View clinical trials related to Prematurity.
Filter by:Neurodevelopmental follow-up of infants at high-risk such as preterm born is necessary in order to early detect impairments and early start a supportive/therapeutic intervention. Valid tools should be available for screening infants with developmental problems even where resources are limited. Such screening would ensure an adequate medical care during and after hospital discharge as well as evidence-based parental pre- and postnatal counselling. While in Switzerland, these tools are specifically needed for the neurodevelopmental surveillance of moderate to late pretem born infants, in low- and mid-income countries, they are needed to monitor the whole population of preterm born infants. To fill this important gap, the present study aims to determine whether it is feasible to extend neurodevelopmental screening (currently offered to only a very small part of children born preterm), by using a new cost-effective neurodevelopmental assessment, the INTERGROWTH-21st Neurodevelopment Assessment (INTER-NDA, www.inter-nda.com Assessment) at age 2 years.
Randomized cross-over clinical trial to determine the effect of a nurse-administered comforting touch intervention on the biobehavioral stress responses of preterm infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Case-control study of inhaled Nitric Oxide (iNO) treatment of full-term and preterm infants. The main objective of this study is to investigate the association between premature birth and its later comorbidities (neuroendocrine, metabolic, cognitive, etc) with iNO treatment and the maturation of the HPG axis during minipuberty.
Infants born preterm can spend months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) where they experience stressful but essential procedures. Untreated stress is associated with altered brain development. Skin-to-skin holding (SSH) is one of the most effective behavioral strategies for mitigating preterm infant stress and improving brain maturation. However, parents may not be always available to provide SSH; some infants cannot be held for long periods for medical reasons. To address this problem, investigators designed Calmer, a patented, prototype therapy bed, for reducing stress in preterm infants. Calmer fits into NICU incubators and provides simultaneously an artificial skin surface, heartbeat sounds and breathing motion, mimicking aspects of SSH; the latter 2 features are individualized for each infant based on their parents' recordings. The 1st randomized controlled trial (RCT) in 58 preterm babies showed that during a routine blood test: Calmer lowered infant behavioral and heart stress responses and stabilized brain blood flow no differently than facilitated tucking; infants could be cared for safely on Calmer up to 6 hours in 1 day; Calmer was well accepted by mothers and staff. The goal now is to determine the efficacy of Calmer use over 3 weeks to support optimal physical growth and brain development in preterm infants. A 2-group (treatment, control) pilot RCT to test the implementation of an increased "dose" of Calmer exposure over 3 continuous weeks is proposed. 20 infants born between 26-30 weeks gestational age in the NICU will be randomized to receive either Calmer, for a minimum of 3 hours in total/day for 3 continuous weeks, or to 3 weeks of standard NICU care. Research questions: Trial feasibility Q1. Is it feasible to enrol 30 infants, complete a 3-week treatment period, and measure growth outcomes in preterm infants (26-30 weeks GA) in the NICU in a pilot RCT of daily Calmer treatment versus standard NICU care to inform a larger, definitive RCT? Infant outcomes Q2a. Are there differences in physical growth markers (daily weight gain, head circumference, body length) between preterm infants who receive Calmer and those who receive standard NICU care measured before (baseline) and after 3-weeks of daily Calmer exposure? Q2b. Are there differences in brain activity markers, as measured by cerebral electrical (EEG) signaling, between preterm infants who receive Calmer and those who receive standard NICU care, measured during 2 resting/sleeping state and routine diaper change sessions (baseline and post 3-weeks of daily Calmer exposure)?
This is a prospective randomized controlled trial investigating the timing of betamethasone administration in late preterm infants in relation to delivery and impact on neonatal hypoglycemia. Previous data has shown that neonatal hypoglycemia is increased in late preterm infants that were exposed to antenatal corticosteroids. The investigators hypothesize that the timing of steroid administration may impact the development of neonatal hypoglycemia.
This study is designed to determine whether intratracheal administration of budesonide combined with surfactant, as compared to surfactant alone, will modify ecographic (lung ultrasound score) and biological markers (IL-6 concentration in respiratory secretions) at 7 days of life in preterm infants ≤32 weeks of gestational age (GA).
The family-centered care is based on dignity and respect, information sharing, collaboration and participation in care and decision-making. In a neonatal unit, the medical round by the attending physician is an important moment for shairing information with the medical and nursing staff and for the decision making process. In France, parents are rarely actively involved in the medical round. The aim of this study is to plan the implantation of the Family-centered round in a neonatal department using the 6 steps of the "Intervention mapping": 1/needs assessment; 2/ performance and change objectives; 3/ theory-based framework; Curriculum development; 5- adoption and implementation; 6- evaluation and dissemination
There is increasing recognition that the microbiome may be important in the development of allergic disease. Asthma is the most prevalent pediatric chronic disease and affects more than 300 million people worldwide. For unclear reasons, those infants born at 34 weeks and earlier are three times as likely to develop asthma. Factors such as formula feeding, C-section delivery and antibiotic exposure may play a role. Recent evidence has identified a "critical window" in early life where gut and breast milk microbial changes are most influential. The investigators propose a novel study to follow a cohort of premature babies in the NICU and after discharge home. The investigators aim to examine whether various exposures of babies in the NICU impact their milk and gut microbiome and lead to asthma and allergies. Our specific aims are: 1. To assess if there is a specific pattern of gut and/or breast milk microbiome over time that is affected by the type of nutrition a baby receives (donor vs maternal vs formula) or other exposures such as antibiotics. 2. Assess whether there are patterns in the microbiome associated with the development of allergic sensitization patterns. 3. Determine if early patterns of the microbiome and allergic sensitization predict allergic conditions (food allergies, allergic rhinitis, eczema, asthma) by 2 years of age. The investigators will recruit approximately 50 subjects born at 34 weeks of gestation or earlier from two local level III NICU. These subjects will be followed over their NICU course with weekly stool, milk feed, and oral saliva collection as well as documentation of relevant events including prenatal history, delivery history, nutrition and breast feeding history and antibiotic courses. Further samples will be collected after discharge at research visits that will take place Rady Children's Hospital until 4-6 years of age. At these visits, standardized allergy questionnaires and a blood allergy panel will be obtained. Together this data will provide a unique opportunity to identify potential shifts in the microbiome associated with nutrition, asthma and allergy in preterm infants. Ultimately, the investigators may be able to discover ways to prevent the development of asthma and allergies during this early window of opportunity.
The development of the retinal vascular network is completed during the third trimester of pregnancy and and the first 15 days of life of the newborn. This late maturation can be problematic in cases of preterm births and result in immature retinal vascularization, known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Among the various factors influencing retinal vascular development, the tissue content of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) appears to be a crucial element. In a previous project, OMEGA-ROP, we showed a difference in the blood bioavailability of omega-3 PUFAs in infants born at less than 28 weeks of amenorrhea who develop ROP compared to healthy newborns with no retinopathy. This study also showed that mothers experienced variations in the blood levels of omega-3 PUFAs that were contrary to the types of variations observed in their children. This suggests a sequestration of omega-3 PUFAs in the mothers of children who will develop ROP. This new project aims to better understand the underlying molecular mechanisms by studying the expression levels of placental fatty acid receptors in relation to the development of ROP in newborns.
Early fetal growth restriction (FGR) is associated with considerable fetal and neonatal morbimortality (Miller et al. 2008, Nardozza et al. 2017). Placental thrombosis, infarcts and hypercoagulability are frequently seen in these pregnancies, suggesting a role for the activation of the coagulation cascade in the genesis of FGR. Patients will be randomized for low-molecular weight heparin or standard of care, and the outcomes of both arms (gestational age at delivery, gestational and fetal morbidity) will be compared.