RECRUITING

Individualized Nutrition to Optimize Preterm Infant Growth and Neurodevelopment

Study Overview

This clinical trial focuses on testing the efficacy of different digital interventions to promote re-engagement in cancer-related long-term follow-up care for adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of childhood cancer.

Description

Human milk has several well-established benefits but does not adequately meet the increased nutritional demands of the growing preterm infant, necessitating additional nutrient supplementation in a process known as fortification. In U.S. neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), human milk is primarily supplemented using standardized fortification, in which a multicomponent fortifier is added to human milk to achieve assumed nutrient content based on standard milk reference values. However, this method does not account for the significant variability in human milk composition or in preterm infant metabolism, and up to half of all very premature infants experience poor growth and malnutrition using current nutritional practices. Poor postnatal growth has adverse implications for the developing preterm brain and long-term neurodevelopment. Recent advances allow for individualized methods of human milk fortification, including adjustable and targeted fortification. Adjustable fortification uses laboratory markers of protein metabolism (BUN level) to estimate an infant's protein requirements. In targeted fortification, a milk sample is analyzed to determine its specific macronutrient and energy content, with additional macronutrient supplementation provided as needed to achieve goal values. Emerging data suggest that both methods are safe and effective for improving growth, however information on their comparable efficacy and neurodevelopmental implications are lacking, particularly using advanced quantitative brain MRI (qMRI) techniques. Through this prospective, randomized-controlled trial, the investigators will compare the impact of individualized human milk fortification on somatic growth and neurodevelopment in preterm infants. Infants will be randomized to receive one of three nutritional interventions: standardized (control group), adjustable, or targeted human milk fortification. Infants will undergo their assigned nutritional intervention until term-equivalent age or discharge home, whichever is achieved first. Brain qMRI will be performed at term-corrected age, and neurodevelopmental follow-up will be performed through 5 years of age.

Official Title

Transforming Health and Resilience Via Individualized Nutrition in Very Preterm Infants for Extrauterine Growth and Development

Quick Facts

Study Start:2024-02-08
Study Completion:2034-01
Study Type:Not specified
Phase:Not Applicable
Enrollment:Not specified
Status:RECRUITING

Study ID

NCT06266455

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Ages Eligible for Study:Not specified to 4 Weeks
Sexes Eligible for Study:ALL
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:No
Standard Ages:CHILD
Inclusion CriteriaExclusion Criteria
  1. * Birth gestational age (GA) of ≤32 weeks
  2. * Postnatal age ≤4 weeks at time of enrollment
  3. * Maternal plan to provide human milk to infant, and consent to providing donor human milk if insufficient maternal milk supply
  4. * Maternal age \> 18 years old
  1. * Formula feeding prior to 36 weeks PMA or discharge home (whichever achieved first), either secondary to parental preference or medical necessity
  2. * Dysmorphic features or congenital anomalies suggestive of a genetic syndrome, metabolic disorder, chromosomal abnormality, or congenital infection
  3. * Dysgenetic or major destructive brain lesions detected by head ultrasound before enrollment

Contacts and Locations

Study Contact

Catherine Limperopoulos, Ph.D.
CONTACT
202-476-5293
CLimpero@childrensnational.org
Katherine M. Ottolini, M.D.
CONTACT
202-476-8905
KOttolin@childrensnational.org

Study Locations (Sites)

Children's National Hospital
Washington, District of Columbia, 20010
United States

Collaborators and Investigators

Sponsor: Children's National Research Institute

Study Record Dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Registration Dates

Study Start Date2024-02-08
Study Completion Date2034-01

Study Record Updates

Study Start Date2024-02-08
Study Completion Date2034-01

Terms related to this study

Keywords Provided by Researchers

  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Neurodevelopment
  • Nutrition
  • Fortification

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

  • Very Preterm Maturity of Infant
  • Very Low Birth Weight Infant