# ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON NEURODEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME IN INFANTS BORN VERY PRETERM

> **NIH NIH UH3** · WOMEN AND INFANTS HOSPITAL-RHODE ISLAND · 2021 · $65,023

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Approximately 1 in 10 babies are born prematurely each year in the United States, and these neonates are at
heightened risk for acute morbidities and early death. While medical advancements have dramatically improved
survival for infants born prematurely, survivors, especially if born very preterm (< 30 weeks gestation) have an
increased risk for long term neurodevelopmental impairments. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), the most
common neonatal morbidity among preterm infants, is a risk factor for future chronic diseases and
neurodevelopmental impairments. How BPD and its treatments lead to long-term negative health outcomes
requires further study. Altered programming of the HPA axis, which modulates glucocorticoid (GC) activity, has
been implicated as one potential mechanism, because infants with BPD are more likely to have been exposed
to corticosteroids and BPD itself may activate the stress response system. Others have developed a cross-tissue
polyepigenetic predictor, an algorithm that uses DNAm levels at specific sites on the genome, to estimate a score
that is associated with exogenous and endogenous GC exposure, which has been associated with maternal
anxiety and depression throughout pregnancy and with later mental and behavioral issues. However, this
potentially useful biomarker has not been studied within infants that were born very preterm with BPD, who are
more likely to have elevated exogenous and endogenous GCs and are at increased risk of neurodevelopmental
impairments. To address this gap in our knowledge we aim to 1) investigate whether BPD is associated with
neonatal GC scores (as risk factor, and as a response), and 2) examine whether the neonatal GC scores are
associated with performance on neurodevelopmental assessments at 24 months corrected age, in two ECHO
cohorts of infants that were born very preterm (NOVI and ELGAN). These analyses will provide evidence as to
whether this epigenetic biomarker is associated with BPD, and will elucidate whether the GC scores may be an
early indicator of children that are at increased risk for impairments.
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10412194
- **Project number:** 3UH3OD023347-06S1
- **Recipient organization:** WOMEN AND INFANTS HOSPITAL-RHODE ISLAND
- **Principal Investigator:** Barry M. Lester
- **Activity code:** UH3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $65,023
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2016-09-21 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10412194

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10412194, ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON NEURODEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME IN INFANTS BORN VERY PRETERM (3UH3OD023347-06S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10412194. Licensed CC0.

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