Tiny Fighters: Prepping and Early Stages
Hi everyone! Thank you for visiting my blog for more updates!
I had a Zoom meeting with my on-site advisor, Dr. Halpern, to discuss the research papers that I had the opportunity to examine. During the meeting, I gained a deeper understanding of Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) that I wouldn’t have been able to extract from a couple of Google searches.
As part of my research, I analyzed the research papers and reviewed the graphical abstracts to find a unique and suitable choice for my final product. The papers that I will be annotating broaden the spectrum of NEC, focusing not only on the biological aspect but also on the socioeconomic side. I will also explore how other illnesses or diseases found in prenatal care correspond, contribute, or coincide with NEC. During our discussion, we delved into the topic of prenatal care and how it often lacks the necessary materials to detect Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) in its early stages. While abdominal X-rays can be used to identify “air bubbles” in the small intestine, the question arises: what happens when NEC is detected too late? Unfortunately, in cases where the infant’s entire small intestine has necrotized, palliative care is provided to ensure the infant passes away without pain or suffering. Although such cases are rare, they can occur, which is truly heartbreaking.
In addition, unforeseen circumstances often arise where mothers are not aware of the risks of NEC, while nurses and doctors struggle to answer their questions because there simply isn’t enough research done on the topic. This contributes to the lack of knowledge that both medical staff and families have, which also contributes to the number of cases seen in the United States. It’s interesting to note that there are more cases of NEC in the United States compared to Europe. This leads me to believe that further research is required to explore how our healthcare practices differ from those in Europe, with the aim of mitigating the mortality rate of neonates from NEC.
In the Health Sciences Innovation Lab, we will be scanning infant samples of gut microbes and bile acids. We will also look at the feeding processes of rats/mice, such as a nasogastric tube used for preterm infants or pups until the bowels and digestive system have been completely developed. I will have the opportunity to see the inner workings of those tubes and the proteins and bile acids at work that contribute to NEC during my visits to the lab.
Overall, my research will encompass a detailed analysis of the biological and socioeconomic aspects of NEC, along with the correlation between NEC and other prenatal illnesses. My visits to the Health Sciences Innovation Lab will allow me to gain hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of the feeding processes in preterm infants or pups, along with the role of gut microbes and bile acids in NEC.
I’m looking forward to visiting the lab, observing the experiments, and asking questions to deepen my understanding. This is a chance to immerse myself and engage in scientific discovery, and I’m grateful for the opportunity. Thank you again for reading!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LqTx5PH7wyfzlgKF0Y2QJN3_fPRkn_yd/view?usp=drive_link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rEL_OFkSynSHJZvPs5w1DeWjpHp-iBFr/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kuYBTdTBrxlKtPGOaZmZ4OQDNMsug4LR/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AGaM0F6_273hxazX-TUI4du4LhWFk5Ve/view?usp=sharing
Comments:
All viewpoints are welcome but profane, threatening, disrespectful, or harassing comments will not be tolerated and are subject to moderation up to, and including, full deletion.