Seminars in perinatologyPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.semperi.2025.152157
Rebecca Horgan, George Saade
{"title":"Adjunctive technologies to electronic fetal monitoring: Promise, pitfalls, and lessons learned","authors":"Rebecca Horgan, George Saade","doi":"10.1016/j.semperi.2025.152157","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.semperi.2025.152157","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite widespread use, electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) has not demonstrably reduced perinatal morbidity or mortality, and likely contributed to the rise in cesarean delivery. To improve its utility, a number of adjunctive approaches have been introduced over the past three decades, including fetal pulse oximetry, ST segment analysis (STAN), and maternal oxygen supplementation. Each intervention was supported by strong physiologic rationale, yet none achieved widespread clinical adoption due to inconsistent evidence of benefit and, in some cases, potential harm. This review critically evaluates landmark studies on EFM adjuncts, highlights the limitations that have impeded progress, and outlines emerging innovations, including artificial intelligence and multimodal surveillance. The persistent challenges in intrapartum fetal assessment underscore the need for high-quality evidence, rigorous implementation strategies, and a patient-centered reframing of EFM goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21761,"journal":{"name":"Seminars in perinatology","volume":"50 3","pages":"Article 152157"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145178341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tanis R Fenton, Nicholas D Embleton, Marc Beltempo, Amy B Hair, Steven Abrams, Deborah L O'Connor, Belal Alshaikh
{"title":"Expert recommendations for preterm neonates' growth goals: Considerations for clinicians.","authors":"Tanis R Fenton, Nicholas D Embleton, Marc Beltempo, Amy B Hair, Steven Abrams, Deborah L O'Connor, Belal Alshaikh","doi":"10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152228","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152228","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neonatal nutrition experts traditionally recommend that preterm infants achieve postnatal growth approximating intrauterine fetal growth rates. Preterm infant growth has three phases: postnatal weight loss, approximately parallel growth, and catch-up growth. Growth approximately parallel to growth chart curves can be appropriate even when plotting below any given percentile. Growth patterns are influenced by genetic potential, health determinants, pre-birth environment (maternal morbidities), post-birth morbidity, nutrition and feeding ability. To achieve genetic potential, some infants need growth to catch-up and some catch-down. There is considerable overlap between the growth of healthy infants and those with growth faltering. Growth expectations must be individualized in order to account for normal physiological and genetic variations and to help identify modifiable factors. No specific percentile, z-score or change in z-scores should be set as universal growth goals; rather, individual variability should be expected. The expert groups did not favour the words \"failure\" and \"restriction\" to describe postnatal growth perhaps because these words are usually based on arbitrary percentile/z-score cut-offs using one-point-in-time measures and ignore that postnatal weight loss places infants lower on growth chart curves. The word \"failure\" is pejorative while \"faltering\" suggests a temporary problem.</p>","PeriodicalId":21761,"journal":{"name":"Seminars in perinatology","volume":" ","pages":"152228"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147780073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The complex interaction of enteral feeding in the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis.","authors":"Katherine E Chetta, Misty Good","doi":"10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152230","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>NEC is a multifactorial gastrointestinal disorder affecting medically fragile infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although the precise pathogenesis of NEC is not well understood, prematurity remains a significant risk factor. Immature intestinal immunity, altered microbial colonization (dysbiosis), and dysregulated inflammatory responses contribute to NEC susceptibility in the preterm intestine.<sup>1</sup> During NEC, an exaggerated inflammatory response can lead to intestinal tissue damage and in severe cases, surgical resection of necrotic bowel may be required. NEC affects 5-7% of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants according to large-scale estimates of >500,000 infants.<sup>2</sup> In addition to biologic vulnerability related to prematurity, epidemiologic studies have identified associations between NEC and maternal health, racial and ethnic disparities, and socioeconomic factors.<sup>3-7</sup> Herein we discuss the complex relationship between enteral feeding and NEC, focused on the complex relationships between environment, nutrient composition, and feeding practices on disease susceptibility.</p>","PeriodicalId":21761,"journal":{"name":"Seminars in perinatology","volume":" ","pages":"152230"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13150788/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147780122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Current approaches to parenteral nutrition in preterm infants.","authors":"Katie M Strobel, Camilia R Martin","doi":"10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152237","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152237","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":21761,"journal":{"name":"Seminars in perinatology","volume":" ","pages":"152237"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147780087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The importance of iron in neonatal and infant nutrition.","authors":"Kendell German, Michael K Georgieff","doi":"10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152235","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152235","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Summarize the role of iron in fetal and neonatal nutrition.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Iron is an essential micronutrient that plays key roles in growth and development of the fetus and neonate. Iron deficiency compromises erythropoiesis, immune competency, and when present during critical periods of brain development, long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. Due to the critical role of iron in shaping brain structure and development, these deficits may be irreversible with later repletion. Conversely, oversupplementation with iron, a potential pro-oxidant, may also have detrimental effects. Therefore, neonatal iron supplementation should be individualized and monitored through iron measures in those at high-risk for iron deficiency to optimize outcomes. A variety of enteral and parenteral iron approaches are available to meet the needs of infants at low and high risk of iron deficiency.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Optimizing iron status in neonates is key to improving growth and development in infants. Preterm infants are at particular risk for disruptions in iron status and thus warrant iron supplementation and close surveillance of iron status.</p>","PeriodicalId":21761,"journal":{"name":"Seminars in perinatology","volume":" ","pages":"152235"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147780151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nikita S Kalluri, Michelle-Marie Peña, Margaret G Parker
{"title":"Social drivers in lactation for mothers of very premature infants.","authors":"Nikita S Kalluri, Michelle-Marie Peña, Margaret G Parker","doi":"10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152232","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152232","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Provision of mother's milk for very premature infants (≤32 weeks' gestation) is a critical, modifiable factor that improves outcomes in this highly vulnerable population. Despite this, however, longstanding lactation disparities persist. Mothers who are non-Hispanic Black, non-English speaking, have lower income, lower educational attainment, or public insurance are less likely to provide mother's milk, and these inequities have remained largely unchanged over decades. For mothers of very preterm infants, sustaining lactation presents unique challenges. Mothers are typically dependent on breast pumps to express milk every 3-4 h due to infant physiologic immaturity and prolonged hospitalization. They must do so while navigating the physical separation from their infant, transportation barriers, and financial strain from a NICU admission. Although NICUs commonly provide hospital-grade pumps and specialized lactation support in the hospital, mothers may face multi-level barriers to lactation, including limited access to equipment at home, difficulty visiting the NICU, and inadequate social or resource support. These barriers often intersect to contribute to disparate lactation outcomes, as racially and ethnically minoritized mothers are disproportionately affected by adverse social drivers of health. Addressing inequities in lactation requires multilevel, evidence-based interventions. In this report, we structure barriers and proposed interventions within a socio-ecological framework.</p>","PeriodicalId":21761,"journal":{"name":"Seminars in perinatology","volume":" ","pages":"152232"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147780056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christina J Valentine, Lucille Beseler, Katina L Langley
{"title":"Practical strategies to incorporate maternal nutrition into neonatology practice to impact infant outcomes.","authors":"Christina J Valentine, Lucille Beseler, Katina L Langley","doi":"10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152233","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152233","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Maternal diet is an important clinical adjunct to care for optimal infant outcome. Clinicians should have a heightened awareness to the importance of the first 1000 days from conception to 2 years for key critical nutrients. The Registered Dietitian can be a key partner to ensure mothers are assessed nutritionally for food insecurity and dietary adequacy in pregnancy and lactation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A clinical review of the PubMed literature was done to establish recent guidelines for pregnancy and lactation- highlighting key dietary patterns, calories and nutrients that have been associated with pregnancy, human milk composition, and impacting fetal, neonatal, and lifelong health outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Critical nutrients such as calories, Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), choline, folate, Vitamin B1,B2, B12, D, minerals, trace elements, and fiber were found to play key roles in optimizing pregnancy and lactation and resultant infant growth, development, and the microbiome.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The perinatal provider should incorporate key maternal nutrient recommendations into dietary guidelines to ensure a healthy trajectory for the mother-infant dyad.</p>","PeriodicalId":21761,"journal":{"name":"Seminars in perinatology","volume":" ","pages":"152233"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147780101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anthony J Piazza, Christine Bixby, Allison Black, Natasia Felmet, Kaitlin Hannan, Christina Marie Hulgan, Eugenia Jean Pallotto
{"title":"Optimizing human milk provision: Review of QI best practices.","authors":"Anthony J Piazza, Christine Bixby, Allison Black, Natasia Felmet, Kaitlin Hannan, Christina Marie Hulgan, Eugenia Jean Pallotto","doi":"10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152229","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This review examines how Quality Improvement (QI) methodology bridges the gap between evidence-based research and bedside practice to optimize human milk provision. Even though data shows significant improved clinical outcomes, support for neurodevelopment, and reduces comorbidities with breast milk provision to NICU patients, there remains varying breast milk utilization and discharge rates. Successful initiatives apply QI framework including multidisciplinary stakeholders' engagement, plan-do-study-act cycles, collaboration, guideline, education to implement strategies for successful outcomes and across neonatal care continuum: antenatal education, peripartum initiation, and postpartum maintenance. Key interventions include early pumping initiation, oral immune therapy, skin-to-skin care, lactation support, and standardized feeding protocols. This review highlights impactful projects which improved the provision of breast milk. Furthermore, targeted QI efforts in diverse populations have shown success clinically and with hospital resource utilization. Ultimately, systematic QI efforts that address cultural barriers and redefine provider roles are essential to decreasing institutional variation and ensuring the most vulnerable infants receive optimal nutrition.</p>","PeriodicalId":21761,"journal":{"name":"Seminars in perinatology","volume":" ","pages":"152229"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147780069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enteral nutrition in neonates: current evidence from clinical trials and evolving strategies.","authors":"Mar Romero-Lopez, Ariel A Salas","doi":"10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152236","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152236","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite advances in neonatal intensive care and increased availability of randomized clinical trial data, optimal enteral nutrition strategies remain debated, with significant gaps between evidence and practice. We reviewed current evidence for enteral feeding in neonates. Recent clinical trials support the early progression of enteral feeding within 96 h of birth and faster advancement rates of 30-40 mL/kg/day in preterm infants. Evidence demonstrates that these strategies reduce the time to full feeds and decrease the risk of sepsis without increasing the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis. A recent multicenter trial confirmed that, when maternal milk supply is limited, donor human milk reduces necrotizing enterocolitis incidence compared to formula, however, without neurodevelopmental advantages. Multiple trials found no superiority of human milk-based over bovine-based fortifiers. Abandoning routine gastric residual assessment reduces time to full feeds without increasing complications, but a large confirmatory trial is underway. Evidence now supports low-volume feeding during therapeutic hypothermia for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, with fed infants achieving full feeds earlier and having a shorter hospital stay. For congenital heart disease, hemodynamically stable infants can safely receive minimal human milk feeding pre and post-operatively within 5-7 days. Future trials need to focus on precision nutrition, optimal fortification strategies, and long-term effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":21761,"journal":{"name":"Seminars in perinatology","volume":" ","pages":"152236"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147718013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Human milk composition through the lens of donor human milk banking.","authors":"Ting Ting Fu, Jessica F Hukill, Kim Updegrove","doi":"10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152231","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semperi.2026.152231","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Much has been learned about breast milk composition in recent decades, but little is documented on donor human milk (DHM). Breast milk becomes DHM when it is donated by screened and approved lactating persons, pasteurized, and tested for absence of biological pathogens before being dispensed to hospitals and families for infants in need. However, DHM is different from a parent's own milk. DHM composition is affected by individual milk donor characteristics and expression and storage processes, as well as milk bank thawing and pooling practices, mixing, and heat processing. In this review, we discuss what is known regarding macronutrient, micronutrient, and bioactive content in Holder-pasteurized DHM, how it differs from parent's own milk, and how infrared milk analysis is utilized by non-profit milk banks.</p>","PeriodicalId":21761,"journal":{"name":"Seminars in perinatology","volume":" ","pages":"152231"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147717974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}