Shaping the Future of Veterinary Neonatology: Innovations and Newborn Care

Veterinary neonatology is a rapidly advancing field that addresses the critical challenges of managing health and survival in newborn animals across species. Recent years have witnessed significant methodological shifts driven by reproductive management breakthroughs, precision diagnostics, neonatal intensive care, and the integration of ‘omics’ technologies. Despite this progress, neonatal morbidity and mortality continue to impact both animal welfare and production efficiency, especially due to complex conditions such as prematurity, failure of passive transfer, perinatal hypoxia, dysbiosis, sepsis, and birth defects. These problems are multifactorial, requiring a comprehensive approach that connects peripartum events with immediate and long-term neonatal outcomes. While major studies have contributed to understanding the physiology and clinical management of neonatal animals, there remain considerable knowledge gaps concerning optimal perinatal management strategies, standardization of diagnostic criteria, and methods to ensure consistent neonatal survival and welfare across multiple species.This Research Topic aims to provide a cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary platform that consolidates recent evidence and explores novel diagnostics, interventions, and management strategies in veterinary neonatology. By fostering collaboration between clinicians, breeders, and researchers, the initiative seeks to critically evaluate technological advancements and translational research linking dam, placenta, and colostrum management to neonatal health. Additionally, this effort prioritizes identifying crucial evidence gaps, harmonizing definitions and outcome measures, and promoting standardized protocols. Key objectives include promoting cross-species learning, evaluating recent innovations in monitoring and supportive care, and encouraging the development and assessment of novel therapies and preventive approaches.To gather further insights in the area of veterinary neonatology, with particular emphasis on reproductive and perinatal care, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Perinatal physiology and neonatal adaptation, including cardiorespiratory transition, metabolic adaptation, and pain assessment- Colostrum management, passive immunity, and innovative strategies for early-life immunology- Diagnostic and monitoring innovations, such as point-of-care testing, imaging tools, novel biomarkers, and wearable devices- Neonatal gastrointestinal health and the role of the microbiome, including probiotic use and diarrheal disease interventions- Advances in intensive care and therapeutics, ranging from respiratory support and fluid therapy to regenerative medicine- Obstetrics-to-neonatology interface, covering parturition impacts, resuscitation protocols, and placental pathology- Application of ‘omics’ technologies, precision medicine, AI-based tools, and the development of standardized datasets and multicenter collaborationsWe invite Original Research, Systematic Reviews/Meta-Analyses, Brief Research Reports, Clinical Trials/Controlled Field Studies, Hypothesis and Theory articles, Perspectives, and Methods papers that address innovative techniques, tools, and evidence-based practices in this field. Topic editors: Vincenzo Cicirelli, Giovanni Michele Lacalandra, Matteo Burgio Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78338/shaping-the-future-of-veterinary-neonatology-innovations-and-newborn-care