Association of gestational day with antenatal management and the mortality and respiratory outcomes of extremely preterm infants.

Objective: Perinatal epidemiological studies and outcomes are often reported on gestational week thresholds. This study aims to quantify and investigate the association of each gestational day at birth on antenatal management, mortality and respiratory outcomes of extremely preterm infants.

Design: Retrospective cohort study using National Neonatal Research Database.

Using a novel smartphone app to track noise and vibration exposure during neonatal ambulance transport.

Objective: To assess the utility of a bespoke smartphone app to map noise and vibration exposure across neonatal road ambulance journeys.

Design And Setting: Prospective observational study of ambulance journeys across a large UK neonatal transport service. Smartphones, with an in-house developed app, were secured to incubator trolleys to collect vibration and noise data for comparison with international standards.

Enhanced Infant Movement Analysis Using Transformer-Based Fusion of Diverse Video Features for Neurodevelopmental Monitoring.

Neurodevelopment is a highly intricate process, and early detection of abnormalities is critical for optimizing outcomes through timely intervention. Accurate and cost-effective diagnostic methods for neurological disorders, particularly in infants, remain a significant challenge due to the heterogeneity of data and the variability in neurodevelopmental conditions. This study recruited twelve parent-infant pairs, with infants aged 3 to 12 months.

Quantifying the impact of centralised neonatal care following interhospital transfer of preterm infants on families.

Aim: Evaluate the additional burden of centralised neonatal care on families of extremely preterm infants cared for away from their planned hospital of birth.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study using national data for infants 23 to 27 weeks of gestation admitted for neonatal care from 2011 to 2016. The number of transfers on the first day of life (potential maternal-infant separation), time away from the maternal booking hospital (BH) and distance from the maternal residence were quantified.

The efficacy and functional consequences of interactions between human spermatozoa and seminal fluid extracellular vesicles.

Abstract: Seminal fluid extracellular vesicles (SFEVs) have previously been shown to interact with spermatozoa and influence their fertilisation capacity. Here, we sought to extend these studies by exploring the functional consequences of SFEV interactions with human spermatozoa. SFEVs were isolated from the seminal fluid of normozoospermic donors prior to assessing the kinetics of sperm-SFEV binding in vitro, as well as the effects of these interactions on sperm capacitation, acrosomal exocytosis, and motility profile.

Identifying neonatal transport research priorities: a modified Delphi consensus.

Objectives: With increasing advances in neonatal transport, a focused research strategy is required to increase the evidence base towards providing optimal care. We aimed to identify the most important neonatal transport research questions as prioritised by parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs).

Design: Key stakeholders participated in a modified three-stage Delphi consensus process.

A disrupted FOXP3 transcriptional signature underpins systemic regulatory T cell insufficiency in early pregnancy failure.

Regulatory T (Treg) cell defects are implicated in disorders of embryo implantation and placental development, but the origins of Treg cell dysfunction are unknown. Here, we comprehensively analyzed the phenotypes and transcriptional profile of peripheral blood Treg cells in individuals with early pregnancy failure (EPF). Compared to fertile subjects, EPF subjects had 32% fewer total Treg cells and 54% fewer CD45RACCR7 naive Treg cells among CD4 T cells, an altered Treg cell phenotype with reduced transcription factor FOXP3 and suppressive marker CTLA4 expression, and lower Treg:Th1 and Treg:Th17 ratios.

Tracking national neonatal transport activity and metrics using the UK Neonatal Transport Group dataset 2012-2021: a narrative review.

There are no internationally agreed descriptors for categories of neonatal transports which facilitate comparisons between settings. To continually review and enhance neonatal transport care we need robust categories to develop benchmarks. This review aimed to report on the development and application of key measures across a national neonatal transport service.

Assessing the influence of preconception diet on male fertility: a systematic scoping review.

Background: The last decade has seen increased research on the relationship between diet and male fertility, but there are no clearly defined nutritional recommendations for men in the preconception period to support clinical fertility outcomes.

Objective And Rationale: The purpose of this scoping review is to examine the extent and range of research undertaken to evaluate the effect(s) of diet in the preconception period on male clinical fertility and reproductive outcomes.

Search Methods: Four electronic databases (MEDLINE and EMBASE via Ovid, CAB Direct, and CINAHL via EBSCO) were searched from inception to July 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies (prospective/retrospective, case-control, and cross-sectional).

surviveR: a flexible shiny application for patient survival analysis.

Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival analyses based on complex patient categorization due to the burgeoning volumes of genomic, molecular and phenotypic data, are an increasingly important aspect of the biomedical researcher's toolkit. Commercial statistics and graphing packages for such analyses are functionally limited, whereas open-source tools have a high barrier-to-entry in terms of understanding of methodologies and computational expertise. We developed surviveR to address this unmet need for a survival analysis tool that can enable users with limited computational expertise to conduct routine but complex analyses.

Characteristics and outcomes of neonates hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the UK by variant: a prospective national cohort study.

Objective: Neonatal infection with wildtype SARS-CoV-2 is rare and good outcomes predominate. We investigated neonatal outcomes using national population-level data to describe the impact of different SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Design: Prospective population-based cohort study.

Association between opioid use during mechanical ventilation in preterm infants and evidence of brain injury: a propensity score-matched cohort study.

Background: Preterm infants often require mechanical ventilation (MV), which can be a painful experience. Opioids (such as morphine) are used to provide analgesia, despite conflicting evidence about their impact on the developing brain. We aimed to quantify the use of opioids during MV in infants born at <32 weeks' gestational age and to investigate the association between opioid use and evidence of brain injury.

The critical role of technologies in neonatal care.

Neonatal care has made significant advances in the last few decades. As a result, mortality and morbidity in high-risk infants, such as extremely preterm infants or those infants with birth-related brain injury, has reduced significantly. Many of these advances have been facilitated or delivered through development of medical technologies allowing clinical teams to be better supported with the care they deliver or provide new therapies and diagnostics to improve management.

Wafer-scale organic-on-III-V monolithic heterogeneous integration for active-matrix micro-LED displays.

The organic thin-film transistor is advantageous for monolithic three-dimensional integration attributed to low temperature and facile solution processing. However, the electrical properties of solution deposited organic semiconductor channels are very sensitive to the substrate surface and processing conditions. An organic-last integration technology is developed for wafer-scale heterogeneous integration of a multi-layer organic material stack from solution onto the non-even substrate surface of a III-V micro light emitting diode plane.

Respiratory management and outcomes in high-risk preterm infants with development of a population outcome dashboard.

Introduction: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is associated with adverse long-term respiratory and neurodevelopmental outcomes. No recent studies examined the changing respiratory management and outcomes, particularly severe BPD, across a whole population.

Purpose: Evaluate the temporal trends in the respiratory management and outcomes of preterm infants born below 32 weeks gestational age and develop an individualised dashboard of the incidence of neonatal outcome.

Impact of postnatal dexamethasone timing on preterm mortality and bronchopulmonary dysplasia: a propensity score analysis.

Background: Postnatal dexamethasone (PND) is used in high-risk preterm infants after the first week of life to facilitate extubation and prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) but the optimal treatment timing remains unclear. Our objective was to explore the association between the timing of PND commencement and mortality and respiratory outcomes.

Methods: This was a retrospective National Neonatal Research Database study of 84 440 premature infants born <32 weeks gestational age from 2010 to 2020 in England and Wales.

The Classification of Movement in Infants for the Autonomous Monitoring of Neurological Development.

Neurodevelopmental delay following extremely preterm birth or birth asphyxia is common but diagnosis is often delayed as early milder signs are not recognised by parents or clinicians. Early interventions have been shown to improve outcomes. Automation of diagnosis and monitoring of neurological disorders using non-invasive, cost effective methods within a patient's home could improve accessibility to testing.

Regulatory T cells are paramount effectors in progesterone regulation of embryo implantation and fetal growth.

Progesterone (P4) is essential for embryo implantation, but the extent to which the pro-gestational effects of P4 depend on the maternal immune compartment is unknown. Here, we investigate whether regulatory T cells (Treg cells) act to mediate luteal phase P4 effects on uterine receptivity in mice. P4 antagonist RU486 administered to mice on days 0.

Forehead monitoring of heart rate in neonatal intensive care.

Heart rate is an extremely important physiological parameter to measure in critically unwell infants, as it is the main physiological marker that changes in response to a change in infant condition. Heart rate is routinely measured peripherally on a limb with a pulse oximeter. However, when infants are critically unwell, the blood supply to these peripheries is reduced in preference for central perfusion of vital organs such as the brain and heart.

Neonatal outcomes of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in the UK: a prospective cohort study using active surveillance.

Background: Newborns may be affected by maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. We aimed to describe the epidemiology, clinical course and short-term outcomes of babies admitted to a neonatal unit (NNU) following birth to a mother with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection within 7 days of birth.

Methods: This is a UK prospective cohort study; all NHS NNUs, 1 March 2020 to 31 August 2020.

Immune regulatory cytokines in seminal plasma of healthy men: A scoping review and analysis of variance.

Objective: Seminal plasma cytokines are associated with fertility and reproductive health, but progressing their clinical utility is hampered by absence of reference data on concentration ranges of relevant cytokines in healthy men. We employed a systematic approach to assemble current evidence on the concentrations of immune regulatory cytokines present in seminal plasma (SP) of normozoospermic and/or fertile men and evaluated the impact of different platform methodologies for cytokine quantification.

Evidence Review: A systematic literature search was performed utilising PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus.

Observational cohort study of use of caffeine in preterm infants and association between early caffeine use and neonatal outcomes.

Objective: To quantify trends in caffeine use in infants born at <32 weeks' gestational age (GA), and to investigate the effects of early vs late caffeine on neonatal outcomes.

Study Design: Retrospective propensity score matched cohort study using routinely recorded data from the National Neonatal Research Database of infants born at <32 weeks' GA admitted to neonatal units in England and Wales (2012-2020).

Results: 89% (58 913/66 081) of infants received caffeine.