Community Trial of Newborn Skin and Umbilical Cord Cleansing on Neonatal Mortality in Nepal

Neonatal Mortality Clinical Trial

Official title:

Newborn Antiseptic Washing and Neonatal Mortality-Nepal

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00109616
• Other study ID #: R01HD044004
• Secondary ID: R01HD044004
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 3
• First received: April 29, 2005
• Last updated: April 30, 2013
• Start date: October 2002
• Est. completion date: January 2006

Study information

• Verified date: January 2006
• Source: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Federal GovernmentNepal: Nepal Health Research Council
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Neonatal mortality and morbidity is common in Nepal and the vast majority of women deliver babies at home without a skilled birth attendant.

The purpose of this project is two-fold: 1) to evaluate whether washing a newborn child with a dilute antiseptic solution soon after birth can reduce mortality in the first 4 weeks of life and 2) to evaluate whether cleaning the umbilical cord and stump with either soap and water or an antiseptic solution for the first few days of life can reduce umbilical cord infections.

Description:

While significant progress has been made in reducing preschool child mortality in developing countries over the past 20 years, much less progress has been made in reducing neonatal mortality and morbidity. Neonatal mortality rates are high in Nepal; a significant proportion of which are due to sepsis. In addition, the vast majority of women deliver babies at home without a skilled birth attendant and early neonatal care is routinely used in rural areas. Previous hospital-based research in Malawi suggested that newborn cleansing with a dilute chlorhexidine solution could reduce early infant mortality. This project evaluates the use of a simple intervention at the community level and the impact on neonatal mortality.

Comparisons: Two nested community-based randomized trials are being conducted. The first compares the neonatal mortality rates between newborn infants randomized to receive a whole body skin cleansing soon after birth with baby wipes impregnated with 0.25% chlorhexidine compared with newborns cleaned with baby wipes with a placebo solution. The second trial compares the rates of umbilical cord infections among children assigned to three groups:

• education of the mother on clean cord care alone;

• education of the mother plus routine washing of the cord and stump with soap and water solution for the first 10 days of life; -OR-

• education of the mother plus routine washing of the cord and stump with a 4% chlorhexidine solution.

Enrolled infants are visited on a regular basis during the first month of life to record vital status and grade the cord for signs of infection.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 17000
• Est. completion date: January 2006
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: N/A to 10 Days

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• All liveborn infants born in the study area

Exclusion Criteria:

• Newborn infants who died prior to study staff arriving to conduct the interventions

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double-Blind, Primary Purpose: Prevention

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Neonatal Mortality

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Newborn skin cleansing with 0.25% chlorhexidine solution

• Cleansing of umbilical cord with soap and water solution

• Cleansing of umbilical cord with 4% chlorhexidine

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Nepal	Nepal Nutrition Intervention Project-Sarlahi	Kathmandu and Sarlahi District
United States	Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health	Baltimore	Maryland

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)	Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Countries where clinical trial is conducted

United States,  Nepal, 

References & Publications (28)

Falle TY, Mullany LC, Thatte N, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Darmstadt GL, Katz J, Tielsch JM. Potential role of traditional birth attendants in neonatal healthcare in rural southern Nepal. J Health Popul Nutr. 2009 Feb;27(1):53-61. — View Citation

Karas DJ, Mullany LC, Katz J, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Home care practices for newborns in rural southern Nepal during the first 2 weeks of life. J Trop Pediatr. 2012 Jun;58(3):200-7. doi: 10.1093/tropej/fmr057. Epub 2011 Jun 24. — View Citation

Lee AC, Mullany LC, Tielsch JM, Katz J, Khatry SK, Leclerq SC, Adhikari RK, Darmstadt GL. Community-based stillbirth rates and risk factors in rural Sarlahi, Nepal. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2011 Jun;113(3):199-204. doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2010.12.015. Epub 2011 — View Citation

Lee AC, Mullany LC, Tielsch JM, Katz J, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Adhikari RK, Darmstadt GL. Incidence of and risk factors for neonatal respiratory depression and encephalopathy in rural Sarlahi, Nepal. Pediatrics. 2011 Oct;128(4):e915-24. doi: 10.1542/peds. — View Citation

Lee AC, Mullany LC, Tielsch JM, Katz J, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Adhikari RK, Shrestha SR, Darmstadt GL. Risk factors for neonatal mortality due to birth asphyxia in southern Nepal: a prospective, community-based cohort study. Pediatrics. 2008 May;121(5):e1 — View Citation

Lee AC, Mullany LC, Tielsch JM, Katz J, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Adhikari RK, Shrestha SR, Darmstadt GL. Verbal autopsy methods to ascertain birth asphyxia deaths in a community-based setting in southern Nepal. Pediatrics. 2008 May;121(5):e1372-80. doi: 10. — View Citation

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Coffey P, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Tielsch JM. A low cost, colour coded, hand held spring scale accurately categorises birth weight in low resource settings. Arch Dis Child. 2006 May;91(5):410-3. Epub 2006 Feb 7. — View Citation

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Katz J, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Adhikari RK, Tielsch JM. Development of clinical sign based algorithms for community based assessment of omphalitis. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2006 Mar;91(2):F99-104. Epub 2005 Oct 13. — View Citation

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Katz J, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Adhikari RK, Tielsch JM. Risk factors for umbilical cord infection among newborns of southern Nepal. Am J Epidemiol. 2007 Jan 15;165(2):203-11. Epub 2006 Oct 25. — View Citation

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Katz J, Khatry SK, Leclerq SC, Adhikari RK, Tielsch JM. Risk of mortality subsequent to umbilical cord infection among newborns of southern Nepal: cord infection and mortality. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2009 Jan;28(1):17-20. doi: 10. — View Citation

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Katz J, Khatry SK, Tielsch JM. Effect of instrument precision on estimation of low birth weight prevalence. J Perinatol. 2005 Jan;25(1):11-3. — View Citation

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Khatry SK, Katz J, LeClerq SC, Shrestha S, Adhikari R, Tielsch JM. Topical applications of chlorhexidine to the umbilical cord for prevention of omphalitis and neonatal mortality in southern Nepal: a community-based, cluster-rand — View Citation

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Katz J, Tielsch JM. Impact of umbilical cord cleansing with 4.0% chlorhexidine on time to cord separation among newborns in southern Nepal: a cluster-randomized, community-based trial. Pediatrics. 2006 Nov; — View Citation

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Khatry SK, Leclerq SC, Tielsch JM. Relationship between the surrogate anthropometric measures, foot length and chest circumference and birth weight among newborns of Sarlahi, Nepal. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jan;61(1):40-6. Epub 2006 — View Citation

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Tielsch JM. Safety of neonatal skin cleansing in rural Nepal. Indian Pediatr. 2006 Feb;43(2):117-24. — View Citation

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Khatry SK, Tielsch JM. Traditional massage of newborns in Nepal: implications for trials of improved practice. J Trop Pediatr. 2005 Apr;51(2):82-6. Epub 2005 Jan 26. — View Citation

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Role of antimicrobial applications to the umbilical cord in neonates to prevent bacterial colonization and infection: a review of the evidence. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2003 Nov;22(11):996-1002. Review. — View Citation

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Safety and impact of chlorhexidine antisepsis interventions for improving neonatal health in developing countries. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2006 Aug;25(8):665-75. Review. — View Citation

Mullany LC, Katz J, Khatry SK, Leclerq SC, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Incidence and seasonality of hypothermia among newborns in southern Nepal. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2010 Jan;164(1):71-7. doi: 10.1001/archpediatrics.2009.239. — View Citation

Mullany LC, Katz J, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Neonatal hypothermia and associated risk factors among newborns of southern Nepal. BMC Med. 2010 Jul 8;8:43. doi: 10.1186/1741-7015-8-43. — View Citation

Mullany LC, Katz J, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Risk of mortality associated with neonatal hypothermia in southern Nepal. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2010 Jul;164(7):650-6. doi: 10.1001/archpediatrics.2010.103. — View Citation

Mullany LC, Katz J, Li YM, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Breast-feeding patterns, time to initiation, and mortality risk among newborns in southern Nepal. J Nutr. 2008 Mar;138(3):599-603. — View Citation

Mullany LC, Khatry SK, Sherchand JB, LeClerq SC, Darmstadt GL, Katz J, Gauchan P, Adhikari RK, Rana A, Tielsch JM. A randomized controlled trial of the impact of chlorhexidine skin cleansing on bacterial colonization of hospital-born infants in Nepal. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2008 Jun;27(6):505-11. doi: 10.1097/INF.0b013e31816791a2. — View Citation

Rhee V, Mullany LC, Khatry SK, Katz J, LeClerq SC, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Maternal and birth attendant hand washing and neonatal mortality in southern Nepal. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008 Jul;162(7):603-8. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.162.7.603. — View Citation

Rosenberg RE, Ahmed S, Saha SK, Ahmed AS, Chowdhury MA, Law PA, Choi Y, Mullany LC, Tielsch JM, Katz J, Black RE, Santosham M, Darmstadt GL. Simplified age-weight mortality risk classification for very low birth weight infants in low-resource settings. J — View Citation

Sharma V, Katz J, Mullany LC, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Shrestha SR, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Young maternal age and the risk of neonatal mortality in rural Nepal. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008 Sep;162(9):828-35. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.162.9.828. — View Citation

Thatte N, Mullany LC, Khatry SK, Katz J, Tielsch JM, Darmstadt GL. Traditional birth attendants in rural Nepal: knowledge, attitudes and practices about maternal and newborn health. Glob Public Health. 2009;4(6):600-17. doi: 10.1080/17441690802472406. — View Citation

Tielsch JM, Darmstadt GL, Mullany LC, Khatry SK, Katz J, LeClerq SC, Shrestha S, Adhikari R. Impact of newborn skin-cleansing with chlorhexidine on neonatal mortality in southern Nepal: a community-based, cluster-randomized trial. Pediatrics. 2007 Feb;119 — View Citation

* Note: There are 28 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	neonatal mortality
Primary	umbilical cord infection