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A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
Published on: June 24, 2020
Perinatal inflammation and infection
1Peter Congdon Neonatal Unit, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, UK. luc.cornette@leedsth.nhs.uk
Insights
Fetal and neonatal inflammation are linked to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. More research is needed to identify inflammatory risk profiles and develop new anti-inflammatory interventions for newborns.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal medicine
- Neonatology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Feto-maternal and neonatal inflammatory/infective processes are common.
- These processes are associated with neonatal morbidities like chronic lung disease and necrotising enterocolitis.
- Genetic and environmental factors modulate these inflammatory responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the relationship between perinatal inflammation and neonatal (neuro)morbidity.
- To investigate the interaction of inflammatory processes with genetic and environmental factors.
- To highlight the need for further research into preventative strategies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing evidence.
- Analysis of the link between perinatal inflammatory responses and neonatal neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- Discussion of current limitations and future research directions.
Main Results:
- No single intervention currently prevents impaired neurodevelopment following fetal/neonatal inflammation.
- A complex interplay exists between inflammatory processes, genetic, and environmental factors.
- Current evidence suggests a significant association between perinatal inflammation and neonatal neurodevelopmental issues.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need for advanced epidemiological studies with long-term follow-up.
- Future research should focus on identifying pre- and postnatal inflammatory risk profiles.
- Clarifying the relationship between inflammation markers and their temporal expression in fetal/neonatal circulation is crucial for developing novel anti-inflammatory interventions.
Abstract:
We here review the relation between feto-maternal and neonatal inflammatory/infective processes (e.g. chronic lung disease and necrotising enterocolitis) and their interaction with genetic and environmental factors. We also investigate the available evidence suggesting a link between perinatal inflammatory responses and neonatal (neuro)morbidity. Currently there does not appear to exist a silver bullet capable to prevent an impaired neurodevelopmental outcome in the event of a fetal and/or neonatal inflammatory response. A clear need thus exists for more epidemiology studies, using advanced techniques for laboratory research and neuro-imaging, with sufficiently long periods of follow-up. It is hoped that these studies will identify pre and postnatal inflammatory risk profiles, this through clarification of the relationship between inflammation markers and their expression in the fetal and neonatal circulation over time. Although such research will be complex, only then we may become successful in the development of new anti-inflammatory interventions in the newborn.
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