Journal of Pediatric and Neonatal Individualized Medicine (JPNIM)

Selected Lectures of the Obesity Marathon; Cagliari (Italy); October 21, 2026

2026-10-18T17:28:39+02:00

Selected Lectures of the Obesity Marathon; Cagliari (Italy); October 21^st, 2026

The “Obesity Marathon” is a Satellite Meeting of the 22^nd International Workshop on Neonatology and Pediatrics, Cagliari (Italy), October 21^st-24^th, 2026.

LECT 1. WHEN RISK BEGINS EARLY: OMICS, OBESITY, AND AGING ALONG THE US/MEXICO BORDER • K.E. North

LECT 2. AAP GUIDELINES AND EPIDEMIOLOGIC LANDSCAPE OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY. BEYOND BMI: MEDICAL-SURGICAL MANAGEMENT • I. Pathak

LECT 3. CARDIOVASCULAR PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN WITH OBESITY • F. De Luca

LECT 4. THE EUROPEAN PROJECT BETTER4U ON OBESITY • A. Noto, V. Fanos

LECT 5. OBESITY IN TWINS • D.I. Boomsma

LECT 6. METABOLOMICS IN PEDIATRIC OBESITY • V. Fanos

LECT 7. LIVER CHANGES IN PEDIATRIC OBESITY: WHAT ROLE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE? • G. Faa, M. Lastretti, A. Faa, M. Piras, M. Piludu, A. Dessì, V. Fanos

LECT 8. REVOLUTIONIZING PREVENTIVE CARE: HOLISTIC AVATAR INTERVENTIONS FOR FAMILY-CENTERED OBESITY PREVENTION • M. Leiner, C. Levine, J.M. de la Rosa

Selected Lectures of the 22nd International Workshop on Neonatology and Pediatrics; Cagliari (Italy); October 22, 2026

2026-10-20T19:44:10+02:00

Selected Lectures of the 22^nd International Workshop on Neonatology and Pediatrics; Cagliari (Italy); October 22^nd, 2026.

PRECISION NEONATOLOGY AND PEDIATRICS

The Workshop has been organized with the patronage of of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, City of Cagliari, Azienda Ospedaliera di Cagliari, University of Cagliari, Board of Physicians of the Province of Cagliari, AMBO (Alleanza per un Ambiente a misura di Bambino: alliance for a child-friendly environment), Board of Directors of Italian Pediatrics Schools, European Project Better4u, European Project Life Milch, National Coordination of Heads of Pediatric Departments (CONAPP), Italian Federation of Family Pediatricians (FIMP), Italian Knowledge Leaders, Italian-Arabian Pediatric Society (IAPS), Italian-Romanian Pediatric Society (IRPS), Italian-Swedish Cultural Association (ACIS), Norman Group of Neonatal and Pediatric Nephrology, Italian Society of Pediatric Allergology and Immunology (SIAIP), Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry (SIBioC), Italian Society of Gynecology of Infancy and Adolescence (SIGIA), Italian Society of Neonatology (SIN), “SIPO in the World” Association, Italian Society of Pediatric Psychology (S.I.P.Ped.), “Pediatria Più” Association, Italian Society of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (SI-DOHaD), Italian Society of Pediatricians (SIMPE-ETS).

LECT 1. PLASTICS IN PERINATOLOGY • A. Ragusa, G. La Motta (Modena, Italy)

LECT 2. ENVIRONMENT AND KIDNEY DAMAGE: WHAT ROLE DO MICRO- AND NANOPLASTICS AND ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTING CHEMICALS PLAY IN KIDNEY DAMAGE? • G. Faa, M. Piras, A. Faa, M. Lastretti, M. Piludu, V. Fanos (Cagliari and Rome, Italy)

LECT 3. PRESENT AND FUTURE OF NEONATOLOGY: FROM SURVIVAL TO LIFELONG HEALTH • M. Agosti (Varese, Italy)

LECT 4. THE LATEST NEWS ON RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY: WHAT TO KNOW, WHAT TO DO • D. Lepore (Rome, Italy)

LECT 5. VIABILITY OF EXTREMELY PREMATURE NEONATES: CLINICAL APPROACHES AND OUTCOME • E. Koç (Ankara, Turkiye)

LECT 6. PREMATURITY AND MORE: CLINICAL CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM COMPLEX CASES • G.M. Cesaroni, I. Capolupo, D.U. De Rose, F. Landolfo, E. Montemitro, R. Cutrera, M.G. Paglietti, M. Pilati, M. Rebonato, G. Butera, F. Calzolari, D. Meucci, M. Trozzi, V. Marinelli, V. Fanos, A. Dotta (Rome and Cagliari, Italy)

LECT 7. NEONATAL ARRHYTHMIAS • F. De Luca (Catania, Italy)

LECT 8. UREA CYCLE DEFECTS • C. Dionisi-Vici (Rome, Italy)

LECT 9. NEONATAL-ONSET GENETIC ENCEPHALOPATHIES: DIAGNOSTIC APPROACH, TIMELY INTERVENTION, AND PRECISION THERAPIES • A. Verrotti, L. Brunori, S. Savasta (Perugia and Cagliari, Italy)

LECT 10. IMPORTANCE OF CRANIAL ULTRASOUND IN EXTREMELY PRETERM INFANTS • M. Vendemmia (Naples, Italy)

LECT 11. NEONATAL BIOETHICS IN 2026: PROGNOSTIC UNCERTAINTY, PROPORTIONATE CARE, AND RESEARCH WITHOUT PRIOR CONSENT • E. d’Aloja (Cagliari, Italy)

LECT 12. PDA SCORING: ENHANCING CLINICAL DECISION-MAKING AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES • S. Chheda, J.M. de la Rosa, M. Leiner (El Paso, TX, USA)

LECT 13. ENGAGING HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS AS PARTNERS IN PERINATAL CARE: WHOLE-PERSON APPROACHES FOR HEALTH ACROSS THE LIFESPAN • T. Mangadu (El Paso, TX, USA)

LECT 14. PULMONARY HYPERTENSION IN NEWBORNS: FROM PATHOPHYSIOLOGY TO CONTEMPORARY MANAGEMENT • P.P. Bassareo (Dublin, Ireland)

LECT 15. NUTRITIONAL BEST PRACTICES FOR THE VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANT • S. Chheda (El Paso, TX, USA)

LECT 16. EMERGENCY POINT OF CARE ULTRASOUND IN THE NICU • F. Raimondi, F. Grasso, F. Migliaro, S. Salomè, A. Capasso, L. Capasso (Naples, Italy)

LECT 17. EPOCAL CHANGES IN HUMAN MILK BANKS • E. Bertino, S. Deantoni, G. Moro (Turin and Milan, Italy)

LECT 18. NEUROCUTANEOUS SYNDROMES: HISTORY AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES • S. Savasta (Cagliari, Italy)

LECT 19. LUNG MICROBIOTA: WHAT WE KNOW • D. Peroni (Pisa, Italy)

LECT 20. BLADDER, KIDNEY AND BRAIN: UNRAVELLING THE HIDDEN COMPLEXITY OF PEDIATRIC FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS • G. Masnata (Cagliari, Italy)

LECT 21. CHILDHOOD MASLD AND EARLY CARDIOVASCULAR DAMAGE: A CALL FOR ACTION • O. Aguilar, K. Pannerselvam, M. Leiner (El Paso, TX, USA)

Selected Lectures of the Congress of Pediatrics; Cagliari (Italy); October 23, 2026

2026-10-20T19:54:20+02:00

Selected Lectures of the Congress of Pediatrics; Cagliari (Italy); October 23^rd, 2026

The Congress of Pediatrics is a Satellite Meeting of the 22^nd International Workshop on Neonatology and Pediatrics, Cagliari (Italy), October 21^st-24^th, 2026.

LECT 1. MYTHOLOGY AND GENETICS • E. Dimauro, L. Stuppia (Chieti – Pescara, Italy)

LECT 2. THE ITALIAN DEMOGRAPHIC CRISIS: FROM PAST TO FUTURE • L. Orfeo, R. Arena (Rome, Italy)

LECT 3. CLIMATE CHANGE: WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS ON PERINATAL HEALTH? • F. Mosca, P.M. Guerrieri (Milan, Italy)

LECT 4. PRIMARY ATOPIC DISORDERS: CLINICAL AND MOLECULAR SPECTRUM AT THE INTERFACE OF ALLERGY AND INBORN ERRORS OF IMMUNITY • G. Vittori, I. Taietti, R. Castagnoli, G.L. Marseglia (Pavia, Italy)

LECT 5. NEW PRECISION THERAPIES IN PEDIATRIC RHEUMATOLOGY • A. Ravelli (Genoa, Italy)

LECT 6. GENETICS OF NEONATAL STROKE • D. Pruna, L. Zucca, M. Asunis, M.S. Dettori, S. Cossu (Cagliari, Italy)

LECT 7. CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE AND SYNDROMES • P. Neroni, A. Atzei, L. Serra, A. Abis, V. Fanos (Cagliari, Italy)

LECT 8. APPROACH TO HEREDITARY METABOLIC DISEASES IN THE NEWBORN • M. Balzarini, A. Orru, A. Corrias, M. Marica, S. Savasta (Cagliari, Italy)

LECT 9. UPDATE ON NEONATAL PAIN MANAGEMENT • C. Loddo, V. Fanos (Cagliari, Italy)

LECT 10. EMERGENCY TRANSPORT OF THE CRITICALLY ILL NEONATE: FROM GROUND TO AIR TRANSPORT. THE ROLE OF NETS AND THE PECULIARITIES OF FLIGHT • F. Cioglia (Cagliari, Italy)

LECT 11. THIRTY YEARS OF NORMAN NEONATOLOGY, PEDIATRIC, AND NURSING CONFERENCES • S. Vendemmia, M. Vendemmia (Aversa and Naples, Italy)

LECT 12. MICROBIOTA FROM BIRTH TO WEANING • N. Laforgia, M.E. Baldassarre (Bari, Italy)

LECT 13. ZINC IN NEONATOLOGY: A SMALL TRACE ELEMENT WITH A MAJOR CLINICAL IMPACT • L. Maggio (Rome, Italy)

LECT 14. INSULIN RESISTANCE: ARE WE LOSING A GENERATION? RECOGNIZE EARLIER. INTERVENE EARLIER. CHANGE THE FUTURE • M. Leiner, O.M. Aguilar (El Paso, TX, USA)

LECT 15. THE FAMILY PEDIATRICIAN AND NEURODEVELOPMENT • O. Al Jamal (Cagliari, Italy)

LECT 16. NEURODEVELOPMENT AND NEURODEGENERATION: TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN? • M. Mussap (Venice, Italy)

LECT 17. CLIMATE CHANGE AND PAEDIATRIC HEALTH: FROM THE ONE HEALTH APPROACH TO PREVENTION IN THE FIRST 1,000 DAYS • G. Bracaglia, F. Mecarini (Viterbo, Italy)

LECT 18. NUTRITION AND ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS: FROM THE WOMB TO ADOLESCENCE • M.E. Street, A.M. Shulhai, P. Palanza (Parma, Italy)

LECT 19. THE AMBO PROJECT (ALLIANCE FOR A CHILD-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT) • S. Bernasconi (Parma, Italy)

LECT 20. THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE: THE ONE HEALTH APPROACH • P. Piscitelli (New Haven, CT, USA)

LECT 21. A HEALTHY DIET FOR A HEALTHY CHILD: FAMILY AND SOCIAL MEDIA BETWEEN RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES • A. Bosco, A. Dessì (Cagliari, Italy)

LECT 22. THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION • A. Dessì, R. Pintus, A. Bosco (Cagliari, Italy)

Selected Lectures of the Meeting “Family Pediatrics between the present and the future”; Cagliari (Italy); October 24, 2026

2026-10-20T20:06:39+02:00

Selected Lectures of the Meeting “Family Pediatrics between the present and the future”; October 24^th, 2026

The Meeting “Family Pediatrics between the present and the future” (“La Pediatria di Famiglia tra presente e futuro”) is a Satellite Meeting of the 22^nd International Workshop on Neonatology and Pediatrics, Cagliari (Italy), October 21^st-24^th, 2026.

LECT 1. FAMILY PEDIATRICS: PRESENT AND FUTURE • R. D’Avino (Naples, Italy)

LECT 2. COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE ERRORS IN THE CARE RELATIONSHIP • N.R. Caputo (Palazzolo sull’Oglio, Italy)

LECT 3. COMPLEMENTARY FEEDING IN PRETERM INFANTS: A NUTRITIONAL AND NEURODEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS • C. Argentina (Rimini, Italy)

LECT 4. NEW INSIGHTS IN PEDIATRIC NUTRITION • R. de Franchis (Naples, Italy)

LECT 5. POLYMETHYLSILOXANE POLYHYDRATE (ENTEROSGEL KIDS®) IN THE TREATMENT OF ACUTE DIARRHEA IN CHILDREN • A. Arrighi (Arezzo, Italy)

LECT 6. NEWS IN ENURESIS • R. Caruso (Monza, Italy)

LECT 7. DIABETES SCREENING: WHERE DO WE STAND? • C. Ripoli (Cagliari, Italy)

LECT 8. UPDATE ON THE PREVENTION OF RSV INFECTION • F. Nieddu, C. Azzari (Florence, Italy)

Selected Lectures of the Metabolomics Marathon; Cagliari (Italy); October 24, 2026

2026-10-19T17:21:25+02:00

Selected Lectures of the Metabolomics Marathon; Cagliari (Italy); October 24^th, 2026

The “Metabolomics Marathon” is a Satellite Meeting of the 22^nd International Workshop on Neonatology and Pediatrics, Cagliari (Italy), October 21^st-24^th, 2026.

LECT 1. HOW METABOLOMICS HAS CHANGED THE WAY I PRACTICE PEDIATRICS • G. Trapani

LECT 2. METABOLOMICS AND PROBIOTICS • F. Cesare Marincola

LECT 3. METABOLOMICS AND AUTISM • A. Dessì, A. Bosco

LECT 4. METABOLOMICS AND NUTRITION. FROM THE URINARY METABOLOME TO THE PLATE: HOW THE METABOLIC FINGERPRINT CAN GUIDE PRECISION NUTRITION IN CHILDREN • S. Alessandri

LECT 5. METABOLOMICS AND OBESITY • C. Piras

LECT 6. METABOLOMICS AND DENTAL HEALTH • A. Noto, V. Fanos

LECT 7. SPORTOMICS: METABOLOMICS APPLIED TO SPORT • V. Fanos

LECT 8. METABOLOMICS AND THE MICROBIOME: INTERCONNECTIONS • C. Marzetti

LECT 9. FOOD COMMUNICATES WITH THE MICROBIOTA • P. Mainardi, G. Villani

LECT 10. CARDIOTWIN: A PATIENT-SPECIFIC CARDIOVASCULAR DIGITAL TWIN FOR THE PREDICTION AND PREVENTION OF ANTHRACYCLINE-INDUCED CARDIOTOXICITY • A. Costa, K.K. Kopeć, S. Criscuolo, C. Lupo, V. Brancato, I. Della Torre, I. Avellino, A. Grassi, S. Zago, A. Colangelo

Inside human milk fortifiers: composition and clinical rationale

2026-07-14T20:25:44+02:00

Human milk (HM) represents the gold standard for infant’s nutrition, including preterm and very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, owing to its well-documented benefits in reducing neonatal morbidity and supporting long-term neurodevelopmental and metabolic outcomes. However, HM alone does not meet the nutritional requirements of VLBW infants as defined by current European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition guidelines, making fortification with protein, energy, and micronutrients a widely adopted strategy in Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

This article reviews the quantitative and qualitative aspects of HM fortification, with a focus on fortifiers currently available in Italy.

From a quantitative standpoint, multicomponent fortifiers provide additional protein and carbohydrates within recommended osmolality limits, though evidence on optimal protein intake thresholds and fortification strategies remains inconclusive. Lipid supplementation, particularly with docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid, is recommended to increase the caloric intake, to address long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiency and to support neurodevelopment.

Regarding qualitative aspects, bovine milk-derived fortifiers remain the standard of care despite the fact that exposure to bovine milk-derived products is not optimal with respect to tolerance and the reduction of the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis. HM-derived fortifiers, despite their theoretical advantages, have not demonstrated clear superiority over bovine milk-derived products in terms of morbidity or growth outcomes, and raise significant ethical and economic concerns. Donkey milk-derived fortifiers represent an emerging and promising alternative, given their compositional similarity to HM, hypoallergenic properties, and preliminary clinical evidence showing improved feeding tolerance with comparable auxological and neurodevelopmental outcomes in VLBW infants.

Future perspectives point toward the industrial development of donkey milk-based fortifiers as a clinically feasible and ethically sustainable alternative to current bovine milk-derived formulations.

Zinc in neonatal health: a mini-review

2026-06-30T15:40:39+02:00

Zinc is an essential trace element with catalytic, structural, and regulatory functions relevant to neonatal growth, immune competence, epithelial integrity, neurodevelopment, and metabolic programming. Neonates at greatest risk of zinc deficiency include preterm and very-low-birth-weight infants, growth-restricted newborns, exclusively breastfed infants and infants with prolonged parenteral nutrition, high gastrointestinal losses, or severe systemic disease. This mini-review summarizes current evidence on zinc in neonatal health, with emphasis on biological plausibility, clinical manifestations of deficiency, and the potential benefits and limits of supplementation. Zinc supplementation may improve short-term growth in selected preterm or low-birth-weight infants, while effects on bronchopulmonary dysplasia, long-term neurodevelopment, and other prematurity-related outcomes remain uncertain. Zinc has also been evaluated as an adjunct to phototherapy for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and as an adjunct to antibiotics in young-infant sepsis, but heterogeneity in populations, dosing, timing, and outcomes precludes routine use. Associations between zinc status and autism spectrum disorder or later cardiometabolic outcomes remain biologically plausible but not clinically proven. Overall, zinc supplementation in neonates should be targeted to documented or strongly suspected deficiency and high-risk clinical contexts, with monitoring for efficacy, safety, and interactions with other trace elements.

Early neonatal presentation of Joubert syndrome: a case report

2025-07-20T09:57:39+02:00

Introduction: Joubert syndrome (JS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by a distinctive midbrain-hindbrain malformation identifiable through brain imaging. Clinically, JS manifests as hypotonia, irregular respiratory patterns, oculomotor apraxia, ataxia, and developmental delay, and it is often accompanied by multi-organ involvement. Although no definitive treatment exists, early diagnosis is crucial for timely intervention and improved outcomes. This case report describes a neonatal presentation of JS, emphasizing the importance of early recognition and radiological data.

Case report: We present the case of a female neonate born at 39 weeks and 3 days, initially diagnosed with transient respiratory distress. The infant subsequently exhibited recurrent episodes of desaturation, abnormal eye movements, and hypotonia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed posterior fossa malformations consistent with JS, including vermian dysplasia, the characteristic “molar tooth sign” of the mesencephalon, and a “bat-wing” morphology of the fourth ventricle. Genetic testing confirmed JS. Further evaluations showed no evidence of systemic involvement.

Discussion: JS remains a diagnostic challenge due to its broad phenotypic spectrum. Early symptoms, such as respiratory distress and oculomotor abnormalities, can be subtle or mistaken for other neonatal conditions. MRI findings play a critical role in confirming the diagnosis, while genetic testing provides valuable information for family counseling. Comprehensive and multidisciplinary management, including neurological, ophthalmological, and developmental monitoring, is key for improving patient outcomes. This case highlights the importance of early diagnosis and multidisciplinary care in rare genetic disorders such as JS.