Research summary
Perinatal complications, such as iron deficiency and neonatal sepsis, are associated with negative outcomes for infants, like failure to thrive and premature death. Even babies who fully recover from these complications can face lifelong health consequences and chronic diseases. Dr. Stephane Bourque, Canada Research Chair in Maternal and Perinatal Physiology, is examining the mechanisms by which these common perinatal stressors affect offspring development.
He and his research team are focusing on three objectives: improving the diagnosis of iron deficiency and anemia during pregnancy and early infancy; identifying the key pathological mechanisms by which iron deficiency affects a baby’s cardiovascular development; and studying how neonatal late-onset sepsis contributes to disease and death in children. Their research may lead to new diagnostic methods and treatments to prevent the short- and long-term consequences of these health complications and improve lifelong health for the babies who experience them.