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| Professor Arvind Sehgal |
New research from Monash University’s Professor of Pediatrics,
Arvind Sehgal has provided early clues from the placenta, which may indicate
which infants among this high risk cohort might go on to develop BPD associated
PH during the weeks or months following birth. This opens avenues for individualized
ventilator management, watching out for early signs of this complication, early
echocardiographic diagnosis and therapy to improve lung function.
Each year in Australia, approximately 500 infants are
born at less than 25 weeks gestation. These infants are very premature and
experience a number of life-threatening issues.
More than one third of these babies develop bronchopulmonary
dysplasia (BPD) - also known as chronic lung disease -combined with chronic
pulmonary hypertension (PH), or high blood pressure, in the lungs. These infants
experience long and repeated hospitalisations, requiring home oxygen for up to
two years and an increased risk of mortality because of a vulnerability to
infection.
Professor Sehgal and his research team, including
pathologist Dr Yuen Chan, tested the placentas of 56 mothers of very preterm
babies (<28 weeks gestation) and noted peculiar histopathology markers which
predicted ‘subsequent’ complications of BPD associated PH. These findings will
be presented at the prestigious Society for Pediatric Research Annual Meeting,
being held in San Francisco, USA in May 2017.
“The ability to predict which infants may become
very sick will provide critical information for doctors managing these
premature infants,” Professor Sehgal said.
Professor Sehgal’s research group is the first in
Australasia to demonstrate that the placenta contains a treasure trove of
relevant information which can be used to improve the outlook for these
premature infants.
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