Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 27, 2026

Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
06:27

Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates

Published on: December 31, 2015

8.5K

Associations between preterm infant stress, epigenetic alteration, telomere length and neurodevelopmental outcomes: A

Sharon G Casavant1, Xiaomei Cong2, James Moore3

  • 1School of Nursing, University of Connecticut, 231 Glenbrook Road, U-2026, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, The Hospital of Central Connecticut, 100 Grand Street, New Britain, CT 06052, USA.

Early Human Development
|March 15, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Preterm infants in the NICU experience stress, potentially causing epigenetic changes and telomere erosion. Understanding these effects can help prevent long-term neurodevelopmental issues in premature babies.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Epigenetics
  • Developmental biology

Background:

  • Approximately 15 million babies are born preterm globally each year.
  • Preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) undergo repeated stressful and painful procedures.
  • Preterm birth is linked to neurodevelopmental disorders like cerebral palsy, cognitive impairment, autism, and psychiatric diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify epigenetic alterations and telomere erosion in preterm infants.
  • To understand the long-term outcomes of NICU-related stress in premature infants.
  • To aid in early detection and prevention of negative effects from cumulative stressful experiences.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standards.
  • Searches conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, SCOPUS, and PsychInfo databases.
  • Synthesis of findings from 21 included studies.

Main Results:

  • Several potential epigenetic markers were identified in preterm infants.
  • Limited studies investigated telomere length in this population.
  • Disease and therapeutic interventions may increase infant allostatic load.

Conclusions:

  • Further research is needed to fully understand epigenetic alterations and telomere erosion in preterm infants.
  • Future studies should include human research and analysis of large datasets.
  • Addressing the impact of NICU stress on epigenetic modifications and telomere length is crucial for improving long-term outcomes.
Abstract

Keywords:
EpigeneticsNICUPreterm infantsStressTelomere

More Related Videos

Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs08:58

Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs

Published on: October 31, 2025

587
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting14:43

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

12.6K

Related Concept Videos

Epigenetic Regulation01:46

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
33.7K
Epigenetic Regulation01:37

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
X-chromosome...
3.9K
Telomeres and Telomerase02:41

Telomeres and Telomerase

In eukaryotic DNA replication, a single-stranded DNA fragment remains at the end of a chromosome after the removal of the final primer. This section of DNA cannot be replicated in the same manner as the rest of the strand because there is no 3’ end to which the newly synthesized DNA can attach. This non-replicated fragment results in gradual loss of the chromosomal DNA during each cell duplication. Additionally, it can induce a DNA damage response by enzymes that recognize single-stranded...
27.2K
Telomeres and Telomerase02:41

Telomeres and Telomerase

7.2K
Review and Preview01:10

Review and Preview

In statistics, several tools are used to interpret the data. Measures of central tendency represent the characteristics of the data, such as mean, median, and mode. Additionally, measures of variance like standard deviation and range are used to find the spread of data from the mean. Relative standing measures the distance between data locations. Commonly used measures of relative standings are percentile, z score, and quartiles.
Percentiles are a type of fractile that partition data into...
8.4K
Review and Preview01:13

Review and Preview

Data are individual items of information obtained from a population or sample. Data may be classified as qualitative (categorical), quantitative continuous, or quantitative discrete. Because it is not practical to measure the entire population in a study, researchers use samples to represent the population. A random sample is a representative group from the population chosen by using a method that gives each individual in the population an equal chance of being included in the sample. Random...
11.1K