Antibiotic exposure is associated with minimal gut microbiome perturbations in healthy term infants.

Background: The evolving infant gut microbiome influences host immune development and later health outcomes. Early antibiotic exposure could impact microbiome development and contribute to poor outcomes. Here, we use a prospective longitudinal birth cohort of n = 323 healthy term African American children to determine the association between antibiotic exposure and the gut microbiome through shotgun metagenomics sequencing as well as bile acid profiles through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The stepwise assembly of the neonatal virome is modulated by breastfeeding.

The gut of healthy human neonates is usually devoid of viruses at birth, but quickly becomes colonized, which-in some cases-leads to gastrointestinal disorders. Here we show that the assembly of the viral community in neonates takes place in distinct steps. Fluorescent staining of virus-like particles purified from infant meconium or early stool samples shows few or no particles, but by one month of life particle numbers increase to 10 per gram, and these numbers seem to persist throughout life.

Bacterial colonization reprograms the neonatal gut metabolome.

Initial microbial colonization and later succession in the gut of human infants are linked to health and disease later in life. The timing of the appearance of the first gut microbiome, and the consequences for the early life metabolome, are just starting to be defined. Here, we evaluated the gut microbiome, proteome and metabolome in 88 African-American newborns using faecal samples collected in the first few days of life.

Body Mass Index Is a Better Indicator of Body Composition than Weight-for-Length at Age 1 Month.

Objective: To assess whether body mass index (BMI) provides a better assessment of measured adiposity at age 1 month compared with weight-for-length (WFL).

Study Design: Participants were healthy term-born infants in the Infant Growth and Microbiome (n = 146) and the Baby Peas (n = 147) studies. Length, weight, and body composition by air displacement plethysmography were measured at 1 month.

A Social Media Peer Group for Mothers To Prevent Obesity from Infancy: The Grow2Gether Randomized Trial.

Background: Few studies have addressed obesity prevention among low-income families whose infants are at increased obesity risk. We tested a Facebook peer-group intervention for low-income mothers to foster behaviors promoting healthy infant growth.

Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 87 pregnant women (Medicaid insured, BMI ≥25 kg/m) were randomized to the Grow2Gether intervention or text message appointment reminders.

Validation of a Parent Report Questionnaire: The Infant Gastrointestinal Symptom Questionnaire.

Objective: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Infant Gastrointestinal Symptom Questionnaire (IGSQ), a tool to assess feeding tolerance in infants.

Methods: Qualitative methods were used to develop IGSQ content across 5 symptom clusters, yielding a 13-item index of parent-reported infant digestion and elimination behaviors over the prior 7 days. Classical psychometric methods evaluated factor structure, interrater and retest reliability, and validity in 4 prospective studies of 836 infants.

Association of antibiotics in infancy with early childhood obesity.

Importance: Obesity in children and adults is associated with significant health burdens, making prevention a public health imperative. Infancy may be a critical period when environmental factors exert a lasting effect on the risk for obesity; identifying modifiable factors may help to reduce this risk.

Objective: To assess the impact of antibiotics prescribed in infancy (ages 0-23 months) on obesity in early childhood (ages 24-59 months).

Effects of term infant formulas containing high sn-2 palmitate with and without oligofructose on stool composition, stool characteristics, and bifidogenicity.

Objectives: Levels of stool fatty acid soaps and beneficial bacteria differ between formula-fed and breast-fed infants; addition of specific formula ingredients may reduce these differences. This study evaluated the effects of a term infant formula containing high sn-2 palmitate term infant formula (sn-2) or an identical formula supplemented with oligofructose (OF) at 2 concentrations (sn-2+3 g/L OF, sn-2+5 g/L OF) on stool composition, stool characteristics, and fecal bifidobacteria.

Methods: Healthy, term formula-fed infants 7 to 14 days old (n = 300) were randomized in a double-blind manner to receive standard formula (control), sn-2, sn-2+3 g/L OF, or sn-2+5 g/L OF for 8 weeks.

Serum lutein concentrations in healthy term infants fed human milk or infant formula with lutein.

Background: Lutein is a carotenoid that may play a role in eye health. Human milk typically contains higher concentrations of lutein than infant formula. Preliminary data suggest there are differences in serum lutein concentrations between breastfed and formula-fed infants.

Growth failure and outcomes in infants with biliary atresia: a report from the Biliary Atresia Research Consortium.

Unlabelled: Malnutrition is a significant clinical problem in infants with biliary atresia. The natural history of poor growth and its potential association with early transplantation or death in children with biliary atresia was determined. Serial weight- and length-for-age z-scores were computed as part of a retrospective study of 100 infants who underwent hepatoportoenterostomy (HPE) for biliary atresia at 9 U.

Treatment of hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia with high-dose cyclophosphamide.

Objective: Demonstrate that high-dose cyclophosphamide (CY) is effective therapy for hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia (HAA).

Background: HAA is a sequence of seronegative hepatitis followed by aplastic anemia. Optimal treatment is matched-sibling allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT).

Parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis in neonates: multivariate analysis of the potential protective effect of taurine.

Background: Neonates receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) are at risk for PN-associated cholestasis (PNAC); however, no preventive factors for PNAC have been clearly identified. Despite reports suggesting that taurine may prevent PNAC in neonates, such an effect of taurine has not yet been definitively demonstrated. We determined whether taurine supplementation reduces the incidence of PNAC in premature or critically ill neonates.

Use of cholecystokinin-octapeptide for the prevention of parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis.

Objective: To determine whether cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK-OP) would prevent or ameliorate parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis (PNAC) among high-risk neonates treated with total parenteral nutrition.

Study Design: This was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial conducted between 1996 and 2001.

Patients: Neonates at risk for the development of PNAC included very low birth weight neonates and those with major surgical conditions involving the gastrointestinal tract.

Fractures in biliary atresia misinterpreted as child abuse.

Bone fractures in children without a history of injury are highly suspicious for child abuse. Biliary atresia is a disorder associated with metabolic bone disease, and there are numerous reports of osteopenia, rickets, and/or fractures in this population. We report 3 cases of children with biliary atresia who had bony fractures as well as osteopenia whose caretakers were investigated for child abuse.