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Preterm babies have a heightened risk of infection as their immune system is not mature. The Neonatal Health Team is exploring new ways to diagnose, prevent and treat infections in WA's smallest patients .

Preterm infants are at increased risk for invasive neonatal bacterial infections. S. epidermidis, a ubiquitous skin commensal, is a major cause of late-onset neonatal sepsis, particularly in high-resource settings. The vulnerability of preterm infants to serious bacterial infections is commonly attributed to their distinct and developing immune system.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a biphasic vaso-proliferative disease that has the potential to cause blindness. In addition to prematurity and hyperoxia, perinatal infection and inflammation have been reported to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of ROP. The aim of this study was to assess the association between placental inflammation and the severity of ROP.

Skin care for very and extremely preterm infant is an important and previously underappreciated topic. Coconut oil skin care for preterm infants is a promising option, but several important questions remain including the theoretical potential for allergic sensitization.

Viral infections are associated with significant morbidity and mortality in neonates. The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in viral epidemiology in Western Australia. The impact on patients in neonatal intensive care is uncertain.

Sepsis is one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality. There is heterogeneity in the outcomes measured and reported in studies of neonatal sepsis. To address this challenge, a core outcome set (COS) for research on neonatal sepsis was needed.

Rates of anaphylaxis in early childhood are rising, yet there remains a paucity of data on age-specific presentations and outcomes. While prompt treatment is essential, symptoms can differ from older children. Observation after stabilization is routinely used; however, no infant and toddler-specific data guide the duration of monitoring. Identifying predictors of biphasic anaphylaxis could help guide observation times.

Infants at risk of HIE require early identification and initiation of therapeutic hypothermia (TH). Earlier treatment with TH is associated with better outcomes. aEEG is frequently used when making the decision whether to commence TH. As this is often limited to tertiary centers, TH may be delayed if the infant requires transport to a center that provides it.

Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of childhood mortality. Limited diagnostic tools and mechanistic insights have hampered our abilities to develop prophylactic or therapeutic interventions. Biomarkers in human neonatal sepsis have been repeatedly identified as associated with dysregulation of angiopoietin signaling and altered arachidonic acid metabolism. 

Late-onset sepsis (LOS) with Staphylococcus epidermidis is common in preterm infants, but the immunological mechanisms underlying heightened susceptibility are poorly understood. Our aim is to characterize the ontogeny of cytokine responses to live S. epidermidis in preterm infants with and without subsequent Gram-positive LOS.