Nursing Boosts Metabolites Important for Brain Development

Nursing boosts metabolites important for brain development A team at Children's National used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a non-invasive imaging technique that describes the chemical composition of specific brain structures, to measure metabolites that may play a critical role for growth and explain what makes nursing beneficial. The research-clinicians enrolled babies who were very low birthweight (less than 1,500 grams) and 32 weeks gestational age or younger at birth when they were admitted to Children’s neonatal intensive care unit in the first week of life. The team gathered data from the right frontal white matter and the cerebellum – a brain region that enables people to maintain balance and proper muscle coordination and that supports high-order cognitive functions.

To understand the preterm brain, start with the fetal brain According to Nickie Andescavage, M.D., in order to improve neonatal outcomes, we need to transform our current clinical paradigms to begin treatment in the intrauterine period and continue care through the perinatal transition through strong collaborations with obstetricians and fetal-medicine specialists. Placental function linked to brain injuries associated with autism Allopregnanolone, a hormone made by the placenta late in pregnancy, is such a potent neurosteroid that disrupting its steady supply to the developing fetus can leave it vulnerable to brain injuries associated with autism spectrum disorder, according to research led by Claire-Marie Vacher, Ph.D. Early lipids in micropreemies’ diets can boost brain growth New research shows that dietary lipids, already an important source of energy for tiny preemies, also provide a much-needed brain boost by significantly increasing global brain volume as well as increasing volume in regions involved in motor activities and memory. Parents of older, healthier newborns with less social support less resilient Researchers at Children's National have found that parents of older, healthier newborns who had less social support were less resilient during their child’s hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit. This correlates with more symptoms of depression and anxiety.

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