Metabolomics in the developing infant

Purpose of review
The aim of this review is to update readers on the most recent publications concerning clinical
metabolomics in developing infants.
Recent findings
Only a limited number of neonatal and pediatric metabolomic studies have been published, in comparison
to the adult. However, this number of pediatric and neonatal papers is constantly increasing. The latest
papers are related to intrauterine growth restricted and small for gestational age neonates, prematurity,
mode of delivery, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, persistent ductus arteriosus, respiratory syndrome and
surfactant therapy, cytomegalovirus infection, nephrouropathy, inborn errors of metabolism,
pharmametabolomics, and nutrimetabolomics (including study of maternal milk and formula). Also
numerous papers have been presented in experimental neonatology. In particular, the fluids most frequently
used were as follows: urine, cord blood plasma, but also milk and stools. Each condition or disease
presents a specific discriminating set of metabolites, which can be considered like a ‘bar code’.
Summary
In the near future, improved tools for metabolomic analysis (like simplified ‘dipsticks’ for urine) and its
integration with other ‘omics’ will make this technology available in the clinical setting, leading to better or
easier clinical decision making. Urinary metabolomics will probably be one of the most used tools in
pediatrics and the metabolome will be ‘our world’.