Association of cord blood chemokines and other biomarkers with neonatal complications following intrauterine inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine inflammation has been associated with preterm birth and neonatal complications. Few reports have comprehensively investigated multiple cytokine profiles in cord blood and precisely identified surrogate markers for intrauterine inflammation. AIM: To identify the cytokines and surrogate markers associated with intrauterine inflammation and subsequent neonatal complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed cord blood samples from 135 patients admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Sasebo City General Hospital. We retrospectively determined the associations between the presence of neonatal complications and cord blood cytokines, prenatal factors, and laboratory data at birth. A total of 27 cytokines in the cord blood were measured using a bead-based array sandwich immunoassay. RESULTS: Both Th1 and Th2 cytokine levels were low, whereas the levels of growth factors and chemokines were high. In particular, chemokines IL-8, MCP-1, and MIP-1α were significantly higher in very premature neonates when compared with more mature neonates. In addition, some have been shown to be associated with multiple neonatal complications, including patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and chronic lung disease (CLD). Similarly, the levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, nucleated RBC, and urinary ß2-microglobulin were associated with these complications and chemokine levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest the association of inflammatory chemokines IL-8, MCP-1, and MIP-1α with intrauterine inflammation, premature birth, and neonatal complications in these perinatal subjects. Furthermore, the association of the aforementioned biomarkers with PDA, RDS, and CLD may help establish early diagnostic measures to predict such neonatal complications following intrauterine inflammation.

The calming effect of a maternal breast milk odor on the human newborn infant.

We examined the effects of the odors from mother's milk, other mother's milk and formula milk on pain responses in newborns undergoing routine heelsticks. Forty-eight healthy infants were assigned to four groups, an own mother's breast milk odor group (Own MM), another mother's breast milk odor group (Other MM), a formula milk odor group (Formula M) and a control group. To assess infant distress in response to the heelsticks, their crying, grimacing and motor activities were recorded during the experiment as behavioral indices of the pain response. After the heelstick, the behavioral indices of the Own MM group were lower than those of other groups. By contrast, the Other MM and Formula M groups showed no significant changes compared with the Control group. We also measured salivary cortisol concentration as a biochemical index in Control and Own MM infants before and after heelstick. After the heelstick, the level of salivary cortisol was significantly increased in Control infants, but not in Own MM infants. These results suggest that pain is relieved in human newborns when they are exposed to odors from their mother's milk.