INFANT Centre News

On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we caught up with INFANT collaborator, Professor Cally Tann and the Baby BRAiN research team to learn about their work to improve outcomes for children and families affected by newborn brain injury. Newborn brain injury, caused by oxygen deprivation around the time of birth (birth asphyxia), is one of the leading causes of death and disability globally among children less than five years of age.  Developmental disabilities like cerebral palsy, as a result of birth complications, can affect a child’s movement, learning, feeding, vision and hearing, with far reaching implications on a child’s health, well-being and quality of life. Superstitious beliefs around developmental disabilities often mean that families experience discrimination and exclusion from their communities, with important psychological, social and financial impacts for caregivers and families. The majority of newborn brain injury (95%) occurs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with half occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite this, relatively little is known about how we might effectively treat affected newborns in low-income countries, particularly in settings without access to newborn intensive care facilities. About the Baby BRAiN study The Baby BRAiN study aimed to improve our understanding of newborn brain injury in Uganda and examined the impacts of events around the time of birth on both the baby’s brain and the child’s longer-term outcomes. Newborn seizures (fitting) can [...]

CergenX has been awarded the prestigious Irish Times Innovation Award in the Life Sciences & Healthcare category, sponsored by Research Ireland. This award celebrates their innovation in neonatal brain health, particularly with their new, easy-to-use brain-monitoring technology called Wave. The Wave device helps identify newborns in need of extra support or treatment, with the aim of reducing the impact of brain injury on their lives. Most of the time, when a baby is born everything goes smoothly. But for some babies, complications can lead to brain injury, hard-to-detect seizures and even problems in later life so early intervention is critical. Wave aims to solve this by using a quick, easy EEG (electroencephalogram) monitoring system that requires only 10 minutes. The data wings its way to the cloud, where it is analysed by CergenX’s AI, and within seconds the results are back, clearly highlighting whether the results showed any abnormal findings, so medical teams can make important decisions quickly. The Wave technology emerged from research carried out at the INFANT Research Centre at University College Cork, underlining Ireland’s robust contributions to the medtech sector and CergenX CEO Jason Mowles wants to see it benefit babies around the world. The Irish Times Innovation Awards, now in their 15th year, are one of Ireland’s most celebrated annual events, bringing recognition to pioneering companies and entrepreneurs. This year, the awards [...]

A software engineering student at University of Limerick is working on a project that could help to revolutionise the early detection of cerebral palsy. Aaron Roche, a 20-year-old student on the Immersive Software Engineering (ISE) programme at UL, is working on the ELEVATE project, which is a ground-breaking five-year research programme that aims to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of early brain injury and cerebral palsy in Ireland. He selected the ELEVATE project for his residency as part of ISE, a transformational teaching and research initiative that aims to rethink and disrupt computer science education. ELEVATE is led by the INFANT Research Centre at University College Cork and partnered with RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Trinity College Dublin and the tertiary-level maternity hospitals in Ireland. The team at INFANT Research Centre are focussed on 3 key areas to improve care pathways: prevention, early detection, and intervention. Leveraging the latest advancements in AI will help them identify risk factors in pregnancy, labour and the early neonatal period that increase the likelihood of CP. This may help them to prevent CP from occurring in the first place and to reduce its severity when it does occur. ISE students learn by doing, working on projects and in paid residencies at some of ISE’s more than fifty partner organisations. They will also achieve a Masters’ qualification [...]

4 in 5 Pregnant Women in Ireland are Iron Deficient by Third Trimester, a research study reveals Worrying findings sparking call for action Four out of five pregnant women in Ireland are iron deficient by their third trimester, a University College Cork (UCC) study reveals. Researchers at the Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (INFANT) and School of Food and Nutritional Sciences in UCC have shown that over 80% of women are iron deficient by their third trimester. The findings raise concerns as the participants in the study were a low-risk and generally healthy cohort. Iron deficiency during pregnancy is linked to increased risks of complications for both mother and child, including neurodevelopmental challenges for the baby. This study is the largest of its kind globally and was conducted in collaboration with the University of Minnesota and the Masonic Institute of the Developing Brain. Led by UCC’s Dr Elaine McCarthy, the study was published in the prestigious American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study analysed data collected from 641 women in Ireland who were pregnant with their first baby and had a successful delivery.  Blood samples were taken from the women throughout pregnancy, at 15, 20 and 33 weeks to determine iron status. “In Cork, which is a high-resource setting,” the authors found that “iron deficiency defined by a variety of markers was [...]

Study shows that using a novel advancement therapy called the “Milk Ladder”, was almost four times more likely to be successful in safely reintroducing cow’s milk to children with milk allergies in comparison to other classic approaches used in other countries. Research conducted at the Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (INFANT) at University College Cork and Cork University Hospital. This discovery marks a significant breakthrough in allergy management and opens the door for parents to play an active role in successfully re-introducing milk to children with milk allergies. Researchers have demonstrated how a novel approach to managing cow’s milk allergy could transform how food allergies are treated. Food allergies occur when the immune system reacts abnormally to otherwise harmless food proteins, which can cause immediate symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, hives, and respiratory issues. Severe reactions can lead to anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition requiring emergency medical attention. Now researchers at the Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (INFANT) at University College Cork and Cork University Hospital have shown that cow's milk can be safely and effectively reintroduced to children with milk allergies which affects 2-3% of infants, marking a significant breakthrough in allergy management. Traditionally, IgE-mediated cow’s milk allergy is managed through strict avoidance of milk in all forms, followed by a series of outpatient appointments and allergy tests, often [...]

University College Cork’s INFANT Centre, Ireland’s first translational research hub dedicated entirely to pregnancy, birth, and early childhood, marks over a decade of groundbreaking work. Since its establishment in late 2013, INFANT—The Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research—has been at the forefront of significant breakthroughs that are saving lives and improving outcomes for babies and their families daily, while also shaping perinatal medicine globally. From its beginnings as a team of eight founding principal investigators, INFANT has evolved into a multidisciplinary powerhouse, now comprising over 100 dedicated professionals, including healthcare practitioners, research scientists, engineers, and support staff. The Centre's expertise spans diverse fields such as obstetrics, paediatrics, neonatology, neuroscience, nutrition, biomedical engineering, informatics, and artificial intelligence. A Decade of Impact and Innovation Since its inception, INFANT has achieved some remarkable milestones: Developed innovative technologies to detect brain injuries in newborns, including the creation of the world’s first AI algorithm for seizure detection in infants. Contributed to groundbreaking therapies for peanut allergies in children. Developed a pioneering device to measure cognitive function in children that is independent of language barriers. Spearheaded the establishment of Ireland’s first dedicated network for children’s clinical trials  - in4kids Supported the Establishment of the National Bereavement Standards within Ireland’s maternity services. INFANT’s pioneering research has not only advanced maternal and child healthcare in Ireland but has also garnered recognition [...]

Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) and In4kids, the Irish Network for Children’s Clinical Trials launch new National Young Person’s Advisory Group (YPAG) which invites children and young people to share their voice and help shape child health research in Ireland. This launch marks a significant step forward in involving young people in health research and ensuring that their perspectives shape the future of paediatric care in Ireland. Funded by the Health Research Board (HRB), In4Kids and CHI Clinical Research Centre will jointly coordinate the Young Person’s Advisory Group. A new initiative to bring together young people from across Ireland, so that the voices of children are central in shaping child health research and clinical trial design in Ireland is launched. The national Young Person’s Advisory Group (YPAG) are looking for children and young people aged between 12-18yrs who have experience of chronic health condition, have participated in a clinical trial, have a family member or friend with such experience, and or who have a keen interest in science and research. This YPAG is a collaboration between Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) and In4Kids, the national children’s clinical trials network led by the INFANT Research Centre at University College Cork (UCC). Transforming children and young people from subjects of research to active research partners Research indicates that hospitals actively involved in research tend to achieve better patient care [...]