Understanding brain nutrition for very preterm infants
Official title: Development of a brain-specific nutritional status indicator for very preterm infants
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11140306 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work aims to find a better way to measure how well very preterm infants are nourished to support their brain development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 26, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $682,239 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD111016-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11140306 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This work is focused on very preterm infants, born before 32 weeks of gestation, who are receiving care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
✕Less likely to help
Infants born at full term or those without specific nutritional concerns related to prematurity would not directly benefit from this particular research.
What this research studies
Each year, many infants born very early face challenges with brain development, even after leaving the hospital. Nutrition is incredibly important during this critical time to help their brains grow healthy. We want to find a specific and easy way to track how nutrients build up in their bodies, especially in ways that support brain health. This involves creating a new reference for healthy body composition in preterm infants and linking these measurements to their long-term brain development. We are using a special technique called bioimpedance analysis to measure body composition in the NICU.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to improved nutritional guidelines and care for very preterm infants, potentially reducing long-term neurodevelopmental problems.
How similar studies have gone: While the importance of nutrition for preterm infants is known, this approach of using 'growth quality' and bioimpedance analysis to specifically track brain-related nutritional status is innovative.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Belfort, Mandy Brown — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Belfort, Mandy Brown
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.