Grant: Operating Grant

In Canada, about 40,000 children are born prematurely each year and one in six will develop an invasive infection in their first weeks of life. Unfortunately, many of the life-saving interventions premature babies are exposed to during their first weeks of life put them at very high risk of infection. An infection at this age can be very serious and result in life-long health problems or may even lead to death. One of the body's most vital functions is its ability to fight off infections. Immune cells recognize infectious invaders and protect against them, while keeping us healthy. The reasons why adults, or even babies born at term, are able to fend off infections much better than these vulnerable preterm infants remains poorly understood. Our goal is to examine the way human immune cells work early in life to understand why premature babies are particularly susceptible to infection. Ultimately, a deeper understanding of when and why babies are most susceptible to infection will help doctors avoid exposing babies to risky procedures during their highest vulnerability periods and will provide us with the information we need to develop better diagnostic tests and treatments to prevent the serious consequences of infections in these infants.