Caregivers of VPT infants experience significantly increased psychological distress both in the NICU and during the transition from the NICU to a home environment can be very stressful. Literature on term children shows significant implications of caregiver stress on child behavioral, cognitive and neural development. The goal of this project is to better understand the relations between caregiver stress, caregiver-infant interactions, and neurodevelopment in infants born very preterm. To address this goal, we combine fNIRS measurements of infants with observational measures of caregiver-infant interactions as well as caregiver stress measures. This research is supported by the Children's Miracle Network Fund and the UIowa OVPR Early Career Scholars Program.

The goal of this study is to better understand the auditory environment of the NICU and explore how the amount of noise and language infants are exposed to affects their language development. This study utilizes a technology called Language Environment Analysis (LENA), a small device about the size of a deck of cards that provides information about the auditory surroundings. Software is used to automatically generate reports on the quantity and quality of speech and noise in the infant's environment. We hope that the findings of this study will contribute to improving the auditory environment in the NICU for preterm infants and provide insights into language developmental trajectories.

The PROMPT study is a multi-site study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD R01 HD102381). The study includes both retrospective and prospective data from the University of California San Francisco and the University of Iowa on preterm newborns <32 weeks gestation. PROMPT examines metabolic biomarkers measured as part of routine newborn screening for prediction of the risk of neonatal morbidity and in-hospital mortality.

The purpose of the program is to identify the developmental and special health needs of infants at risk. Early detection and educational service is offered to families with babies who were ill as newborns and require special care after their births. The program initiates referrals to appropriate state agencies, offers support for parents, facilitates use of community resources.

This project is to examine change in cortisol and 17-OHP (a related metabolite) in relate to chronic stress in the NICU. We will examine correlations between the neonatal physiologic measures (e.g. heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate) and cortisol and 17-OHP across NICU hospitalization. We will use discarded blood samples from neonates with arterial lines in the NICU to measure cortisol and 17-OHP via TMS. We will examine relations of neonatal physiologic measures with cortisol and 17-OHP levels. This is expected to result in an enhanced understanding of the mechanisms by which neonatal physiologic changes reflect a neonatal stress response.

This project aims to create a repository of clinical data relating to babies in the NICU who experienced Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy during or after birth. The repository explores data compiled during their NICU stay as well as long term follow up data in hopes of gaining a better understanding of HIE and its various clinical outcomes.