Neuroprotective effects of maternal melatonin administration in early-onset placental insufficiency and fetal growth restriction.

Background: Early-onset fetal growth restriction (FGR) is associated with adverse outcomes. We hypothesised that maternal melatonin administration will improve fetal brain structure in FGR.

Methods: Surgery was performed on twin-bearing ewes at 88 days (0.

Predictors for low coverage of uptake of second dose of measles vaccine among children in sub-Saharan Africa, 2023: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Measles became a public health important disease in sub-Saharan Africa. World Health Organization recommended measles-containing vaccine dose 2 (MCV2) through routine service delivery. This study aims to determine coverage of second-dose measles vaccination uptake and its predictors among children aged 24-35 months in sub-Saharan Africa.

Associations between diet quality and dietary patterns and gestational diabetes mellitus in a low-risk cohort of pregnant women in Australia: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Evidence of associations between the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in pregnant women is limited. This study examined changes in MDS and DASH and dietary patterns in Australian pregnant women between early and late pregnancy and their associations with GDM.

Methods: The data from n = 284 participants were analysed.

Early Hyperoxemia and 2-year Outcomes in Infants with Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy: A Secondary Analysis of the Infant Cooling Evaluation Trial.

Objective: To determine the causal relationship between exposure to early hyperoxemia and death or major disability in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

Study Design: We analyzed data from the Infant Cooling Evaluation (ICE) trial that enrolled newborns ≥35 weeks' gestation with moderate-severe HIE, randomly allocated to hypothermia or normothermia. The primary outcome was death or major sensorineural disability at 2 years.

Associations of adherence to the DASH diet and Mediterranean diet with maternal c-reactive protein levels during pregnancy.

Background And Aims: Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) during pregnancy, a marker of inflammation, is associated with adverse outcomes. Better understanding the relationship between CRP and modifiable factors, including diet, is essential to assist early pregnancy lifestyle interventions. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet (DASH-diet) and the Mediterranean diet (MED-diet) during pregnancy with maternal plasma CRP in early and late pregnancy.

Improving the capacity of researchers and bereaved parents to co-design and translate stillbirth research together.

Background: Working with bereaved parents in co-designed stillbirth research, policy and practice is essential to improving care and outcomes.

Problem: Effective parent engagement is often lacking. This may be due to bereaved parents not feeling adequately and appropriately supported to be involved.

Assessing the influence of abdominal compression on time to return of circulation during resuscitation of asphyxiated newborn lambs: a randomised preclinical study.

Objective: During neonatal resuscitation, the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) can be achieved using epinephrine which optimises coronary perfusion by increasing diastolic pressure. Abdominal compression (AC) applied during resuscitation could potentially increase diastolic pressure and therefore help achieve ROSC. We assessed the use of AC during resuscitation of asystolic newborn lambs, with and without epinephrine.

Exerted force on the face mask in preterm infants at birth is associated with apnoea and bradycardia.

Background: During stabilisation of preterm infants at birth, a face mask is used to provide respiratory support. However, application of these masks may activate cutaneous stretch receptors of the trigeminal nerve, causing apnoea and bradycardia. This study investigated the amount of force exerted on the face mask during non-invasive ventilation of preterm infants at birth and whether the amount of exerted force is associated with apnoea and bradycardia.

Local fistula injection of allogeneic human amnion epithelial cells is safe and well tolerated in patients with refractory complex perianal Crohn's disease: a phase I open label study with long-term follow up.

Background: Local fistula injection of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSC) is effective for complex perianal Crohn's fistulas but is also expensive and requires specialised facilities for cell revival before administration. Human amnion epithelial cells (hAEC) are non-MSC cells with therapeutic properties. The primary aim of this study was safety of hAEC therapy.

Alternatives to neonatal intubation.

Opportunities to learn and maintain competence in neonatal intubation have decreased. As many clinicians providing care to the newborn infant are not skilled in intubation, alternative strategies are critical. Most preterm infants breathe spontaneously, and require stabilisation rather than resuscitation at birth.

Neuroprotective Action of Tacrolimus before and after Onset of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischaemic Brain Injury in Rats.

(1) Background: Neonatal brain injury can lead to permanent neurodevelopmental impairments. Notably, suppressing inflammatory pathways may reduce damage. To determine the role of neuroinflammation in the progression of neonatal brain injury, we investigated the effect of treating neonatal rat pups with the immunosuppressant tacrolimus at two time points: before and after hypoxic-ischaemic (HI)-induced injury.

Immunobiology of foreign body response to composite PLACL/gelatin electrospun nanofiber meshes with mesenchymal stem/stromal cells in a mouse model: Implications in pelvic floor tissue engineering and regeneration.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) is a common gynaecological disorder where pelvic organs protrude into the vagina. While transvaginal mesh surgery using non-degradable polymers was a commonly accepted treatment for POP, it has been associated with high rates of adverse events such as mesh erosion, exposure and inflammation due to serious foreign body response and therefore banned from clinical use after regulatory mandates. This study proposes a tissue engineering strategy using uterine endometrium-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (eMSC) delivered with degradable poly L-lactic acid-co-poly ε-caprolactone (PLACL) and gelatin (G) in form of a composite electrospun nanofibrous mesh (P + G nanomesh) and evaluates the immunomodulatory mechanism at the material interfaces.

Sex-Specific Effects of a Maternal Obesogenic Diet High in Fat and Sugar on Offspring Adiposity, Growth, and Behavior.

With rising rates of human obesity, this study aimed to determine the relationship between maternal diet-induced obesity, offspring morphometrics, and behavior in mice. Pregnant and lactating female mice fed a diet high in fat and sugar (HFHS) commonly consumed by human populations showed decreased food, calorie, and protein intake but increased adiposity at the expense of lean mass. The pre-weaning body weight of the HFHS offspring was reduced for the first postnatal week but not thereafter, with HFHS female offspring having higher body weights by weaning due to continuing higher fractional growth rates.

Ultra-thin electrospun nanocomposite scaffold of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate)-chitosan/magnetic mesoporous bioactive glasses for bone tissue engineering applications.

Bioglass is widely used in skeletal tissue engineering due to its outstanding bioactive properties. In the present study, magnetic mesoporous bioglass (MMBG) synthesized through the sol-gel method was incorporated into poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-chitosan (PHB-Cs) solution and the resulting electrospun nanocomposite scaffolds were investigated and compared with MMBG free scaffold. The addition of 10 wt% MMBG has an outstanding effect on producing ultra-thin electrospun nanocomposite fibers due to its magnetic content (diameter of ≃128 nm).

Mechanical ventilation induces brainstem inflammation in preterm fetal sheep.

Background: Preterm infants have immature respiratory drive and often require prolonged periods of mechanical ventilation. Prolonged mechanical ventilation induces systemic inflammation resulting in ventilation-induced brain injury, however its effect on brainstem respiratory centers is unknown. We aimed to determine the effects of 24 h of mechanical ventilation on inflammation and injury in brainstem respiratory centres of preterm fetal sheep.

Effect of telehealth-integrated antenatal care on pregnancy outcomes in Australia: an interrupted time-series analysis.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, rapid integration of telehealth into antenatal care occurred to support ongoing maternity care. A programme of this scale had not been previously implemented. We evaluated whether telehealth-integrated antenatal care in an Australian public health system could achieve pregnancy outcomes comparable to those of conventional care to assess its safety and efficacy.

Implications of maternal-fetal health on perinatal stem cell banking.

Cell based therapies are being assessed for their therapeutic potential across a variety of diseases. Gestational tissues are attractive sources for cell therapy. The large number of births worldwide ensures sufficient access to gestational tissues, however, limited information has been reported around the impact of birth trends, delivery methods and pregnancy conditions on perinatal stem cell banking.

The role of small extracellular vesicle-miRNAs in endometriosis.

Endometriosis is defined by the presence of extrauterine endometrial-like tissue, which can cause pain and infertility in 10% of reproductive-age women. To date, the pathogenesis is poorly understood resulting in significant diagnostic delays and poor therapeutic outcomes in many women. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) (<200 nm) are cell-derived vesicles containing molecules that can influence gene expression and behaviour in target cells.

Respiratory patterns in spontaneously breathing near-term lambs delivered by caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia.

Introduction: The transition to newborn life has typically been studied in intubated and mechanically ventilated newborn lambs delivered via caesarean section (CS) under general anaesthesia. As a result, little is known of the spontaneous breathing patterns in lambs at birth, particularly those at risk of developing respiratory distress (RD). We have developed a method for delivering spontaneously breathing near-term lambs to characterise their breathing patterns in the immediate newborn period.

A systematic review of immune-based interventions for perinatal neuroprotection: closing the gap between animal studies and human trials.

Background: Perinatal infection/inflammation is associated with a high risk for neurological injury and neurodevelopmental impairment after birth. Despite a growing preclinical evidence base, anti-inflammatory interventions have not been established in clinical practice, partly because of the range of potential targets. We therefore systematically reviewed preclinical studies of immunomodulation to improve neurological outcomes in the perinatal brain and assessed their therapeutic potential.

Cardiovascular decline in offspring during the perinatal period in an ovine model of fetal growth restriction.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) increases the risk cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adulthood. Placental insufficiency and subsequent chronic fetal hypoxemia are causal factors for FGR, leading to a redistribution of blood flow that prioritizes vital organs. Subclinical signs of cardiovascular dysfunction are evident in growth-restricted neonates; however, the mechanisms programming for CVD in adulthood remain unknown.

CO-Sprout-A Pilot Double-Blinded Placebo-Controlled Randomised Trial of Broccoli Sprout Powder Supplementation for Pregnant Women with COVID-19 on the Duration of COVID-19-Associated Symptoms: Study Protocol.

Since its discovery in late 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been estimated to be responsible for at least 769.3 million infections and over 6.95 million deaths.