11 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common life-threatening gastrointestinal emergency of prematurity, associated with a significant morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and early treatment interventions may reduce the risk of mortality and morbidity. The Primary goal of this observational study is to gather survey data to establish a national database of NEC in newborns in order to better understand the risk factors underlying NEC. Survey data will be used along with a medical history to identify the mechanism(s) underlying the increased prevalence of NEC in non-breast fed, formula fed premature infants.
There is no bedside imaging technique that can quantify dynamic bowel perfusion with high soft tissue contrast and sensitivity in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Our goal is to assess the feasibility of utilizing contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in bedside monitoring of bowel perfusion in NEC. Patients with suspected or diagnosed NEC will be recruited for the study. Following parental consent, the subject will undergo CEUS, performed separately from any clinically indicated conventional US, in the ICU. Subjects will be scanned with CEUS at two different time-points (at the time NEC is first suspected or diagnosed and at time of MRI scan). The CEUS scans will be interpreted by the sponsor-investigator. The study will be conducted at one site, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. It is expected that up to 100 subjects will be enrolled per year, for up to two years, for a total enrollment of up to 200 subjects.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of probiotic administration on TPN dependence in infants \< 32 weeks GA and BW 1500 grams or less in the Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix and Banner Children's at Desert Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). The primary endpoint of capturing the number of days of TPN administration can reflect that an infant is progressing towards readiness for the initiation or advancement of enteral feedings at an earlier interval. The relationship between probiotic administration and the incidence of NEC, culture positive sepsis, and mortality is of interest to us and will be captured. Finally, the assessment of the tolerance of probiotic administration and the potential positive impact on growth and development in these premature infants may validate our current practices.
The goal of the NANO trial is to study the longstanding clinical practice of empirically administering intravenous antibiotics to extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants in the first days of life. In this 802-subject multicenter placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial, the hypothesis to be tested is that the incidence of adverse outcomes is higher in babies receiving empiric antibiotics (EA) in the first week of life compared to babies receiving placebo. The study targets a population of ELBW infants in whom the clinical decision to use or not use EA is currently most challenging -- infants that are clinically stable that did not have a known exposure to intraamniotic infection and were not born preterm for maternal indications. The primary outcome is the composite outcome of late-onset sepsis (LOS), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), or death during the index hospitalization. Secondary safety outcomes will include total antibiotic days, days to full enteral feedings, and common morbidities in preterm infants that have previously been linked to EA, e.g. retinopathy of prematurity and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Weight and length z-score, and head circumference, are standard measures to be collected weekly by clinical team per a standardized protocol.
The purpose of this study is to characterize the time to maturation of neutrophil extracellular trap(NET) formation capability in polymorphonuclear leukocytes(PMNs) isolated from newborn premature and term infants. Preterm infants who are enrolled into the study who then go on to require surgery \<1 year due to surgical NEC, will have the NET formation reassessed. This study will also determine whether NETs contribute to the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). We hypothesize that NET formation contributes to the pathogenesis of NEC by inappropriately releasing degradative proteins and tissue destructive enzymes into the inflammatory milieu of the premature infant gastrointestinal tract following bacterial translocation. We also hypothesize that the delay in NEC development in premature infants (3rd - 4th week of life) as compared to at-risk term infants (1st week of life) results from a developmental delay in PMN ability to form NETs.
This study will compare the effectiveness of two surgical procedures -laparotomy versus drainage - commonly used to treat necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) or isolated intestinal perforations (IP) in extremely low birth weight infants (≤1,000 g). Infants diagnosed with NEC or IP requiring surgical intervention, will be recruited. Subjects will be randomized to receive either a laparotomy or peritoneal drainage. Primary outcome is impairment-free survival at 18-22 months corrected age.
This proposal will test the hypothesis that synthesis and catabolism of epidermal growth factor (EGF), the genotype of the EGF gene, and the microbiome interact to influence EGF expression in infants at risk for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
Since the first description of citrulline as a potential marker for intestinal function in 1998, its use has been investigated in a variety of disease processes including Short Bowel Syndrome, Celiac disease, chemotherapy and radiation induced intestinal injury, infections producing intestinal cytopathic effects like Adenovirus, and predicting rejection in intestinal transplantation. The use of citrulline levels as a diagnostic tool to predict gastrointestinal disease in the premature population has not been properly addressed. The introduction of enteral nutrition in the premature infant is a process of trial and error, knowing that the immaturity of the gastrointestinal system may lead to frequent episodes of feeding intolerance. This is augmented by the fear of the development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) once feeds are commenced. NEC is a condition characterized by disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier, a pathogenic process shared with some of the conditions mentioned above for which citrulline has proven clinically useful. A normal pattern of citrulline production has not been established in the premature population. Previous studies have shown decreased levels of glutamine and arginine in premature infants up to 10 days prior to the development of necrotizing enterocolitis. Glutamine and arginine are two amino acids closely involved in the synthesis and catabolism of citrulline. The investigators therefore hypothesize that defining a normal pattern of citrulline production in the premature population may prove to be a clinically useful diagnostic tool to screen for gastrointestinal disease.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether antibiotics given immediately after birth alter the development of the developing preterm infant's microbiome, which may further alter overall clinical outcomes.
The purposes of this study were: 1) to compare mortality and postoperative morbidities in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants who underwent initial laparotomy or drainage for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) or isolated intestinal perforation (IP); 2) to determine the ability to distinguish NEC from IP preoperatively and the importance of this distinction on outcome measures; and 3) to evaluate the association between extent of intestinal disease determined at operation and outcome measures. All ELBW infants born at participating NRN centers were screened for the presence of NEC or IP that was thought by the pediatric surgeon and neonatologist to require surgical intervention. Data were collected enrolled infants, including: intraoperative findings recorded by the surgeon and specific post-operative complications. Neurodevelopmental examinations were conducted on surviving infants at 18-22 months corrected age.
Parenteral nutrition (PN) provides intravenous nutritional supplementation for infants unable to absorb adequate enteral nutrients secondary to insufficient intestinal length or function. In early PN-associated cholestasis, the dose of traditional soy based lipid is limited to 1 g/kg/day which often limits the growth capacity of parenteral nutrition-dependent infants. Inadequate growth is directly related to poor neurological outcomes, failure to facilitate mechanical ventilation, and less growth of the neonate's already damaged intestine. Ultimately, these outcomes can lead to severe disability and death. To mitigate these deleterious effects and optimize growth, parenteral nutrition-dependent infants with cholestasis who are not adequately growing on 1 g/kg/day of soy-based lipid emulsion must have a greater intake of lipids to meet their needs for weight, length, and head circumference growth. SMOFlipid contains a mixture of 4 different lipid sources: soybean oil which provides essential fatty acids, olive oil which is high in monounsaturated fatty acids that are less susceptible to lipid peroxidation than polyunsaturated fatty acids, medium-chain triglycerides which show a faster metabolic clearance than long-chain triglycerides, and fish oil which provides the supply of omega-3 fatty acids. The utility of Omegaven and soy-based lipid emulsion is limited as these are restricted to 1 g/kg/day in cholestatic infants. SMOFlipid is safe to be provided at the usual goal infusion amount of 3 g/kg/day. Because this product includes both omega-6 and omega-3 lipids, it provides the benefits of the omega-3s for the liver and provides more than enough omega-6s to meet essential fatty acid requirements. Its use in situations in which growth is inadequate in babies who must be restricted to 1 g/kg/day can be expected to improve their growth and likely markedly increase their chances of both a good neurological outcome and survival. The aim of this research study is to determine if the unique formulation of SMOFLipid will cause less hepatic inflammation compared to soy only intralipids.