title: Metabolomics in the developing infant.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this review is to update readers on the most recent publications concerning clinical metabolomics in developing infants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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'.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Surgery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Puericulture Institute and Neonatal Section, University of Cagliari, Cagliari bDivision of Neonatology and Pediatrics, Nostra Signora di Bonaria Hospital, San Gavino Monreale cDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fanos
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Antonucci
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Atzori
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000652:urine*; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000652:urine*; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000639:trends; D009359:Neonatology / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers