The Directors and Executive Management Team are delighted to announce that Professor Declan Devane will join the INFANT Centre as Principal Investigator in the INFANT Team.

Exciting Expansion

Prof Devane’s joining of INFANT marks a very exciting time of expansion in the centre. Prof Louise Kenny noted, “Declan brings a wealth of experience and knowledge which will extend the research areas of our centre.  He is a leading expert in his field and we are really looking forward to working together to expand the impact that INFANT can have for maternity care”. Prof Geraldine Boylan added, “Declan has an international record of excellence in teaching and research which will greatly help us to achieve our goal of improving health outcomes for mothers and their children around the world”.

Wealth of Experience

Declan is Professor of Midwifery at NUI Galway and the Director of the Health Research Board – Trials Methodology Research Network (HRB-TMRN). Declan has a particular interest in the implementation and evaluation of models of maternity care, and on methods of fetal monitoring. He is an expert in conducting randomised trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. He has published over 110 papers including numerous Cochrane systematic reviews predominantly in the field of fetal assessment.

Meeting Global Needs

The Vice President for Research and Innovation at UCC, Professor Anita Maguire welcomed the addition of this talented researcher to the innovative INFANT Research Centre, stating: “The expertise Prof Devane is bringing to the INFANT team will further support the more rapid translation of important research to support mothers and babies, and work towards the development of solutions to unmet global needs in perinatal healthcare.”

Warm Welcome

Prof Devane noted, “I’m genuinely delighted to have the opportunity to work more closely with Louise and Geraldine and all the team at the INFANT centre. I look forward to contributing and hope I can live up to the expectations!”

The team is looking forward to working with Declan, not least because he is a World Guinness Record holder (for the longest open saltwater scuba dive in cold water……)!

We warmly welcome him to the team!

On 31 January, four of the Principal Investigators of the BASELINE Study came together in the Aula Maxima at UCC to discuss what we have learned after finishing all the 5-year assessments for the children enrolled in the study.

Downloads of the PIs presentations are available at the bottom of the page.

The aims of BASELINE were to:

• Explore the prevalence of food allergy and eczema
• Investigate maternal and neonatal Vitamin D status
• Examine the metabolic and developmental effects of IUGR
• Build a foundation for studying the cohort through childhood and into adulthood.

5 centres collaborated:

• Food and Nutritional Sciences, UCC
• Dermatology, Department of Clinical Medicine, Trinity College Dublin
• Obstetrics & Gynaecology, UCC
• Paediatrics & Child Health, College of Medicine & Health, UCC
• Neonatal Brain Research Group, UCC

The study was funded by the National Children’s Research Centre.

We are hoping to carry on the BASELINE study, and meet with the children and parents again at 10 years.

Sincere thanks to all involved: to the families and our funders for making it possible!

INFANT is delighted to be hosting the 10^th International Conference on Brain Monitoring and Neuroprotection in the Newborn, 5-7 October 2017 in Kerry, Ireland. This conference provides a state of the art forum for discussion of current research and clinical care in newborn brain monitoring and neuroprotection.

With an international faculty of leading opinion leaders, this conference provides a unique opportunity to hear brain monitoring and neuroprotection discussed comprehensively with an intersection between research and evidence-based clinical care at a time when both fields are growing rapidly. Accompanying workshops are an integral part of the conference and are designed to guide and provide a unique training experience.

Registration will be available on

http://newbornbrain2017.com/

The international conference faculty have been announced: http://newbornbrain2017.com/faculty/  Co-Chaired by our director, Prof Geraldine Boylan.

Summary

Little Book of Irish Science: 100 Things You Should Know showcases the groundbreaking research taking place in Ireland.

Read about INFANT Centre projects and innovations on pages 1, 75 and 76.

Read on ISSUU:

Bite-Sized Science

On January 25th, science took over Triskel Christchurch in Cork for the FameLab Munster Heat. FameLab is one of the biggest science communication competitions in the world. Presenters have three minutes to explain a scientific concept to their audience.

In 2016, INFANT’s own Daragh Finn claimed 3rd place in the FameLab Ireland final.

Stress and Prediction

INFANT’s speakers at event represented the diverse nature of our research. Our Young Researcher of the Year, Katie Togher, took to the stage first to explain how stress affects mothers and babies.

The next INFANT speaker, Deirdre Hayes-Ryan, gave the audience a compelling presentation titled “Pre-eclampsia: knowing is half the battle”. Finding ways to fight pre-eclampsia and keep mums safe is one of INFANT’s core research missions.

Sunshine and High Voltage

Karen O’Callaghan told a full-house at the Triskel why sunshine is so important to our wellbeing, reflecting the findings of INFANT researchers in the ODIN study.

In “Danger, Danger, High Voltage?!”, Alison O’Shea looked to dispel myths about the dangers of electricity, highlighting the key role it plays in groundbreaking scientific research.

The Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort Study; Irelands largest birth cohort study has just completed its study of children from before birth through to 5 years of age.

We wish to mark this milestone by sharing our findings with the families who have given so generously of their time, and the broader UCC community. Please join us to celebrate what we have achieved together on 31 January 2017 at 19:00 in the Aula Maxima, UCC.

Please RSVP to the event here

Our wonderful participants were recruited through their parents, before they were born. They have been followed up at many time points since then with detailed assessments of their growth, development, health, and disease.

Funded by the National Children’s Research Centre, this multi-disciplinary study aims to answer important questions regarding allergy, nutrition, growth and development in Irish children. We have already made important discoveries regarding children’s health and collected information which we hope will answer many more questions in the years to come.

Pre-eclampsia, a serious condition of late pregnancy, characterized by high blood pressure and increased protein in the urine in the second-half of pregnancy. This condition affects 5% of first time mothers and is associated with significant maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. A quarter of babies born to women with pre-eclampsia do not grow properly, and a third are born prematurely. Globally, 76,000 mothers and 500,000 infants die each year as a direct result of this condition. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 20% of the 15 million preterm births reported each year are related to pre-eclampsia. Currently there is no treatment for pre-eclampsia.

Picture Above: Mitochondria are critical metabolic signalling organelles in pre-eclampsia
The placenta is a highly metabolic organ. The central role of mitochondria is the synthesis of ATP by oxidative phosphorylation. Electrons donated from carbohydrates oxidized by TCA cycle including NADH pass through ETC and ultimately reduce O2 to form H2O. As electrons are transported a proton (H+) gradient develops across the inner mitochondrial membrane facilitating the conversion of ADP to ATP by Complex V of the ETC. Superoxide (O2−) is generated by the ETC and is converted to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which can easily diffuse through mitochondrial membranes and mediate redox signalling. Mitochondrial dysfunction leads to exaggerated O2− generation (oxidative stress) with subsequent maternal endothelial dysfunction. mtDNA is localized to the mitochondrial matrix, mtDNA can act as a DAMP and activate the maternal innate immune system.

Mitochondria are responsible for providing us with energy generated from our daily food intake. Mitochondria are abundant in the placenta to cope with the increased energy demands during pregnancy. However, this process is complex and if it fails, it causes an increase in the production of the byproducts of the energy generating mitochondrial network called reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can be stressful to our bodies, i.e. oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress (increase in ROS) can increase inflammation, damage the mother’s blood vessels leading to elevated blood pressure, symptoms which are very evident in women with pre-eclampsia. Furthermore, inflammation and high blood pressure are also characteristic of conditions like heart disease; in fact pre-eclampsia is an independent risk factor for future cardiovascular events. We hypothesize that disruption of mitochondrial function (i.e. mitochondrial dysfunction) is responsible for oxidative damage, which leads to the development of pre-eclampsia. Furthermore we have generated preliminary data, which links mitochondrial dysfunction with pre-eclampsia.

Antioxidants (vitamins) found in vegetables and fruit can indirectly protect mitochondria. However, previous antioxidant vitamin trials have been unsuccessful in treating pre-eclampsia. Specifically, we believe that these trials failed because these nutraceuticals didn’t reach the intracellular source and location of ROS, namely the mitochondria; hence they failed to prevent ROS-mediated damage. We propose that mitochondrial-targeted antioxidants will prevent mitochondrial dysfunction and reduce production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, (mROS), maintaining a healthy placental environment and consequently alleviating the clinical characteristics of pre-eclampsia. We hypothesize that mitochondrial-targeted antioxidants will become an entirely novel therapeutic target for pre-eclampsia and help reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.

Cathal McCarthy
Published on Atlas of Science 22 Dec 2016

Original Journal Article available here.

Low Deficiency

INFANT researchers have shown that Vitamin D deficiency is low in Irish toddlers. In comparision with figures for Irish adults, a small percentage of two year olds are deficient.

However, the study shows that Vitamin D intake remains lower than international recommendations.

Low Intake

The average vitamin D intake was 3.5 µg per day. 96% of children were found to have a vitamin D intake of under 10 µg per day. This value of 10 µg per day is the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) proposed by the IOM in the United States and Canada. 10 µg per day is also the Safe Intake value proposed by SACN in the UK for children aged 1 to < 4 years. Children who did not consume food fortified with vitamin D or vitamin D supplements had the lowest intakes (~1 µg per day).

Winter Months

There was a high prevalence of low vitamin D status during the winter months (November-April), especially among children who did not consume vitamin D-fortified foods or nutritional supplements.

Better Research

The study notes that dietary strategies are needed to increase the intake of Vitamin D for this age group. With this in mind, INFANT researchers suggest that advice on Vitamin D intake should be based on dose-response randomised control trials. These trials would help make dietary advice for toddlers more consistent.

On 12 Dec, the Irish Times published an opinion article entitled “Ireland’s Maternity Services: An Ongoing Horror Story”

In response, 26 female Obstetricians & Gynaecologists came together, writing letters to the Irish Times about the woman-centered care they deliver and defending the maternity services.

At the same time, a campaign began on Twitter to give examples of how #wearedelivering care to mothers and babies in Ireland.

Looking at a snapshot of the tweets from a few days after it began, 200,000 twitter accounts had been reached, with over 500 tweets every day. Users are contributing across Ireland and as far as the United States and Australia.

Approx 90% of contributors are women: they are leading the conversation on the maternity services, how to improve the incredible breadth of services, and tell of women’s experience of the service: both good and bad.

Other hashtags have grown from the discussion, notably #IrishMatExp, #ibirthed and #thankstomyHCPs – the conversation has begun.

We are very supportive of this as conversation: it is what brings about change. Women need to be empowered to speak and be heard: the services should reflect what they need and also what they want.

We at Infant care deeply about mothers and babies. We are working to provide evidence-based research that will bring about change, help mothers in their pregnancies and improve outcomes for all.

Our researchers are, and work alongside, the HCP staff in CUMH. #wearedelivering care to mothers and the littlest patients.  We are proud of our work and are hugely and sincerely grateful to the mothers and babies we work with.

#wearedelivering for them.

#wearedelivering together.