Preterm infants are at risk of death and neurodisability as well as multiorgan dysfunction (MODs) contributing to life-long morbidity. Dysregulated inflammatory responses are common preterm infants responses to sepsis and necrotising colitis and are associated with early MODS and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. Sustained or persistent inflammation has been associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants but there is paucity of human studies. We aim to follow-up a highly-phenotyped preterm cohort at 2 years and assess multiorgan involvement, neuroimaging and inflammatory responses. We have characterised sustained persistent inflammation in children with cerebral palsy and neonatal encephalopathy and developed tools for MODs assessment and correlation with outcomes. We plan to understand mechanisms of sustained inflammation in preterm infants . In addition working with families, multidisciplinary stakeholders and international collaborators we are developing educational information for families and a consensus-based definition of neonatal sepsis. We are establishing a machine learning algorithm to to predict the need for specific multiorgan follow-up in childhood as well as longer-term outcomes. In summary, understanding immune responses and persistent inflammation will allow the development of immunomodulatory therapies in the future and biomarkers to predict outcomes and inform families.
