Research

Yale Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine research has a rich foundation based in the surfactant replacement trials for preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome and in erythropoietin trials to prevent red cell transfusions during the early 1990’s. As a member of the NICHD Neonatal Research Network (NRN) from 1991-2011, Yale’s NICU actively participated in clinical investigations, and Yale’s NRN principal investigator played major roles in randomized, controlled trials that led to significant practice changes, an inhaled nitric oxide trial for treatment of hypoxic respiratory failure and a hypothermia trial for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Currently, Yale Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine is a leader in clinical, translational, and basic science research.

Clinical/Translational Research

Clinical trials, translational research, social/behavioral studies, and quality improvement research are all active in Yale Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. Currently, faculty and fellows are concentrating on research in perinatal and neonatal nutrition and metabolism, nosocomial infection prevention, neurodevelopment, and procedural skills development. Specifically, the Yale Neonatal NOuRISH Team focuses on Nutrition Outcomes Research In Sustaining Mother and Infant Health, and current studies focus on lactation outcomes, infant growth, infant metabolic health, and infant gut health as related to maternal disease and/or preterm birth. Other current clinical studies include antibiotic research, intubation optimization, and how NICU exposures relate to preterm infant brain-imaging and neurodevelopment.

National-Perinatal COVID-19 Registry

The Yale Neonatal Research Team is excited to announce our involvement the National Perinatal COVID-19 Registry. The registry is a collaboration between the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Vermont-Oxford Network, and MedNAX, and aims to collect national data regarding transmission risk between mother and infant. Our team, run by Caty Buck, Christine Henry, and Taryn Zamary, will contribute information about mother/infant dyads born at YNHH whose mother acquired COVID-19 infection within 2 weeks of birth to help inform us of the effects of early maternal infection on infant outcomes. Descriptive results from the national registry will be made available, likely weekly, on the AAP website to help improve counseling of pregnant women with COVID-19 infection, assist hospitals with optimizing infection control practices, and aid the neonatal care team with prediction of infant risks and severity of disease.

Please feel free to reach out to Caty Buck, Christine Henry, or Taryn Zamary with any questions!

Laboratory

Faculty and fellows within the Yale Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine are currently engaged in a variety of laboratory-based research projects. The work of this group has largely involved aspects of developmental biology. Areas of investigation include molecular genetics of red cell disorders, developmental erythropoiesis, and molecular genetics of reading disabilities.

Other Academic Work

As a prominent resource in bioethics, faculty and fellows in the Yale Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine lead studies in an array of issues in bioethics in the NICU setting.