Maternal, Newborn, and Adolescent Health

William Hay of the University of Colorado Denver in the U.S. will use multiple types of nutritional interventions in a sheep model of placental insufficiency to test the hypothesis that there is a window of opportunity to prevent intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Better understanding of the mechanisms underlying IUGR could help explain why nutritional intervention sometimes fails and could lead to better outcomes for infants in low-resource areas.

Andrew Patterson and Gary Perdew of the Pennsylvania State University in the U.S. will investigate the ability of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) to modulate intestinal inflammation and general intestine health, and they will test in a mouse model whether natural AHR activators given to nursing mothers provide protection to pups from experimental intestinal inflammation.

Lin Xi and Jack Odle of North Carolina State University in the U.S. propose to use metabolomic and epigenetic analysis in a pig model to explore the mechanisms by which dietary choline and DHA (docosahexanoate) supplementation in gestating mothers could alleviate the effects of malnutrition on infants. The data could inform the design of nutritional supplements for mothers to improve the developmental outcomes of low birth weight infants.

Laura Woollett of the University of Cincinnati in the U.S., in collaboration with the MRC International Nutrition Group in The Gambia, will test whether increasing plasma cholesterol in pregnant mothers from developing countries can improve fetal growth rates and reduce the associated risk of mortality and developmental defects. They hypothesized that the high incidence of low birth weight in developing countries is caused by lower levels of cholesterol in pregnant women.

Bryan O'Hara and Vazhaikkurichi M. Rajendran of West Virginia University in the U.S. are developing a chemically-modified resistant starch that ferments in the colon to restore a normal microbiota that will control chronic diarrhea and combat its resulting effects, such as impaired mucosal healing and the reduced ability to absorb nutrients.

Timothy Wells of Cardiff University in the United Kingdom will test the hypothesis that feeding patterns help regulate growth and metabolism by altering gut microbiota and a stomach hormone that increases the efficacy of fat storage. This research may show that "grazing" instead of set meals can optimize healthy growth in children where nutrient availability is limited.

Judith Mercer of the University of Rhode Island in the U.S. will conduct a randomized study to test whether delaying umbilical cord cutting after birth by as little as five minutes allows the placenta to transfer iron-rich blood cells to the newborn, reducing iron deficiency and anemia in the first year of life and promoting myelination of the brain to aid neurodevelopment.

Clare Elwell of University College London in the United Kingdom is using non-invasive optical brain imaging (near-infrared spectroscopy) to assess cognitive function in malnourished infants and children in low-resource settings over time. The technology is relatively low-cost and portable, and their approach could be used to determine the impact of malnutrition on the developing brain and guide nutrition-related interventions.

Galia Gat-Yablonski of Tel Aviv University in Israel will test in a rat model whether histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors can enhance catch-up growth after nutrient restriction, providing evidence for epigenetic pathways that might underlie stunting in malnourished children.

Gregor Reid of the University of Western Ontario and the Lawson Health Research Institute in Canada, with colleagues in Tanzania will test whether Moringa-supplemented yogurt can benefit under-nourished pregnant women by converting their intestinal microbial community into one resembling that from well- nourished women and by improving their breast milk quality.