Team Leader, Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and Development
MBBS, PhD, FRACP, FAHMS
Professor Karen Simmer is the inaugural Professor of Newborn Medicine at the University of Western Australia (UWA). She was elected Chairman of the Academic Board and to the Senate of UWA from 2009-2012. Professor Simmer is an active clinician and the Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Units at King Edward Hospital for Women and Perth Children’s Hospital. She is Director of WA Neonatal Emergency Transport Services and the WA Human Milk Bank(PREM bank). She is the co-Director of the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence to improve the immediate and long term outcomes of preterm infants. She is an Honorary Professor at the NHMRC Clinical Trials’ Centre at the University of Sydney.
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Publications
Jun 2023
Current parenteral nutrition practice and clinical outcomes of term and late preterm infants: A retrospective study
Limited studies have described parenteral nutrition (PN) practices and clinical outcomes in term and late preterm infants. The aim of this study was to describe the current practice of PN in term and late preterm infants and their short-term clinical outcomes.
Published research Academic Biostatistics Early Childhood Development Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and Development Pre-term birthDecember 2022Human Milk Sodium and Potassium as Markers of Mastitis in Mothers of Preterm Infants
This prospective longitudinal study examined changes in milk sodium concentration (Na) and sodium:potassium ratio (Na:K), microbiological culture, milk production, and breast health in relation to mastitis after preterm birth.
Published research Breastfeeding Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and Development Pre-term birthMarch 2022Composition of early life leukocyte populations in preterm infants with and without late-onset sepsis
Composition of leukocyte populations in the first month of life remains incompletely characterised, particularly in preterm infants who go on to develop late-onset sepsis (LOS). The aim of the study was to characterise and compare leukocyte populations in preterm infants with and without LOS during the first month of life.
Published research Infectious Diseases Vaccine Trials Group Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and Development Neonatal Health Pre-term birthFebruary 2022Effect of single versus multistrain probiotic in extremely preterm infants: a randomised trial
Evidence indicates that multistrain probiotics benefit preterm infants more than single-strain (SS) probiotics. We assessed the effects of SS versus triple-strain (TS) probiotic supplementation (PS) in extremely preterm (EP) infants.
Published research Early Childhood Development Child Disability Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and Development Pre-term birthOctober 2022Neonatal Docosahexaenoic Acid in Preterm Infants and Intelligence at 5 Years
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a component of neural tissue. Because its accretion into the brain is greatest during the final trimester of pregnancy, infants born before 29 weeks' gestation do not receive the normal supply of DHA. The effect of this deficiency on subsequent cognitive development is not well understood.
Published research Nutrition Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and Development Pre-term birthOctober 2022Probiotic supplementation in neonates with congenital gastrointestinal surgical conditions: a pilot randomised controlled trial
To evaluate whether probiotic supplementation attenuates gut-dysbiosis in neonates with congenital gastrointestinal surgical conditions.
Published research Early Childhood Development Nutrition Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and DevelopmentAugust 2022Early versus late parenteral nutrition in term and late preterm infants: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Despite the wide use of parenteral nutrition (PN) in neonatal intensive care units (NICU), there is limited evidence regarding the optimal time to commence PN in term and late preterm infants.
Published research Early Childhood Development Nutrition Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and DevelopmentJuly 2022Associations of Maternal Milk Feeding With Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 7 Years of Age in Former Preterm Infants
Maternal milk feeding may have unique long-term neurodevelopmental benefits in very preterm infants. We examine the extent to which maternal milk feeding after very preterm birth is associated with cognitive, academic, and behavioral outcomes at school age.
Published research Breastfeeding Nutrition Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and DevelopmentJanuary 2021Enteral Vitamin A for Reducing Severity of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: A Randomized Trial
Evidence suggests that intramuscular vitamin A reduces the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. Our objective was to compare enteral water-soluble vitamin A with placebo supplementation to reduce the severity of BPD in extremely preterm infants.
Published research Chronobiology Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and Development Pre-term birthJanuary 2021Impaired Cytokine Responses to Live Staphylococcus epidermidis in Preterm Infants Precede Gram-positive, Late-onset Sepsis
Late-onset sepsis (LOS) with Staphylococcus epidermidis is common in preterm infants, but the immunological mechanisms underlying heightened susceptibility are poorly understood. Our aim is to characterize the ontogeny of cytokine responses to live S. epidermidis in preterm infants with and without subsequent Gram-positive LOS.
Published research Infectious Diseases Vaccine Trials Group Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and Development Neonatal HealthSeptember 2021Vitamin A supplementation in very-preterm or very-low-birth-weight infants to prevent morbidity and mortality: A systematic review and meta-Analysis of randomized trials
A previous systematic review showed that intramuscular vitamin A supplementation reduced the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. However, more recent studies have questioned this finding.
Published research Early Childhood Development Chronobiology Neonatal Health Pre-term birthAugust 2021Use of parenteral nutrition in term and late preterm infants: An Australian and New Zealand Survey
There is limited information regarding the use of parenteral nutrition (PN) in term and late preterm infants. We conducted a survey to study the current clinical practices within Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). A 15-question online-survey was distributed to 232 neonatologists and 55 paediatric intensivists across ANZ between September and November 2019.
Published research Early Childhood Development Nutrition Neonatal HealthAugust 2020Lactoferrin Expression Is Not Associated with Late-Onset Sepsis in Very Preterm Infants
Preterm infants are at a high risk of developing late-onset sepsis (LOS). Lactoferrin is one of the most abundant endogenous antimicrobial proteins expressed in breast milk, stools, and blood, and a candidate for preventive intervention. Large clinical trials have recently investigated whether enteral supplementation with bovine lactoferrin reduces LOS.
Published research Breastfeeding Vaccine Trials GroupMay 2020Plasma cytokine profiles in very preterm infants with late-onset sepsis
Very preterm infants have a marked innate inflammatory response at the time of late-onset sepsis
Vaccine Trials Group Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and Development Neonatal Health -
Education and Qualifications
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Awards and Honours
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Other collaborations