Applications of Metabolomics and Lipidomics in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

The metabolome and lipidome comprise the thousands of molecular compounds in an organism. Molecular compounds consist of the upstream metabolic components of intracellular reactions or the byproducts of cellular pathways. Molecular and biochemical perturbations are associated with disorders in newborns and infants. The diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism has relied on targeted metabolomics for several decades. Newer approaches offer the potential to identify novel biomarkers for common diseases of the newborn and infant. They may also elucidate novel predictive or diagnostic measures for a variety of health trajectories. Here, we review the relevance of the metabolome and lipidome for common disorders and highlight challenges and opportunities for future investigations.