While neonatal necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is associated with high mortality rates in newborns, survivors can face long-term sequelae. However, the relationship between NEC and neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) in preterm infants remains unclear. To explore the relationship between neonatal NEC and neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants, we searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library from their inception to February 2024 for relevant studies. Studies included were cohort or case–control studies reporting neurodevelopmental outcomes of NEC in preterm infants. Two independent investigators extracted data regarding brain damage and neurodevelopmental outcomes in these infants at a corrected age exceeding 12 months. Odds ratios (ORs) were pooled using a random effects model. We included 15 cohort studies and 18 case–control studies, encompassing 60,346 infants. Meta-analysis of unadjusted and adjusted ORs demonstrated a significant association between NEC and increased odds of NDI (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.9–2.44; aOR 1.89, 95% CI 1.46–2.46). Regarding brain injury, pooled crude ORs indicated an association of NEC with severe intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.06–1.92) and periventricular leucomalacia (PVL) (OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.76–3.69). When compared with conservatively treated NEC, surgical NEC potentially carries a higher risk of NDI (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.09–2.93) and severe IVH (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.20–2.06). However, the risk of PVL did not show a significant difference (OR 1.60, 95% CI 0.47–5.40). Conclusions: Our meta-analysis provides evidence suggesting an association between NEC and NDI. Additionally, the severity of intestinal lesions appears to correlate with a higher risk of NDI. Further high-quality studies with comprehensive adjustments for potential confounding factors are required to definitively establish whether the association with NDI is causal. What is Known:• NEC is a serious intestinal disease in the neonatal period with a high mortality rate, and surviving children may have digestive system sequelae.• Compared with non-NEC preterm infants, the reported incidences of brain injury and neurodevelopmental disorders in NEC preterm infants are not the same. What is New:• The risk of neonatal brain injury and neurodevelopmental disorders in preterm infants with NEC is higher than that in non-NEC infants, and the risk of NDI in surgical NEC infants is higher than that in the conservative treatment group.• NEC may increase the risk of motor, cognitive, language development delays, and attention deficits in children.

Objective: To detect myofibroblast formation on the tension side during orthodontic tooth movement in vivo and myofibroblast expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) induced by tension both in vivo and in vitro. Materials and Methods: Fifty 6-week male rats were used in this in vivo study, and the right maxillary first molar was moved mesially, which served as the experimental group, and the left maxillary first molar served as the control. Rats were sacrificed at days 0, 3, 5, 7, and 14 after force loading. Myofibroblasts, identified with α-SMA, were examined through immunohistochemistry. For the in vitro study, human periodontal ligament (PDL) fibroblasts were obtained. Cyclic mechanical tension was applied to the fibroblasts for 0, 1, 3, 6, and 12 hours. Transmission electron microscopy was used to detect the ultrastructure of myofibroblasts. α-SMA mRNA gene expression was quantified by real-time quantitative PCR. The expression of α-SMA was detected by immunofluorescence and quantified by Western blotting. Results: In vivo, the myofibroblasts expressing α-SMA were identified both in the experimental group and in the control group. The expressions of α-SMA were increased in the tension areas of the experimental group over time, and reached the maximum in day 14. In vitro, fibronexus junctions and actin microfilaments in the cells could be found with transmission electron microscopy. Cyclic mechanical tension could significantly induce α-SMA expression at 12 hours (P < .01) than the controls. Conclusions: Myofibroblasts existed in the PDL. The expressions of α-SMA in the myofibroblasts were significantly up regulated under tension both in vivo and in vitro.

Objective: Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) is one of the most common causes of food allergies (FA) in children. There have been studies on the use of immunotherapy in cow’s milk protein allergy, with oral immunotherapy (OIT) being the most extensively researched. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to explore the efficacy and safety of OIT to manage cow’s milk allergy in children.Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases were searched from their inception until August 2024. Randomized controlled trials that reported on the efficacy or safety of IT for CMA were included. Two investigators independently extracted data on regimen of intervention, outcomes, number of cases and gender ratio. Pooled estimates of relative risks or standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were calculated from the included studies for dichotomous and continuous outcomes.Results: Nineteen RCT articles (815 participants) were included. The meta-analysis indicated that oral immunotherapy significantly facilitated desensitization in patients with cow’s milk allergy in children (relative risk [RR] 2.51, 95% CI: 1.54–4.09, I²=84.4%). Tolerance threshold at oral food challenges (OFC) increased following oral immunotherapy compared with a standard mean difference (SMD) of 3.58 (2.82–4.33). After oral immunotherapy, the antibody titers of cow milk protein sIgE (SMD -0.42, 95% CI: -0.72 to -0.11, I²=28.8%) and casein sIgE (SMD -0.54, 95% CI: -0.97 to -0.11, I²=0%) decreased. The risk of adverse reactions with immunotherapy was not higher than that in the control group, with an RR of 2.05 (95% CI 0.96–4.37, I²=81.5%).Conclusions: Oral immunotherapy, is associated with desensitization to CMA in children, without increased risk of short-term adverse events, but late complications such as eosinophilic esophagitis require caution. More high-quality studies are needed to explore the long-term efficacy of OIT for CMA.Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/recorddashboard, identifier CRD42024541769.

Objective: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in infants and young children, which may progress to bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and other severe respiratory complications. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the RSV disease in premature infants. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases from inception through December 2025. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA software (version 15.0). Effect estimates were expressed as relative risk (RR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals, and treatment rankings were evaluated using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) probability. Results: This Network Meta-analysis (NMA) included 7 randomized controlled trials involving 4 drugs and 11319 infants. Compared with the placebo, nirsevimab, motavizumab, and palivizumab have shown beneficial effects at reducing RSV-related hospitalization rates (RR, nirsevimab: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.09-0.45; motavizumab: 0.32 95% CI: 0.19-0.53; palivizumab: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.30-0.61) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions due to RSV infections (nirsevimab: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.01-0.87; motavizumab: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.08-0.65; palivizumab: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.21-0.90) in preterm infants. Nirsevimab was most likely to exert the best therapeutic effects, with the highest (SUCRA) values of 94.4% for RSV-related hospitalization rates and 89.1% for ICU admissions. No significant differences were found in mechanical ventilation use, deaths related to RSV Infections and drug-related adverse events. Conclusion: Nirsevimab, motavizumab, and palivizumab all reduced RSV-related hospitalizations and ICU admissions in preterm infants, with nirsevimab showing the greatest effect. However, further studies are needed to confirm these findings. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024583222 , identifier CRD42024583222.