INFANT Centre News

Thursday 02 June 2016 The directors and Executive Management Team are delighted to announce Dr Keelin O’Donoghue and Prof Jonathan Hourihane will join the INFANT Centre as Principal Investigators. Dr O’Donoghue and Prof Hourihane’s addition to the PI team is a very exciting time for INFANT. Prof Louise Kenny noted, “both Keelin and Jonathan bring a wealth of experience and knowledge which will extend the research areas of our centre. They are experts in their fields and we are really looking forward to working together to expand the impact that INFANT can have”. Prof Geraldine Boylan added that “the appointment of these PIs will help INFANT gain even more momentum as a world-leading research centre and will further our goal of improving health outcomes for mothers and their children”. The Vice President for Research and Innovation at UCC, Professor Anita Maguire welcomed the addition of these talented researchers to the innovative INFANT Research Centre, stating: “The complementary expertise these researchers bring to the INFANT team will further support the more rapid translation of important research to the cot-side, and support the development of solutions to unmet global needs in perinatal healthcare.” Keelin O’Donoghue heads the multi-disciplinary pregnancy loss research group at CUMH. She is an RCOG sub-specialist in maternal and fetal medicine. She established and leads the multiple pregnancy, fetal medicine and pregnancy loss services at CUMH, and is part [...]

Wednesday 16 March 2016 The research found that children as young as one regularly use touchscreen devices, with most toddlers handling them competently by the age of two. Instead of being unhealthy for a child, time on touchscreen devices is not dissimilar to traditional forms of interactive play. The study found that 82 per cent of parents owned a smart device and 87 per cent of them let their child play with it. Actions such as swiping, unlocking or searching on smartphones and tablets were skills possessed by the majority of children.  Half of parents said their child could unlock the screen, 91  per cent could swipe and 64 per cent could search for features. The report, published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, said: “Interactive touchscreen applications offer a level of engagement not previously experienced with other forms of media and are more akin to traditional play. This opens up the potential… for both assessment of development and early intervention in high-risk children.”

Tuesday 19 January 2016 Researchers and Clinicians from University College Cork (UCC) have contributed to the Lancet Stillbirth Series: Ending Preventable Stillbirths, launched globally on 19 January 2016 and published in the prestigious medical journal.  This series builds on the original Lancet Stillbirths Series published in 2011, reviews where international progress has and has not been made, and shows what steps should be done to end preventable stillbirths by 2030. Keelin O’Donoghue, Consultant Obstetrician, and Daniel Nuzum, Healthcare Chaplain, both from the Pregnancy Loss Research Group at UCC, are among the co-authors of one of the five seminal papers in the Series.  Formed in 2012, the Pregnancy Loss Research Group led by Dr O’Donoghue is based at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology UCC and Cork University Maternity Hospital. Other group members Margaret Murphy and Sarah Meaney formed part of the Lancet Stillbirths High Income Countries Investigator Group that contributed to another of the Series papers. The group are among 216 authors and advisors from more than 40 countries who have contributed to this Lancet Stillbirth Series, and present the clearest picture to date of the ongoing progress in reducing stillbirths, as well as missed opportunities, with a call to action for ending preventable stillbirths. Every year globally, more than 2.6 million babies are stillborn. Dr Keelin O’Donoghue, Senior Lecturer UCC and Consultant Obstetrician CUMH states that “Of these 2.6 million [...]

Wednesday 04 November 2015 Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation, Damien English TD, announced Professor Geraldine Boylan and Professor Louise Kenny as the Science Foundation Ireland Joint Researchers of the Year 2015 at the SFI Science Summit in recognition of their global leadership in reducing the burden of disease and disability associated with the period just before and after birth. The SFI Researcher of the Year award “recognises the accomplishments of an SFI funded researcher who has contributed significantly to the Irish research community in their career and/or who has achieved exceptional research outputs in the last 12 months”. This award was a first in two respects: the first time it has been given as a duo, but also the first time it has ever been award to a woman. Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland, added: “It is particularly apt that they are the first female recipients; INFANT is unique in that it’s being led by two women and encouraging junior female faculty at the centre is a priority for both of them.” Presenting the award to the Professors, Minister English said: “Professors Boylan and Kenny are leading the way in perinatal care and research and they thoroughly deserve to receive this award for the outstanding work they have done and continue to do.  The Professors and [...]

Thursday 22 October 2015 PRIMARY SCHOOLS INFANT researchers will be visiting schools in Cork with Blood & Brains – a mix of the “Bloody Detectives: Mystery Molecules” hands-on workshop and “Electric Brains: Mind Control” demonstration. Find out what blood is made of, solve mysteries of hidden clues and protect the evidence! Discover how these mystery molecules are helping us save lives of mums and babies. THEN See your brain light up as it is full of electricity! Discover how it works and learn how we can trick it! Your brain operates everything in your body: it can move your own arm, but can you use it to move someone ELSE? Visits are free but must be booked in advance via The Cork Science Festival    SECONDARY SCHOOLS For second level, join the INFANT researchers at CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory for their second level schools programme. Meet the scientists and engineers working right here in Cork in the Science Foundation Ireland STEMists area! Visits must be booked in advance with CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory  CAREER TALKS INFANT volunteers with Smart Futures If you’d like an INFANT researcher to visit your school, contact our outreach officer.

Tuesday 04 August 2015 The 9th International Conference on Brain Monitoring and Neuroprotection in the Newborn will be held from 1–3 October 2015 in Cork, Ireland. We are pleased to inform you that the 9th International Conference on Brain Monitoring and Neuroprotection in the Newborn was granted 15 European CME credits (ECMEC) by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME). This conference will provide a state of the art forum for the most current and important research in Newborn Brain Monitoring and Neuroprotection. With an international faculty of key opinion leaders, this conference provides a unique opportunity to hear brain monitoring and neuroprotection discussed comprehensively at a time when both fields are growing rapidly. Accompanying update workshops are designed to guide and provide a unique training experience. The Programme Committee are currently reviewing abstracts for inclusion in the main programme. We are delighted to have received a record number of submissions for 2015 and look forward to hearing these presentations. Registrations are invited from professionals from all areas of expertise: neonatologists, neurophysiologists, neonatal nurses, research scientists, paediatric neurologists, allied health professionals, and more.Registration is now open and we would invite you to register. Early Bird Registration closed on 31 July. The 9th International Conference on Brain Monitoring and Neuroprotection in the Newborn will be held at the Fota Island Resort. This is a premium destination hotel and conference facility located in [...]

Monday 07 September 2015 This article was originally published on September 7th, 2015. For World Preeclampsia Day, May 22nd, 2017, read about INFANT's research in preeclampsia prediction.  Award for Preeclampsia Research Ground-breaking work on preeclampsia, a life threatening complication of late pregnancy, has earned researchers in Cork a major award from the American Heart Association. The international award is a first for Irish researchers and also a first for pregnancy research.  The scientific study has been announced as top paper for 2014 in the category of clinical science in Hypertension, the journal of the American Heart Association. The research was carried out by INFANT (The Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translation Research) based in UCC and the Cork University Maternity Hospital. The SCOPE (Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints) research is led in Ireland by Louise Kenny, Professor of Obstetrics at University College Cork, Director of the INFANT Centre and Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Cork University Maternity Hospital. The SCOPE project is an international study that aims to develop screening tests to predict and prevent the major complications of late pregnancy, such as pre-eclampsia. Pregnancy can be a dangerous time for millions of women worldwide: pre-eclampsia claims the lives of more than 70,000 women and over 500,000 infants every year. Prof Kenny explains the reasons behind the study, “it’s about saving the lives of mothers and their babies: that’s [...]

Tuesday 14 July 2015 We are thrilled that the INFANT team has reached the final stage of the international Saving Lives at Birth Grand Challenge. This funding programme is dedicated to identifying and scaling up transformative prevention and treatment approaches for pregnant women and newborns. The team are at the final to compete for funding to develop our Newborn Brain Audioscope innovation. The audioscope is a portable device that will allow healthcarers to hear brainwaves and assess the brain health of babies. Why do we need to assess brain health? Each year, there are 2.9 million neonatal deaths worldwide. 1 million of these are due to birth asphyxia: a lack of oxygen around the time of birth. 98% of these deaths occur in low/low-middle income countries (LMIC).  As a result, birth asphyxia accounts for 41 million “disability adjusted life years” (the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death). Birth asphyxia is therefore one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in low-middle income countries. Of the children who survive birth asphyxia, 1 million of them develop neurodevelopmental disorders, including learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and cerebral palsy.   What can be done to prevent this? Although neurological problems are more likely to happen in the early neonatal period than at any other time of life, it is the exact period when there is the least [...]

Wednesday 08 July 2015 New research by INFANT researchers on the link between C-Sections and Autism Spectrum Disorder has been published.  Autism spectrum disorder, a condition characterized by an inability to connect to other people and repetitive, often unusual behaviours, is thought to affect about 0.62% of all children. Although it is understood that the condition follows genetic lines, scientists do not know what causes ASD. There is a suggestion that it may be linked to perinatal factors, including a Caesarean delivery as children born by Caesarean section are about 21% more likely to be diagnosed with autism. A new study by researchers at INFANT confirms previous findings, but are stresses that this relationship does not mean Caesarean births cause autism. Instead, they suggest that some unknown genetic or environmental factors may lead to both c-section delivery and the disorder. Eileen Curran presenting the results at the European Congress of Epidemiology in Maastricht, The Netherlands on 25 June at the opening plenary session. Led by Dr. Ali S. Khashan, the researchers set out to investigate the relationship between the mode of obstetric delivery and autism. Looking at data from the Swedish registry, they focusing on all single, live births between 1 Jan 1982 and 31 Dec 2010. Following the children until diagnosis of autism, migration, death or the study end date. The full cohort consisted of about 2.7 million children and [...]

Wednesday 03 June 2015 The INFANT Centre and College of Medicine and Health are delighted to host INFANT’s Inaugural Research Day on June 16, 2015. Better Outcomes for Maternal and Fetal Health Click here for FULL Research Day Programme Keynote Speakers: Prof Lucilla Poston, King’s College London Prof Charles Lockwood, University of South Florida Prof Ben Stenson, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Prof Neil Finer, University of California Tues 16 June 2015   09.00 – 17.30 – Registration from 08.00 Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, UCC The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland will award 6 CPD Points to attendees Free Registration on EventBrite

Tuesday 19 May 2015 A report in the Irish Times highlights studies that seek to meet the needs of tiny babies in neonatal intensive care units. The article explores work being done at INFANT to test a cot-side monitor to detect brain seizures in babies in the NICU. “Some babies are at risk of having brain seizures, but you can’t always tell just by looking at them that they are seizing. And if we don’t know when they are seizing, we don’t know when to treat them,” explains Geraldine Boylan, professor of neonatal physiology at UCC and a director of the Irish Centre For Fetal and Neonatal Translational (INFANT) research centre. To alert clinical staff to a problem, the researchers in INFANT have developed specialised software that can track the electrical signals coming from small electrode pads placed on the baby’s head: it automatically detects when a seizure is starting, and sends an alert. The work, which was funded by agencies such as the Health Research Board, Science Foundation Ireland and the Wellcome Trust, has led to a clinical trial of the technology in NICUs in Cork, Dublin, London, Sweden and the Netherlands. “We would like this technology to be next to every cot in every NICU in the world, keeping an eye on these babies’ brains around the clock, and we hope that it will allow brain monitoring in [...]

Thursday 26 March 2015 On Thursday Novermber 13th, Dr Ali Khashan organised INFANT’s hosting of a public forum on C-sections. The event was attended by over 200 people. Speakers included clinicians, patients and INFANT researchers. Details of this and future related events can be had by contacting Ali by emaila.khashan@ucc.ie

Tuesday 02 December 2014 New partnership announced to develop biomarker test for spontaneous preterm birth with Waters Corporation and INFANT. Prof. Louise Kenny and Dr. Anthony Morrissey of INFANT, Cork and Mike Harrington, Waters Corporation pictured here in Washington DC with the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny and Prof. Mark Ferguson, Director General, SFI. Attending an event hosted by the Irish Science Foundation Ireland to celebrate links between Irish science and US industry as part of the St Patrick’s Day Festival, the Taoiseach welcomed the significant announcement for all parties. The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, TD said, “This partnership is further evidence of the great progress Ireland has made in developing partnerships between industry and academia to deliver excellence in research and innovation. This new research programme has potential to make a real difference to the health of mothers and babies. I congratulate both INFANT and the Waters Corporation on this endeavour and have no doubt we will hear more about the progress of this project as it develops.”

Wednesday 02 April 2014 Professor Geraldine Boylan made the inaugural presentation at the quarterly lunchtime series of presentations on Women in Tech (STEM) which is organised by it@cork in conjunction with Cork City Council.  The presentation took place on Wednesday, 2nd of April at the Clarion Hotel in Cork city.  The free event was open to all. Geraldine spoke about how technology is used in everyday perinatal care including in the labour ward, the delivery suite and the neonatal Intensive care unit. She also discussed ongoing technology based research. Pictured with Geraldine (middle) are Debbie Sloggett, Qualcomm (sponsors of the event) and Caroline O’Driscoll, KPMG & Director of it@cork.

Friday 20 September 2013 The Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research. The Centre was officially launched by Seán Sherlock, TD on Friday 20th September 2013, at Cork University Hospital, Wilton, Cork, Ireland