Background: Expanded Newborn Screening (NBS) allows screening for more than 50 inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs), thanks to the use of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Beyond its primary diagnostic function, NBS offers a valuable opportunity to obtain comprehensive information regarding the nutritional status of each newborn. This aspect is particularly significant in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) preterm infants, who are at increased risk of multiple perinatal complications. The objective of the present study was to leverage the extensive dataset generated from NBS samples of VLBW infants to explore potential correlations with longitudinal extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 155 VLBW newborns hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and screened at IRCCS Giannina Gaslini Children’s Hospital between May 2021 and December 2023. Forty-six NBS metabolites were evaluated at 48–72 h of life (T0), 30 days of life (T1), and at a body weight of 1800 g (T2). Results: Several metabolites showed significant differences between infants with and without longitudinal EUGR in the univariate analyses across the three sampling time points. However, after adjustment for multiple comparisons using the Benjamini–Hochberg procedure, no metabolite remained significantly associated with longitudinal EUGR. Conclusions: Although several metabolites initially appeared to be promising candidates, no independent metabolic signature of longitudinal EUGR was identified after adjustment for multiple testing. Nevertheless, the biological plausibility of several metabolic pathways potentially implicated in postnatal growth provides a rationale for future prospective studies with larger cohorts and more targeted metabolic panels to better elucidate the biological mechanisms underlying longitudinal EUGR.

Objective: Patients with juvenile fibromyalgia syndrome (JFS) often report gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) are common in adult fibromyalgia, but data in JFS are limited. We evaluated the prevalence and clinical impact of DGBI in JFS and explored their association with disease severity. Methods: This observational study included patients with JFS followed at the Gaslini Institute between March 2024 and October 2025. At each visit, the Widespread Pain Index (WPI) and JFS-related symptoms (fatigue, headache, morning tiredness, and neuropsychiatric features) were assessed using self-reported measures. Patients completed a questionnaire for GI symptoms at each visit, and DGBI diagnoses were established by a pediatric gastroenterologist according to the Rome IV criteria. Results: Sixty-three patients (55 female, 87%; mean age at enrollment 16.9 [SD 2.6] years) were included, and 219 questionnaires were collected. Forty-eight patients (76%) had ≥ 1 DGBI, which included functional dyspepsia (63%), irritable bowel syndrome (38%), and functional constipation (15%). Thirty-eight percent of patients with JFS reported limitations in daily activities due to GI symptoms. BMI (kg/m ² ) was significantly lower in patients with DGBI (BMI Z -score 0.0 [IQR −0.6 to 1.8] vs 2.1 [IQR 0.7 to 3.3]; P = 0.01). In multivariate analysis, a higher WPI was independently associated with DGBI (odds ratio 1.19, 95% CI 1.03-1.37; P = 0.02). Conclusion: DGBI are very common in JFS and may significantly affect patients' functional capacity. Their presence is associated with more severe and widespread musculoskeletal pain, underscoring the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in the management of JFS.