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Metabolomics in the developing infant

Vassilios Fanos1, Roberto Antonucci, Luigi Atzori

  • 1aDepartment of Surgery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Puericulture Institute and Neonatal Section, University of Cagliari, Cagliari bDivision of Neonatology and Pediatrics, Nostra Signora di Bonaria Hospital, San Gavino Monreale cDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.

Current Opinion in Pediatrics
|September 3, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Clinical metabolomics research in infants is growing, with recent studies focusing on conditions like prematurity and inborn errors of metabolism. Future tools promise easier clinical application for pediatric metabolomics.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal and pediatric metabolomics research.
  • Emerging applications of metabolomic analysis in infant health.

Background:

  • Limited but increasing number of neonatal and pediatric metabolomic studies compared to adults.
  • Growing interest in metabolomics for understanding infant development and disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an update on recent publications in clinical metabolomics for developing infants.
  • To highlight the expanding scope of metabolomic research in pediatrics.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent publications in neonatal and pediatric metabolomics.
  • Analysis of commonly studied fluids (urine, cord blood plasma, milk, stools).

Main Results:

  • Recent studies cover intrauterine growth restriction, prematurity, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, metabolic disorders, and nutritional metabolomics.
  • Each condition exhibits a unique metabolite profile, acting as a biological 'barcode'.
  • Urine, cord blood plasma, milk, and stools are frequently analyzed samples.

Conclusions:

  • Metabolomic analysis tools are improving, with potential for clinical integration.
  • Simplified tools like urine 'dipsticks' and integration with other 'omics' will enhance clinical decision-making.
  • Urinary metabolomics is predicted to become a key tool in pediatrics.
Abstract

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