Results of a multicenter study led by Johns Hopkins Children’s Center challenge the longstanding practice of treating premature babies with hydrocortisone, a steroid believed to fight inflammation and prevent lung disease.

IBM (NYSE: IBM) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) announced today a first-of-a-kind research project to help doctors detect subtle changes in the condition of critically ill premature babies.

Hunter researchers have discovered that male babies born prematurely are more vulnerable to cardiovascular complications than female babies.

Premature babies are subject to a host of threats that can result in fetal/neonatal disease. In a study published in the January 2008 issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, researchers from the University of Alabama–Birmingham Medical School and the Drexel University College of Medicine found that genital mycoplasmas are a frequent cause of congenital fetal infection.

Many premature babies face serious health challenges, not the least of which is breathing. But now research suggests that even relatively healthy preemies confront deficits in lung function that last into their second year, if not longer.

An aspiring director of feature films and commercials captured the hearts of the public with an inspiring video that has won top prize in the March of Dimes “Every Baby Has a Story’’ public service ad contest.

Very premature babies who were given caffeine to regulate their breathing have a significantly lower incidence of disabilities at the age of two years, according to an international study led by researchers at McMaster University.

Gene-chip studies provide new leads in treating lung disease of premature newborns

Diagnosing a risk of fatal lung disorders may be possible by analysing the umbilical cords of premature babies, according to research published in the online open access journal Genome Biology. Until now, paediatricians have not been able to predict the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) because of the difficulties with obtaining lung samples.

A protein long thought to be one of the body's supporting players has quietly been taking a lead role in healthy eyesight, a discovery that could rapidly lead to treatments for babies born before their eyes are finished growing, University of Florida and Harvard Medical School researchers have found.

Scientists have found evidence that the cox-2 inhibitor celecoxib, a common pain reliever used to treat arthritis, may offer a new way to reduce the risk of the most common cause of brain damage in babies born prematurely.

A pig-derived surfactant given to premature babies whose lungs aren't yet making the lubricant reduces mortality rates by 19 percent over two other commercially-available surfactants, researchers say.