomical anomalies are the main risk factors for increased severity of this infection.

Fetal Brain Damage during Maternal COVID-19: Emerging Hypothesis, Mechanism, and Possible Mitigation through Maternal-Targeted Nutritional Supplementation.

The recent outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 or CoV-2) pandemic in 2019 and the risk of CoV-2 infection during pregnancy led the scientific community to investigate the potential negative effects of Coronavirus infection on pregnancy outcomes and fetal development. In particular, as CoV-2 neurotropism has been demonstrated in adults, recent studies suggested a possible risk of fetal brain damage and fetal brain development impairment, with consequent psychiatric manifestations in offspring of mothers affected by COronaVIrus Disease (COVID) during pregnancy. Through the understanding of CoV-2's pathogenesis and the pathways responsible for cell damage, along with the available data about neurotropic virus attitudes, different strategies have been suggested to lower the risk of neurologic disease in newborns.

Is Lactoferrin More Effective in Reducing Late-Onset Sepsis in Preterm Neonates Fed Formula Than in Those Receiving Mother's Own Milk? Secondary Analyses of Two Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Lactoferrin is the major antimicrobial protein in human milk. In our randomized controlled trial (RCT) of bovine lactoferrin (BLF) supplementation in preterm neonates, BLF reduced late-onset sepsis (LOS). Mother's own milk (MM) contains higher concentrations of lactoferrin than donor milk or formula, but whether BLF is more effective in infants who receive formula or donor milk is uncertain.

Restricted Palivizumab Recommendations and the Impact on RSV Hospitalizations among Infants Born at > 29 Weeks of Gestational Age: An Italian Multicenter Study.

Objective: Premature infants have the highest risk of being hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. Palivizumab is the only licensed agent for RSVhospitalization (RSVH) prophylaxis in infants born at < 35 weeks of gestational age (wGA). In 2016, the Italian Drug Agency (Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco [AIFA]) has restricted the eligibility for reimbursement to infants at high risk of RSVH, ruling out palivizumab administration for infants born at > 29 wGA.

Role of Lactoferrin in Neonates and Infants: An Update.

Lactoferrin is one of the most represented and important bioactive proteins in human and mammal milk. In humans, lactoferrin is responsible for several actions targeting anti-infective, immunological, and gastrointestinal domains in neonates, infants, and young children. Evidence-based data vouch for the ability of supplemented lactoferrin to prevent sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants and to reduce the burden of morbidity related to gastrointestinal and respiratory pathogens in young children.

Exposure to Gastric Acid Inhibitors Increases the Risk of Infection in Preterm Very Low Birth Weight Infants but Concomitant Administration of Lactoferrin Counteracts This Effect.

Objective: To investigate whether exposure to inhibitors of gastric acidity, such as H2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors, can independently increase the risk of infections in very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Study Design: This is a secondary analysis of prospectively collected data from a multicenter, randomized controlled trial of bovine lactoferrin (BLF) supplementation (with or without the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) vs placebo in prevention of late-onset sepsis (LOS) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants. Inhibitors of gastric acidity were used at the recommended dosages/schedules based on the clinical judgment of attending physicians.

Pianeta Nutrizione kids: international pediatric conference on food, physical activity, growth and well-being : Milan, Italy. 25-27 June 2015.

A1 Preterm and low birth weight nutrition in the first month life: implications for the outcome Massimo Agosti A2 Behind human milk and breastfeeding: not only food, not only growth Carlo Agostoni A3 To prevent obesity: importance and issues of cultural adaptation from weaning to 3 years of age Serge Chalons A4 Diet before and during pregnancy and child health: lessons from animal models Pascale Chavatte-Palmer A5 Infant nutrition: an opportunity to optimize future health José Manuel Moreno Villares A6 Complementary feeding strategies to facilitate acceptance of fruits and vegetables Sophie Nicklaus A7 Diet of young children in the Mediterranean region Luís Pereira-da-Silva A8 Proposal of 10 good practices to help prevent obesity in the first 1,000 days Angelo Pietrobelli, the MeNu Group A9 Macronutrient intakes in early life and subsequent risk of obesity Marie Françoise Rolland-Cachera A10 The burden of childhood obesity in Italy and the results of Nutrintake study Gian Vincenzo Zuccotti A11 Growth body composition and growth hormone therapy: linear growth Marco Cappa A12 Early nutrition pattern and late metabolic consequences Manuela Caruso-Nicoletti A13 Nutrition and Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) System Elena Inzaghi, Stefano Cianfarani A14 Nutrition of preterm infants Mario De Curtis A15 Early nutrition patterns and later metabolic outcomes- I part: Genetic and metabolic mechanisms Laura Guazzarotti A16 Diagnosis of metabolic disease by imaging techniques Lorenzo Iughetti A17 Nutrition, growth and cardiovascular diseases Francesco Chiarelli, Laura Comegna, Simone Franchini A18 Body fat mass and gender Laura Perrone, Giuseppina Rosaria Umano A19 Lifestyle interventions for an appropriate birth weight Elisabetta Petrella, Raffaele Bruno, Valentina Bertarini, Giulia Pedrielli, Isabella Neri, Fabio Facchinetti A20 Nutrition, growth and body composition Flavia Prodam A21 Nation-specific reference growth charts in the daily practice Alessandro Sartorio, John M. H. Buckler, Nicoletta Marazzi A22 Growth patterns in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and in cystic fibrosis (CF) Maria E.

Use of erythropoietin is associated with threshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm ELBW neonates: a retrospective, cohort study from two large tertiary NICUs in Italy.

Background: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a multifactorial disease with evidence of many associated risk factors. Erythropoietin has been reported to be associated with this disorder in a murine model, as well as in humans in some single-center reports. We reviewed the data from two large tertiary NICUs in Italy to test the hypothesis that the use of erythropoietin may be associated with the development of the most severe stages of ROP in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) neonates.

CMV infection associated with severe lung involvement and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) in two preterm twin neonates.

The diagnosis of congenital CMV is usually guided by a number of specific symptoms and findings. Unusual presentations may occur and diagnosis is challenging due to uncommon or rare features. Here we report the case of two preterm, extremely low birthweight, 28-week gestational age old twin neonates with CMV infection associated with severe lung involvement and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).

Prevention of nosocomial infections in neonatal intensive care units.

Neonatal sepsis causes a huge burden of morbidity and mortality and includes bloodstream, urine, cerebrospinal, peritoneal, and lung infections as well as infections starting from burns and wounds, or from any other usually sterile sites. It is associated with cytokine - and biomediator-induced disorders of respiratory, hemodynamic, and metabolic processes. Neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit feature many specific risk factors for bacterial and fungal sepsis.