# Topics and Trends in Most Cited Neonatal Respiratory Health Research Papers, Class of 2026

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/neonatal-respiratory-health-research/2026*

## What topics and trends defined most-cited Neonatal Respiratory Health Research research in the Class of 2026?

Neonatal respiratory health research in the Class of 2026 is defined by a major shift toward passive RSV immunization, led by nirsevimab and targeted prophylaxis. Concurrently, focus moved from broad observational metrics toward hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury and bronchopulmonary dysplasia prevention in preterm infants.

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Field | Neonatal Respiratory Health Research |
| Cohort label | Class of 2026 (2024 publications) |
| Papers analyzed | 9,303 |
| Papers ranked | 20 |
| Top topics in ranked papers | Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), preterm infants, nirsevimab, bronchopulmonary dysplasia |
| Publication window | Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024 |
| Eligibility | Research articles; reviews excluded |
| Citation window | 18 months post-publication |
| 18m citation range | 28–98 |
| Data source | OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026 |
| License | CC BY 4.0 |

## Rankings

| Rank | Title | Authors | Corresponding authors | Affiliation | Journal | 18m citations | DOI |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- |
| 1 | Impact of nirsevimab prophylaxis on paediatric respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-related hospitalisations during the initial 2023/24 season in Luxembourg | Corinna Ernst, Dritan Bejko, Leo Gaasch, Emilie Hannelas, Isaline Kahn, Charlotte Pierron, Nesrine Del Lero, Claude Schalbar, Elsa Do Carmo, Michel Kohnen, Emmanuelle Andlauer, Pauline Hublart, Silvana Masi, Isabel de la Fuente Garcia, Anne Vergison, Joël Mossong | Corinna Ernst | Health Directorate, Luxembourg | Eurosurveillance | 98 | 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2024.29.4.2400033 |
| 2 | RSV Prefusion F Protein–Based Maternal Vaccine — Preterm Birth and Other Outcomes | Ilse Dieussaert, Joon Hyung Kim, Sabine Luik, Claudia Seidl, Wenji Pu, Jens-Ulrich Stegmann, Geeta K Swamy, Peggy Webster, Philip R Dormitzer | Ilse Dieussaert | GSK, Belgium | New England Journal of Medicine | 90 | 10.1056/nejmoa2305478 |
| 3 | Global, regional, and national burden of preterm birth, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis from the global burden of disease study 2021 | Xifeng Liang, Yaning Lyu, Jing Li, Yu Li, Cheng Chi | Xifeng Liang | Jining Medical University, China | EClinicalMedicine | 83 | 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102840 |
| 4 | Early-life respiratory syncytial virus disease and long-term respiratory health | Heather J Zar, Ferdinand Cacho, Tahira Kootbodien, Asuncion Mejias, Justin R Ortiz, Renato T Stein, Tina V Hartert | Heather J. Zar | University of Cape Town, South Africa | The Lancet Respiratory Medicine | 68 | 10.1016/s2213-2600(24)00246-7 |
| 5 | Effectiveness of Nirsevimab Immunoprophylaxis Administered at Birth to Prevent Infant Hospitalisation for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection: A Population-Based Cohort Study | Guillermo Ezpeleta, Ana Navascués, Natividad Viguria, Mercedes Herranz-Aguirre, Sergio Enrique Juan Belloc, Juan Gimeno Ballester, Juan Carlos Muruzábal, Manuel García-Cenoz, Camino Trobajo-Sanmartín, Aitziber Echeverria, Iván Martínez-Baz, Noelia Vera-Punzano, Itziar Casado, Héctor López-Mendoza, Carmen Ezpeleta, Jesús Castilla | Jesús Castilla | Instituto de Salud Pública de Navarra, Spain | Vaccines | 64 | 10.3390/vaccines12040383 |
| 6 | Tracing the origin of alveolar stem cells in lung repair and regeneration | Kuo Liu, Xinfeng Meng, Zixin Liu, Muxue Tang, Zan Lv, Xiuzhen Huang, Hengwei Jin, Ximeng Han, Xiuxiu Liu, Wenjuan Pu, Huan Zhu, Bin Zhou | Bin Zhou | University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China | Cell | 56 | 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.010 |
| 7 | Initial Oxygen Concentration for the Resuscitation of Infants Born at Less Than 32 Weeks’ Gestation | James X Sotiropoulos, Ju Lee Oei, Georg M Schmölzer, Sol Libesman, Kylie E Hunter, Jonathan G Williams, Angela C Webster, Maximo Vento, Vishal Kapadia, Yacov Rabi, Janneke Dekker, Marijn J Vermeulen, Venkataseshan Sundaram, Praveen Kumar, Risma K Kaban, Rinawati Rohsiswatmo, Ola D Saugstad, Anna Lene Seidler | James X Sotiropoulos | University of Sydney, Australia | JAMA Pediatrics | 48 | 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.1848 |
| 8 | Deviations in RSV epidemiological patterns and population structures in the United States following the COVID-19 pandemic | Estefany Rios-Guzman, Lacy M Simons, Taylor J Dean, Francesca Agnes, Anna Pawlowski, Arghavan Alisoltanidehkordi, Hannah H Nam, Michael G Ison, Egon A Ozer, Ramon Lorenzo-Redondo, Judd F Hultquist | Judd F. Hultquist | Northwestern University, United States | Nature Communications | 46 | 10.1038/s41467-024-47757-9 |
| 9 | Safety and Efficacy of Nirsevimab in a Universal Prevention Program of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis in Newborns and Infants in the First Year of Life in the Valle d’Aosta Region, Italy, in the 2023–2024 Epidemic Season | Alessandra Consolati, Mariapaola Farinelli, Paolo Serravalle, Christine Rollandin, Laura Apprato, Susanna Esposito, Salvatore Bongiorno | Susanna Esposito | Local Health Authority Valle d'Aosta, Italy | Vaccines | 44 | 10.3390/vaccines12050549 |
| 10 | Analyses of 1236 genotyped primary ciliary dyskinesia individuals identify regional clusters of distinct DNA variants and significant genotype–phenotype correlations | Johanna Raidt, Sarah Riepenhausen, Petra Pennekamp, Heike Olbrich, Israel Amirav, Rodrigo A Athanazio, Micha Aviram, Juan E Balinotti, Ophir Bar-On, Sebastian F N Bode, Mieke Boon, Melissa Borrelli, Siobhan B Carr, Suzanne Crowley, Eleonora Dehlink, Sandra Diepenhorst, Peter Durdik, Bernd Dworniczak, Nagehan Emiralioğlu, Ela Erdem, Rossella Fonnesu, Serena Gracci, Jörg Große-Onnebrink, Karolina Gwozdziewicz, Eric G Haarman, Christine R Hansen, Claire Hogg, Mathias G Holgersen, Eitan Kerem, Robert W Körner, Karsten Kötz, Panayiotis Kouis, Michael R Loebinger, Natalie Lorent, Jane S Lucas, Debora Maj, Marcus A Mall, June K Marthin, Vendula Martinu, Henryk Mazurek, Hannah M Mitchison, Tabea Nöthe-Menchen, Ugur Özçelik, Massimo Pifferi, Andrzej Pogorzelski, Felix C Ringshausen, Jobst F Roehmel, Sandra Rovira-Amigo, Nisreen Rumman, Anne Schlegtendal, Amelia Shoemark, Synne Sperstad Kennelly, Ben O Staar, Sivagurunathan Sutharsan, Simon Thomas, Nicola Ullmann, Julian Varghese, Sandra von Hardenberg, Woolf T Walker, Martin Wetzke, Michal Witt, Panayiotis Yiallouros, Anna Zschocke, Ewa Ziętkiewicz, Kim G Nielsen, Heymut Omran | Johanna Raidt | University Hospital Muenster, Germany | European Respiratory Journal | 43 | 10.1183/13993003.01769-2023 |
| 11 | Etiologically Based Functional Taxonomy of the Preterm Birth Syndrome | Jose Villar, Paolo Ivo Cavoretto, Fernando C Barros, Roberto Romero, Aris T Papageorghiou, Stephen H Kennedy | José Villar | University of Oxford, United Kingdom | Clinics in Perinatology | 43 | 10.1016/j.clp.2024.02.014 |
| 12 | Survival of Infants Born at 22 to 25 Weeks’ Gestation Receiving Care in the NICU: 2020–2022 | Erika M Edwards, Danielle E Y Ehret, Roger F Soll, Jeffrey D Horbar | Erika M Edwards | Vermont Oxford Network, United States | PEDIATRICS | 41 | 10.1542/peds.2024-065963 |
| 13 | Systemic Postnatal Corticosteroids, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, and Survival Free of Cerebral Palsy | Lex W Doyle, Rheanna Mainzer, Jeanie L Y Cheong | Lex W. Doyle | the Royal Women's Hospital, Australia | JAMA Pediatrics | 37 | 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.4575 |
| 14 | Neurodevelopmental Outcomes After Late Preterm Antenatal Corticosteroids | Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, Rebecca G Clifton, Alan T N Tita, Sean C Blackwell, Monica Longo, Jessica A de Voest, T Michael O'Shea, Sabine Z Bousleiman, Felecia Ortiz, Dwight J Rouse, Torri D Metz, George R Saade, Kara M Rood, Kent D Heyborne, John M Thorp, Geeta K Swamy, William A Grobman, Kelly S Gibson, Yasser Y El-Sayed, George A Macones, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network | Cynthia Gyamfi‐Bannerman | Columbia University, United States | JAMA | 36 | 10.1001/jama.2024.4303 |
| 15 | Intratracheal Budesonide Mixed With Surfactant for Extremely Preterm Infants | Brett J Manley, C Omar F Kamlin, Susan M Donath, Kate L Francis, Jeanie L Y Cheong, Peter A Dargaville, Jennifer A Dawson, Susan E Jacobs, Pita Birch, Steven M Resnick, Georg M Schmölzer, Brenda Law, Risha Bhatia, Katinka P Bach, Koert de Waal, Javeed N Travadi, Pieter J Koorts, Mary J Berry, Kei Lui, Victor S Rajadurai, Suresh Chandran, Martin Kluckow, Elza Cloete, Margaret M Broom, Michael J Stark, Adrienne Gordon, Vinayak Kodur, Lex W Doyle, Peter G Davis, Christopher J D McKinlay, PLUSS Trial Investigators | Brett J. Manley | The Royal Women's Hospital, Australia | JAMA | 35 | 10.1001/jama.2024.17380 |
| 16 | Predictors of Death or Severe Impairment in Neonates With Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy | Hannah C Glass, Thomas R Wood, Bryan A Comstock, Adam L Numis, Sonia L Bonifacio, Marie-Coralie Cornet, Fernando F Gonzalez, Adriana Morell, Sarah E Kolnik, Yi Li, Amit Mathur, Ulrike Mietzsch, Tai-Wei Wu, Courtney J Wusthoff, Marianne Thoresen, Patrick J Heagerty, Sandra E Juul, Yvonne W Wu | Hannah C. Glass | University of California, San Francisco, United States | JAMA Network Open | 32 | 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.49188 |
| 17 | Mechanosensitive channels TMEM63A and TMEM63B mediate lung inflation–induced surfactant secretion | Gui-Lan Chen, Jing-Yi Li, Xin Chen, Jia-Wei Liu, Qian Zhang, Jie-Yu Liu, Jing Wen, Na Wang, Ming Lei, Jun-Peng Wei, Li Yi, Jia-Jia Li, Yu-Peng Ling, He-Qiang Yi, Zhenying Hu, Jingjing Duan, Jin Zhang, Bo Zeng | Gui-Lan Chen | Institute of Cardiovascular Research, China | Journal of Clinical Investigation | 31 | 10.1172/jci174508 |
| 18 | Physiological versus time based cord clamping in very preterm infants (ABC3): a parallel-group, multicentre, randomised, controlled superiority trial | Ronny Knol, Emma Brouwer, Thomas van den Akker, Philip L J DeKoninck, Wes Onland, Marijn J Vermeulen, Willem P de Boode, Anton H van Kaam, Enrico Lopriore, Irwin K M Reiss, G Jeroen Hutten, Sandra A Prins, Estelle E M Mulder, Esther J d'Haens, Christian V Hulzebos, Helene A Bouma, Sam J van Sambeeck, Hendrik J Niemarkt, Mayke E van der Putten, Tinta Lebon, Inge A Zonnenberg, Debbie H Nuytemans, Sten P Willemsen, Graeme R Polglase, Sylke J Steggerda, Stuart B Hooper, Arjan B Te Pas | Ronny Knol | Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Netherlands | The Lancet Regional Health - Europe | 31 | 10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101146 |
| 19 | Quantitative Lung Ultrasonography to Guide Surfactant Therapy in Neonates Born Late Preterm and Later | Daniele De Luca, Luca Bonadies, Almudena Alonso-Ojembarrena, Diletta Martino, Irene Gutierrez-Rosa, Barbara Loi, Reedhi Dasani, Letizia Capasso, Eugenio Baraldi, Alexis Davis, Francesco Raimondi | Danièle De Luca | Paris Saclay University, France | JAMA Network Open | 30 | 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.13446 |
| 20 | RSV Neutralizing Antibodies Following Nirsevimab and Palivizumab Dosing | Deidre Wilkins, Ulrika Wählby Hamrén, Yue Chang, Lindsay E Clegg, Joseph Domachowske, Janet A Englund, William J Muller, Amanda Leach, Elizabeth J Kelly, Tonya Villafana | Deidre Wilkins, Ulrika Wählby Hamrén | BioPharmaceuticals R&D, United States | PEDIATRICS | 28 | 10.1542/peds.2024-067174 |

## Topic trends

### What Topics Define the Class of 2026 in Neonatal Respiratory Health?

The Class of 2026 in neonatal respiratory health research is anchored by major advances in viral prophylaxis and specialized neonatal intensive care. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) dominates thematic discourse, appearing in 34% of top-cited publications (17 mentions), alongside related concepts including nirsevimab (18%), RSV prophylaxis (12%), and RSV season management (12%). This pronounced concentration reflects recent regulatory breakthroughs and widespread clinical implementation of long-acting monoclonal antibody immunizations designed to protect vulnerable infant populations.

Intertwined with viral prevention is a strong focus on premature infant pulmonary care. Preterm infants represent the second most frequent theme at 28% (14 mentions), supported by key diagnostic and developmental markers such as gestational age (18%), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (18%), and lung development (14%). Therapeutic and pathological studies actively examine acute lung injury (8%), mechanical ventilation (8%), hyperoxia-induced injury (8%), and neonatal resuscitation protocols (8%). Together, these dominant clusters underscore an overarching paradigm shift from reactive intervention toward preventive immunizations and lung-protective management strategies for high-risk neonates.

*Leading research themes*

### How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

Comparative analysis between the Class of 2025 and Class of 2026 highlights a significant surge in targeted immunization research alongside emerging mechanistic studies on neonatal lung injury. The most prominent positive shift centers on RSV prevention strategies and clinical outcomes. Following the real-world rollout of nirsevimab, mentions of nirsevimab rose from 11.4% to 18.0% (1.58-fold increase), while broader RSV prophylaxis and RSV hospitalization studies also expanded significantly, with hospital-level tracking emerging as a new focus area (6% frequency). Furthermore, acute lung injury and bronchiolitis research experienced a 3.52-fold increase in mention rate (from 2.3% to 8.0%).

Conversely, foundational baseline metrics experienced a relative decline in research focus. Broad observational terms such as gestational age declined from 27.3% to 18.0% (0.66-fold change), while chronic lung disease fell from 11.4% to 6.0% (0.53-fold change). Similarly, conventional oxygen therapy and postmenstrual age tracking saw relative drops to 4.0%. In their place, high-impact research shifted toward specific pathophysiological mechanisms, evidenced by new entries in hyperoxia-induced cellular toxicity (8.0%), corticosteroids, and pulmonary fibrosis. This progression demonstrates a maturing field transitioning from broad observational cohort characterization to targeted molecular therapeutics and population-level passive immunization.

*How topics shifted year over year*

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Neonatal Respiratory Health Research Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/neonatal-respiratory-health-research/2026. Accessed 2026-07-22.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```