View clinical trials related to Premature Birth.
Filter by:Transient hypothyroxinemia of prematurity (THOP) is a typical entity of the preterm infant, affecting the majority of preterm infants, born less than 30 weeks of gestational age. It is defined as a temporary postnatal reduction from cord values in serum levels of T4 and FT4, but with normal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels.The etiology of THOP is complex and multifactorial. Loss of maternal T4, limited postnatal thermogenesis, hypothalamic-pituitary immaturity, limited thyroid gland reserve, persistent fetal thyroid hormone metabolism and predisposition to nonthyroidal illness syndrome are several factors that contribute in less or more intensity to THOP.The association between THOP and poor neurodevelopmental outcome is well established and several therapeutic clinical trials have been set up. However, there is currently no evidence for prophylactic or therapeutic supplementation with thyroxine (T4) for premature infants with THOP. One study of van Wassenaer et al. showed a beneficial effect of treatment of THOP in a subgroup of preterm infants with gestational age less than 28 weeks, but a reverse effect in the group with a gestational age of 29 weeks. This is an illustration of the limited comprehension of the pathophysiology of THOP. Although studies about THOP usually involves the preterm infants born at 33 weeks or earlier, one study of Paul et al. showed a decreased thyroid function in late preterm and term infants with respiratory distress syndrome as function of severity of illness. Unpublished data of our center showed also the presence of THOP, although less frequent, in the group of late preterm infants. Other data about this group of preterm infants are scarce. During the first half of pregnancy, the fetus is completely dependent of maternal thyroid hormone supply and the fetal thyroid gland starts thyroid hormone secretion from about 17-19 weeks of gestational age. Conditions of maternal (sub)clinical hypothyroidism are associated with complications like hypertension, preterm birth, low birth weight, placental abruption, and fetal death. One can wonder if there are compensating mechanisms in the placenta, providing the fetus with sufficient thyroid hormone in cases of compromised thyroid supply. One study showed that total placenta deiodinase type 3 (D3) activity in pregnancies with severely hypothyroid fetuses was not significantly lower than in euthyroid controls. Two studies showed increased monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8) and decreased MCT10 expression within placentae of pregnancies complicated by IUGR. As far as we know, nothing is known about possible compensating effects in placentae of mothers with subclinical hypothyroidism and the possible influence on the development of THOP. Maternal subclinical hypothyroidism during pregnancy is a predisposition for the development of overt hypothyroidism. The influence of maternal thyroid antibodies during pregnancy towards thyroid hormone function of the fetus and consequently neurodevelopmental outcome is still not clear. One single study of Negro et al. showed that euthyroid pregnant women who are positive for thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) develop impaired thyroid function, which is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage and premature deliveries. They also showed that substitutive treatment with levothyroxine (LT4) is able to lower the chance of miscarriage and premature delivery.A study of Pop et al. concluded that children of pregnant women who had elevated titers of TPO-Ab but normal thyroid function are at risk for impaired development.Nothing is known about the possible influence of maternal thyroid antibodies towards the development of THOP, although a theoretical link is possible. The investigators want to investigate whether there are compensatory mechanisms in placentas of premature born infants and whether the maternal thyroid hormone condition is a prediction of the development of THOP in the premature infant. The investigators want to investigate the differences between several groups of preterm infants: 24-28 weeks, 28-32 weeks and 32-36 weeks. The further aim of this study is to investigate the impact of maternal thyroid hormone condition during pregnancy on neurodevelopmental outcome of the neonate. In Belgium, 8% of the newborns are born preterm. There are about 2000 deliveries each year in the University Hospitals Leuven. Between 2 and 5% of all pregnant women are considered to have subclinical hypothyroidism and preterm birth is almost 2-fold higher in women with subclinical hypothyroidism.The incidence of THOP is 30 %. We performed a statistical power calculation with a confidence level of 95%. Given the above data and with the assumption that 50% of the premature babies born to a hypothyroid mothers will develop THOP, we need to include 320 patients who give premature birth to obtain a statistical power of 80%. Therefore, the inclusion time will be 2 years.
The goal of IMPROV is to identify molecular mechanisms that contribute to lung injury and long-term breathing problems in preterm infants by investigating two interrelated biochemical pathways: the urea cycle-nitric oxide pathway and the glutathione pathway. The investigators hypothesize that prematurity-related limitations in the function of these important biochemical pathways contribute to respiratory disease risk over the first year of life.
Neonatal nutritional management consists in reproducing miming uteri growth kinetic. Since the seventies, NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) strategy consists in a high proteidic input (apport) supposed to allow optimal neurodevelopment. However, nutritional practices and strategies have significantly evolved during these last years, influenced by Baker nutritional imprinting concept (2002). Actually, neonatal high proteidic exposition could perturb metabolism and hormonal systems of newborns conducting to a reinforcement of obesity and cardio-vascular pathology prevalence in this target population at adulthood. In this context many studies emerged since 2000 and try to assess the trade-off between neurodevelopment and growth under nutrition conditions. EPIPOD try to focus the link between heterogenous proteic input dispensed in our NICU (described by tercil methods on population) and fat mass phenotype variations at discharge (described by tercil methods); and its consequences on neurodevelopmental growth. Understanding how particular nutritional exposition could determine "fatty" phenotype and impact neurodevelopment is clearly our main goal.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether PED-1 is more effective than Placebo in the treatment of premature ejaculation.
The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of a family nurture intervention in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Infants receiving enhanced mother-infant and family nurture are compared to infants receiving standard NICU care. The intervention enhances mother/infant interactions that are vital to early development in the infant. The main goal is to get the mother and infant into biological synchrony, emotional attunement and mutual calm through an activity referred to as a "calming cycle". Mother's are encouraged to engage in the calming cycle activities as much as possible. Her increased effectiveness in calming her infant is hypothesized to improve the mother's view of her baby, reduce negative emotions about having delivered a baby prematurely, and help her gain confidence in her care-taking abilities, which in other studies predicted shorter length of stay and fewer re-hospitalizations. Another goal is to assist mothers in repeating the calming cycle activities providing appropriate types of stimulation for their babies that are important for social, emotional, and neurobehavioral development. Since preterm babies are often easily upset, mothers will be taught how to comfort and calm their babies. Assessments in the NICU and in follow-up visits for two years will test the immediate and long-term effects of this new approach to the nurture of prematurely born infants.
The purpose of this study is to determine if changes in specific gene products in the placenta or cord/infant blood affect a baby's birth weight, increase the risk of premature birth, or increase the risk of developing diseases of prematurity. We would also like to characterize whether placental epigenetic changes or placental markers of environmental exposures are associated with premature birth.
Demonstrating the effectiveness of an economical and feasible intervention such as guided imagery on factors associated with preterm birth, along with better understanding of pathways leading to adverse birth outcomes has tremendous health, social, and financial benefits. This project has the potential to significantly advance the field of nursing and knowledge development in the areas of maternal stress reduction in African American women and to provide scientific evidence of the effectiveness of guided imagery.
In survivors of extreme prematurity to 36 weeks Post Menstrual Age (PMA), specific biologic, physiologic and clinical data obtained during the initial hospitalization will predict respiratory morbidity as defined by respiratory health care utilization and respiratory symptoms, between discharge and 1 year corrected age. This protocol describes a collaboratively developed multicenter study of very preterm infants from birth through the time of discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and up to 1 year of age, corrected for the degree of prematurity.
Use of modern diagnostic tools e.g. fetal fibronectin and ultrasound measurement of cervical length to diagnose preterm labor can result in improved outcomes compared to traditional diagnosis based on digital examination to measure cervical change.
Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PPROM) is treated with an antibiotic, erythromycin or azithromycin, to prolong pregnancy. Erythromycin is taken for several days and can result in stomach upset in some patients, causing them to stop taking the medication. Therefore, azithromycin is often prescribed instead. Azithromycin is usually taken only once and stomach upset is not seen or greatly reduced. The goal of this study is to see if there is a difference between the antibiotic (azithromycin) compared to the antibiotic (erythromycin) in prolonging pregnancy in patients with Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PPROM). The working hypothesis is that there is no difference in the clinical effectiveness between antibiotic regimens containing te macrolides azithromycin and erythromycin for prolonging latency in PPROM.