Nayef Chahin, MDMy research focuses on the relationship that exists between micro-nutrients and the risk for premature infants to develop morbidity and/or mortality from inflammatory diseases.
We know from adult and pediatric data that nutrition plays a major role in sickness, with certain micro-nutrients such as Vitamin C, Zinc and Thiamine, having a bigger role when it comes to regulating inflammatory responses in the body and maintaining homeostasis. We also know that premature infants should be getting all these micro-nutrients after birth to continue to grow healthy as they get to be cut off from their maternal supply when born prematurely.
What we are yet to better understand, are whether the current nutritional recommendations for the premature infant, based off of fetal values, are the necessary amounts needed in times of sickness to prevent morbidity and mortality from common inflammatory diseases specific to the premature infant.
This is important to know, as premature physiology differs from those of older kids or adults, and assuming that one size fits all is not the best approach in maintaining our premature infants healthy and strong.
Emergency care/intensive care/cardiac/pulmonary
