Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease commonly affecting extremely preterm infants. Although mechanical ventilation and oxygen requirements in premature infants are identified as inciting mechanisms for inflammation and the development of BPD over time, data now support an array of perinatal events that may stimulate the inflammatory cascade prior to delivery. Corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone and hydrocortisone, have proven beneficial for the prevention and management of BPD postnatally due to their anti-inflammatory characteristics. This review aims to examine the pharmacologic properties of several corticosteroids, appraise the existing evidence for postnatal corticosteroid use in preterm infants, and assess steroid management strategies to ameliorate BPD. Finally, we aim to provide guidance based on clinical experience for managing adrenal suppression resulting from prolonged steroid exposure since this is an area less well-studied.

Here, we report a significant association between maternal vitamin D status and the expression of sFlt-1 and VEGF at the mRNA level. Achieving maternal circulating 25(OH)D ≥100nmoles/L suggests the impact of maternal vitamin D supplementation on gene transcription in the placenta, thereby potentially decreasing antiangiogenic factors that may contribute to vascular pregnancy complications.

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Premature infants are born prior to a critical window of rapid placental nutrient transfer and fetal growth—particularly brain development—that occurs during the third trimester of pregnancy. Subsequently, a large proportion of preterm neonates experience extrauterine growth failure and associated neurodevelopmental impairments. Human milk (maternal or donor breast milk) is the recommended source of enteral nutrition for preterm infants, but requires additional fortification of macronutrient, micronutrient, and energy content to meet the nutritional demands of the preterm infant in attempts at replicating in utero nutrient accretion and growth rates. Traditional standardized fortification practices that add a fixed amount of multicomponent fortifier based on assumed breast milk composition do not take into account the considerable variations in breast milk content or individual neonatal metabolism. Emerging methods of individualized fortification—including targeted and adjusted fortification—show promise in improving postnatal growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants.