Development of the Preterm Gut

Michael Caplan, MD, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at NorthShore University HealthSystem, overviews the development of the gastrointestinal system in preterm infants, with an emphasis on contemporary issues in the management of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Dr. Caplan discusses the development of the microbiome, and reviews the use of probiotics in preterm infants. Dr. Caplan also reviews human- and bovine-based formulas, and how they affect the risk for NEC.

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  Michael Caplan, MD

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  Michael S. Caplan, MD, is chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at NorthShore University Healthsystem, and clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from that institution. He completed an internship and residency in pediatrics, followed by fellowship training in neonatology at Northwestern University’s Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

  Dr. Caplan is chief scientific officer and medical director of clinical trials at NorthShore University Healthsystem. His own research activities, funded by a variety of public and private sector grants, include the study of the pathophysiology of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis and the design of specific strategies to prevent the disease, as well as studies involving the identification of factors in human milk that influence neonatal outcomes.

  Dr. Caplan’s academic responsibilities include teaching medical students, pediatric residents and fellows. He serves on several departmental, hospital, and medical school committees, as well as a number of external national and international committees.

  Dr. Caplan has authored several books and book chapters, peer-reviewed articles and abstracts, and he is a reviewer for more than 20 prestigious medical journals including Pediatrics, the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of Pediatrics, and JAMA.

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  Michael Caplan, MD

  Chairman, Department of Pediatrics
  Chief Scientific Officer, NorthShore University HealthSystem
  Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine
  Chicago, Illinois