Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Prenatal Opioid Exposure And Intermittent Hypoxemia In Preterm Infants: A Retrospective Assessment, Elie G. Abu Jawdeh, Philip M. Westgate, Amrita Pant, Audra L. Stacy, Divya Mamilla, Aayush Gabrani, Abhijit R. Patwardhan, Henrietta S. Bada, Peter J. Giannone

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Introduction: Intermittent hypoxemia (IH) is defined as episodic drops in oxygen saturation (SpO₂). Preterm infants are at increased risk for IH due to their immature respiratory control/apnea of prematurity. The clinical relevance of IH is a relatively new observation with rising evidence linking IH to neonatal morbidities and long-term impairment. Hence, assessing factors that influence IH in preterm infants is imperative. Given the epidemic of opioid misuse in the USA, there is an urgent need to understand the impact of prenatal opioid exposure on neonatal outcomes. Hence, we wanted to assess the relationship between isolated prenatal opioid exposure …

Plasma Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels In Newborn Infants With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Lochan Subedi, Hong Huang, Amrita Pant, Philip M. Westgate, Henrietta S. Bada, John A. Bauer, Peter J. Giannone, Thitinart Sithisarn

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a type of growth factor that promotes growth and survival of neurons. Fetal exposure to opiates can lead to postnatal withdrawal syndrome, which is referred as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Preclinical and clinical studies have shown an association between opiates exposure and alteration in BDNF expression in the brain and serum levels in adult. However, to date, there are no data available on the effects of opiate exposure on BDNF levels in infant who are exposed to opiates in utero and whether BDNF level may correlate with the severity of NAS.

Objective: To compare …

Increased Birth Weight Is Associated With Altered Gene Expression In Neonatal Foreskin, Leryn J. Reynolds, Rebecca I. Pollack, Richard J. Charnigo, Cetewayo S. Rashid, Arnold J. Stromberg, Shu Shen, John O'Brien, Kevin J. Pearson

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Elevated birth weight is linked to glucose intolerance and obesity health-related complications later in life. No studies have examined if infant birth weight is associated with gene expression markers of obesity and inflammation in a tissue that comes directly from the infant following birth. We evaluated the association between birth weight and gene expression on fetal programming of obesity. Foreskin samples were collected following circumcision, and gene expression analyzed comparing the 15% greatest birth weight infants (n = 7) v. the remainder of the cohort (n = 40). Multivariate linear regression models were fit to relate expression levels on differentially …

The Effects Of Perinatal Oxycodone Exposure On Behavioral Outcome In A Rodent Model, Thitinart Sithisarn, Sandra J. Legan, Philip M. Westgate, Melinda E. Wilson, Kristen Wellmann, Henrietta S. Bada, Susan Barron

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Opiate addiction is now a major public health problem. Perinatal insults and exposure to opiates such as morphine in utero are well known to affect development of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis of the offspring adversely and are associated with a higher risk of developing neurobehavioral problems. Oxycodone is now one of the most frequently abused pain killers during pregnancy; however, limited data are available regarding whether and how perinatal oxycodone exposure (POE) alters neurobehavioral outcomes of the offspring. We demonstrated that exposure to 0.5 mg/kg/day oxycodone in utero was associated with hyperactivity in adult rats in an open field. No significant …

Promotion Of Early Pediatric Hearing Detection Through Patient Navigation, Matthew L. Bush

Theses and Dissertations--Clinical and Translational Science

Congenital hearing loss is the most common neonatal sensory disorder and it is crucial to diagnose hearing loss as soon as possible after birth in order to facilitate rapid treatment. Universal standards of infant hearing healthcare dictate that infant hearing screening should be completed by one month of age and abnormal screening tests should be followed with definitive audiological testing by three months of age. Obtaining diagnostic testing can be complicated by limited access to care in rural areas, breakdowns in communication, lack of parental support, and poor coordination of care. There is no established method to address appointment non-adherence …