The care of newborns has advanced significantly in the past decade. This is largely the result of research aimed at understanding the mechanisms responsible for injuries to a tiny infant exposed prematurely to the environment outside of the womb. While an infant is dependent upon oxygen for survival, prolonged exposure of a premature newborn's lungs to oxygen is injurious. Investigators at the CMC study the biology and chemistry of the damage which oxygen inflicts on a newborn's lungs. They already know that certain fats and vitamins in the diet can reduce the unwanted complications of oxygen therapy.
Premature infants can also suffer from massive fluid leakage from blood vessels into the lungs.
Left untreated, this can be fatal. Experiments in isolated cell cultures at the CMC are directed toward identifying how changes in cell permeability develop from exposure to naturally occurring toxic substances. Clinical studies in the newborn intensive care unit are also being carried out to determine the optimal use of surfactant, a compound that markedly accelerates the adaptation of the lung to air breathing after birth. Providing exceptional health care for infants and children is the ultimate goal of all basic and clinical pediatric research. Such care should not be limited to a few specialized centers.