Professor Jane Pillow
Research Profile
Professor Jane Pillow’s research interests evolve from her determination to improve the respiratory outcomes of preterm infants through development and enhanced understanding of novel approaches to mechanical ventilation and postnatal care.
Although mechanical ventilation may be lifesaving, some infants develop very severe and progressive lung disease, partly as a result of injury and inflammation in the lung resulting from the mechanical ventilation. Giving steroids to infants with severe lung disease helps to resolve the inflammation and improve the lung enough that the baby can breathe on their own without help. However, both steroids and long periods on breathing machines may interfere with normal brain development.
Jane’s team focuses on the cardiorespiratory and neurodevelopmental outcomes, as the former often determines survival, and both outcomes have major implications for quality (and quantity) of life. Very premature infants are more likely to be rated as having externalising behaviour and attention problems. Lung and heart disease may predispose the infant to life-threatening chest complications whilst the failure of lung development may compromise breathing capacity in later life.
Jane uses a preterm lamb study to help clinicians understand the long-term risks and benefits of giving steroids to preterm human infants.