Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

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Newborn and child health

The Ottawa Hospital is conducting cutting-edge research to improve newborn and child health. This page includes selected news stories about our newborn and child health research, links to researchers working in this area and related resources. Learn more below.

Research News

	Lab study provides new hope for newborns affected by rare lung disease March 21, 2025 - A team led by Drs. Bernard Thébaud, Sarah Wootton and Martin Kang found a way to give multiple doses of gene therapy for a deadly newborn lung disease, dramatically extending the lives of mice with this condition.
	Could a preemie’s umbilical cord help repair their lungs? February 11, 2025 - “Our results suggest we could one day test whether cells from a preemie’s umbilical cord might prevent them from developing a chronic lung disease.”
	$2.8M grant to support Canada-wide trial of cell therapy for preterm babies September 16, 2024 - “This trial could change the way we care for premature babies. It’s my hope that these tiny patients will have a better chance to thrive, grow up, and have an impact on the world around them."
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	Two decades in the making — world-first trial aims to heal the lungs of preemies May 1, 2024 - Emmy Cogan entered this world weighing barely more than a pound. This tiny warrior made history by becoming the first baby in North America to receive a world-first cell therapy trial to heal the lungs of preterm babies
	Which cells have the greatest potential to repair the lungs of pre-term babies? April 23, 2024 - Dr. Bernard Thébaud and his team have uncovered which types of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are the best at healing lung injury in the lab.
	Tiny trailblazer: First baby treated in world-first trial for chronic lung disease January 19, 2024 - Emmy Cogan was the first baby treated in a world-first clinical trial of a cell therapy for bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
	Tiny Cells for Tiny Lungs September 28, 2023 - “Stem cells used to be something that were grown in a petri dish. They are now game-changing therapies with live-saving potential for even the tiniest of patients.”
	First patient treated in world-first cell therapy trial to heal the lungs of preterm babies March 23, 2023 - Researchers have treated the first patient in an innovative clinical trial of a cell therapy that aims to prevent very premature babies from developing a chronic lung disease called bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). This is the first trial of its kin
	Prenatal exposure to low doses of methylmercury causes autism-like behaviors in mice March 9, 2023 - A study co-led by Dr. Jing Wang and Dr. Laurie Chan is the first to show that exposing pregnant mice to low doses of methylmercury causes autism-like behaviors in their offspring.
	How a chronic lung disease in preterm babies also affects the brain February 16, 2023 - Dr. Bernard Thébaud and his team have uncovered clues as to why premature babies with the chronic lung disease bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) may have problems thinking, learning and remembering.
	Using big data to help the smallest babies January 27, 2023 - New research led by Drs. Steven Hawken and Kumanan Wilson shows that a mathematical model that reads the “metabolic fingerprint” of newborn blood samples could help.
	Huge hope for our smallest patients November 2, 2022 - Dr. Bernard Thébaud clearly remembers the day he decided to become a doctor—his dad had suggested the soccer-loving teen become a sports physician. But from the first day of his pediatric surgery rotation, Dr. Thébaud knew he wanted to help
	Soccer skills and stem cell science- Meet Dr. Bernard Thébaud September 14, 2022 - Every day, Dr. Bernard Thébaud creates futures for Ottawa’s youngest community members. As a senior scientist with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and as a neonatologist with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), Dr. Thé
	Hospitalizations for unintentional cannabis poisonings among Canadian children surged after legalization, particularly in jurisdictions where the sale of cannabis edibles was allowed August 24, 2022 - Canada has seen a 6.3 fold increase in hospitalizations for unintentional cannabis poisoning among children under the age of 10 since the legalization of recreational cannabis, according to a research letter published in the New England Journal of Me
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 19 CIHR grants worth more than $12 million July 20, 2022 - These projects will advance science and improve health in areas such as cancer, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, autism, Kabuki Syndrome, kidney disease, patient engagement, blood transfusions, sepsis, surgery, anesthesia, plasma donation, muscle
	Nano therapy for micro-preemies protects lungs, brain in lab study March 30, 2022 - Very premature babies need extra oxygen and mechanical intervention to breathe, but this damages their lungs, causing a chronic lung disease called bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
	“Cell atlas” could shine light on lung problems in adults and premature babies April 28, 2021 - Researchers have built a “cell atlas” that shows all the cellular changes that happen during the last stages of lung development.
	Experts on call: Stem cells, gene therapy and biotherapeutics April 22, 2021 - Could biotherapeutics be the key to the next wave of medical breakthroughs? Join this lively discussion to learn how researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are using biological materials like cells, genes and viruses to heal the body and fight disease.
	Gene therapy for deadly newborn lung disease shows promise in mice October 26, 2020 - One in a million babies are born with Surfactant Protein B deficiency, a genetic disorder in the lungs that will kill them before their first birthday. The only cure is a lung transplant.
	Cannabis use in pregnancy linked to a greater risk of autism August 10, 2020 - In the largest study of its kind, researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, BORN Ontario and the University of Ottawa found that children whose mothers reported using cannabis during pregnancy were at greater risk of autism.
	Innovative clinical trial design breathes life into potential cell therapy for lung disease in preterm babies July 10, 2020 - When it comes to developing medical treatments, it is a long, challenging and expensive road from the research lab to the clinic.Most Canadians give little thought to what goes into the healthcare we receive – we’re happy to get good care when and wh
	Stem cells may heal lungs of premature babies March 4, 2020 - Premature babies need extra oxygen and mechanical intervention to breathe but this can damage their lungs, causing a chronic lung disease. A stem cell treatment soon to be tested in clinical trials at The Ottawa Hospital may help heal the lungs of pr
	Could umbilical cord cell therapy help premature babies? Dr. Bernard Thébaud awarded $638,000 from Stem Cell Network for clinical trial March 2, 2020 - Dr. Bernard Thébaud and colleagues received $638,000 from the Stem Cell Network with in-kind matching funds from MDTB Cells GmbH to conduct a phase 1 clinical trial of umbilical cord cell therapy for premature babies.
	Assisted reproductive technology and heart problems: it’s (mostly) about the twins February 24, 2020 - Babies born through Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) like in vitro fertilization have a small but significantly increased risk of being born with heart problems (2.2 percent for ART babies compared to 1.2 percent for non-ART babies). Now, a new
	Cell therapy for premature babies: new lab study suggests wider treatment window may be possible February 19, 2020 - Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease caused by the breathing equipment that keeps premature babies alive.
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded nine grants worth $5.6 million from Canadian Institutes of Health Research February 3, 2020 - How can we treat depression when nothing else is working? How can heart growth be both good and bad? How can we increase patient participation in clinical trials? These are just a few of the big questions that researchers at The Ottawa Hospital will
	Could artificial intelligence help manage preterm birth? Prestigious fellowship to help Dr. Steven Hawken find out January 15, 2020 - Dr. Steven Hawken has been awarded a Health Research Foundation Fellowship in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Health Research, one of only two in the country. The $100,000 award will allow Dr. Hawken to use advanced AI and predictive modeling to help id
	Thinking about using cannabis during pregnancy? Think again. September 16, 2019 - New research suggests that pregnant women who use cannabis have a greater risk of a preterm birth.
	Simple blood test could determine preterm birth rate in low resource countries March 19, 2019 - Preterm birth is a leading cause of death among children under the age of five, with low resource countries facing the greatest challenge. But before solutions can be tested, researchers first need to be able to accurately mea
	High dose folic acid does not prevent preeclampsia in high-risk women September 12, 2018 - Taking high doses of folic acid throughout pregnancy does not prevent preeclampsia in high-risk women, according to a large international clinical trial published in The BMJ. This refutes the findings of previous observational studies and is expected
	Using big data to help the smallest babies – Canadian researchers use newborn blood tests to identify preterm children in low-resource countries March 23, 2018 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the University of Ottawa have received nearly US $1 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to find out how often babies are born preterm in low-resource co
	Weight gained in first half of pregnancy affects baby’s birth weight the most February 26, 2018 - A baby’s birth weight is strongly linked to how much weight their mother gained during the first half of her pregnancy, according to a study led by Drs Shi Wu Wen and Ravi Retnakaran with Dr. Mark Walker. This is important because babies with a ver
	Rejuvenating damaged newborn mouse lungs with stem cells February 14, 2018 - Dr. Bernard Thébaud and his team have shown for the first time that differentiated human stem cells can prevent lung damage in lab models of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. BPD is a chronic condition caused by the breathing equipment that keeps prematu
	New blood sugar monitoring a game-changer for pregnant women with type 1 diabetes October 24, 2017 - Fifteen women at The Ottawa Hospital took part in an international clinical trial that could change the way mothers with type 1 diabetes monitor their blood sugar levels. Mothers with this condition have a higher risk of having children with health c
	Researchers get $558K boost from Heart and Stroke Foundation June 15, 2017 - Two scientists from The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa were successful in the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s recent grant-in-aid grant competition. Dr. Baptiste Lacoste was awarded $259,000* to test whether drugs that are already used
	Could stem cells fight lung disease in our tiniest patients? June 15, 2017 - Dr. Bernard Thébaud and his team are hoping to harness stem cells from umbilical cords to treat chronic lung diseases in extremely premature babies like Olivia Eberts. “She’s a miracle because she wasn’t expected to survive,” said her mother, Jamie
	Could stem cells heal premature lungs, fight infections, build muscles and strengthen bones? May 25, 2017 - Ottawa researchers closer to finding out, thanks to $1.5 million from the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, CHEO and the University of Ottawa are bringing discoveries made in the lab closer to huma
	“Invaluable” study confirms blood thinners don’t prevent recurrent pregnancy complications October 18, 2016 - Two years ago, Dr. Marc Rodger thought he had settled the debate about the use of blood thinners in pregnant women at high risk of developing blood clots. His trial of 292 women in five countries – the largest of its kind – definitely showed that t

Researchers

Name	Scientific appointment	Diseases, conditions and populations of interest	Research and clinical approaches
El-Chaar, Darine MD, FRCSC, Msc	Scientist (ICD)	Autoimmune disease, COVID-19, Diabetes, Infectious disease, Inflammatory bowel syndrome, Maternal and fetal health, Newborn and child health, Population health, Pregnancy, Women's health	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health research methods, Health services research, Public health, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Systematic reviews
Gaudet, Laura MD, MSc	Affiliate Investigator (ACR)	Newborn and child health, Pregnancy, Women's health	Clinical research
Harrison, Denise RN, PhD	Affiliate Investigator (MIR)	Newborn and child health, Pain	Clinical trials, Cluster randomized trials, Knowledge translation and implementation research
Hawken, Steven PhD	Senior Scientist (MIR)	Population health, Global health, Newborn and child health, Pregnancy	Artificial intelligence and data science, Big data, Biomarkers, Health services research, Immunization, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Health research methods
Maqsood, Muhammad MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Newborn and child health, Septic shock
Moore, Gregory MD, FRCPC	Clinician Investigator (ACR)	Newborn and child health	Clinical research, Knowledge translation and implementation research, Patient decision aids, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Shared decision making, Systematic reviews
Thébaud, Bernard MD, PhD	Senior Scientist (RM)	Lung disease, Newborn and child health	Cell therapy, Extracellular vesicles / exosomes, Molecular and cellular biology, Regenerative medicine, Stem cells, Translational research
Walker, Mark MD, FRCPC, MSc, MScHCM	Senior Scientist (ACR)	Global health, Health equity, Infertility, Maternal and fetal health, Newborn and child health, Population health, Pregnancy, Women's health	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cluster randomized trials, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health economics, Health promotion, Health research methods, Health services research, Knowledge translation and implementation research, Pragmatic trials, Prevention, Public health, Quality Improvement, Rapid reviews, Risk assessment, Surveys, Systematic reviews
Wilson, Kumanan MD, MSc, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (MIR)	COVID-19, Global health, Infectious disease, Newborn and child health, Population health	Artificial intelligence and data science, Big data, Biomarkers, Clinical research, Digital and mobile health, Epidemiology, Health services research, Health technology, Immunization, Public health, Transfusions, Translational research

Related Resources

Maternal and fetal health research at The Ottawa Hospital

The Ottawa Hospital Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Newborn Care