51 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The investigators are conducting a pilot randomized controlled trial of unconditional cash transfers among Medicaid-eligible birthing parents of preterm infants in a single neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Pennsylvania. The investigators will measure the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, birthing parents' lived experiences of having a preterm infant and the impacts of cash transfers, and conduct a preliminary assessment of efficacy on birthing parent psychological stress and ability to invest in their infant's care.
This prospective cohort study was conducted in the Christiana Care Health System Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It occurred at two time periods: Time period 1 included infants admitted to the traditional, open bay NICU. Time period 2 included infants admitted to the new private, single family room NICU. There was a 3 month period between Time period 1 and Time period 2 to ensure that there was no patient overlap. Stool samples and environmental samples were collected at 1 and 4 weeks after birth in both time periods. The objective of this study was to establish the gastrointestinal microbiome of infants born at less than 32 weeks gestation admitted to the exiting open bay NICU and compare it to the gastrointestinal microbiome of infants born at less than 32 weeks admitted to the new private, single family room NICU.
The purpose of this research is to evaluate two oxygen saturation goals for newborns with pulmonary hypertension. Participation in this research will involve random assignment to one of two oxygen saturation goals, review of the medical record and targeted echocardiograms.
Skin breaking procedure through an automated heel lancet for blood draws is a common painful procedure in the Neonatal Intensive care unit (NICU). Recurrent pain in preterm neonates is associated with long-term complications. The primary objective of the study is to compare pain scores between two groups (24% sucrose and breast milk) during blood draw using an automated heel lancet in preterm neonates. The investigator conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial in preterm neonates, to compare the pain scores in infants receiving either breast milk or sucrose. Premature Infant pain profile- Revised pain profile is used to assign pain scores. The primary outcome measure is the comparison of pain scores between the two groups.
The purpose of this study is to determine if an investigational drug, AT-100, can reduce the occurrence of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) in babies born premature, as compared to babies born premature who receive an air-sham alone.
To test the hypothesis that early exclusive enteral nutrition with the minimal use of parenteral nutrition will improve preterm infants' nutritional outcomes when compared to delayed progression of enteral nutrition and prolonged use of parenteral nutrition.
A multicenter, placebo-controlled, randomized, dose escalation, safety, and tolerability study of UNEX-42 in infants born at \<27 weeks of gestational age (GA) at high risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
Late-preterm neonates are born between 34 and 36 weeks 7 days gestational age (GA). Neonates born less than 34 weeks GA are at increased risk for morbidity and directly admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) is a standard of care in many units to aid in post-natal transitioning. Current guidelines published by the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend only "vigorous, term" neonates initiate immediate SSC. There is no published data regarding safety or guidelines relating to late-preterm neonates and immediate SSC. Therefore, the investigators hypothesize that post-natal transitioning after immediate SSC within the first hours after birth will be no worse for vigorous, singleton 35 0/7 to 36 6/7 week neonates compared to those who transition to SSC after an initial period of 20 minutes observation under the radiant warmer.
This study will evaluate the use of acetaminophen in preterm infants when a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is of concern. We will perform two simultaneous prospective observational studies over a 3 year period. The first will be of infants with clinically significant PDAs beyond 14 days of life who are medically treated with acetaminophen as a means to avoid surgical ligation, and the second will be of infants who received acetaminophen for a PDA closure during the first 2 weeks of life as a result of ibuprofen, the current standard of care in our NICU, contraindication due to medical status.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether using electrocardiograms (ECGs) during resuscitation of preterm infants (less than 31 weeks gestation) will decrease the amount of time it takes from birth for heart rate (HR) to be above 100 beats per minute and oxygen saturations to be in the goal range, in other words to stabilize the infant. A few studies have been conducted which showed that ECGs are faster at detecting HR than pulse oximetry (PO). Sample sizes, however, have been small and only few extremely low birthweight infants have been included. It is unclear if use of ECG in these tiny preterm infants in addition to traditional techniques to determine HR will be beneficial and impact resuscitation and outcomes. The investigators propose a study where infants will be randomized to either using ECG in addition to PO ± auscultation versus PO ± auscultation only to assess HR during neonatal resuscitation. The investigators hypothesize that the group of infants randomized to ECG will be able to stabilize faster, i.e. achieve HR \> 100 beats per minute and oxygen saturation in goal range faster.
This is a clinical trial which will investigate whether administration of caffeine, a respiratory stimulant, to preterm babies soon after birth can prevent the need for a breathing tube, or intubation. Many preterm babies who require intubation are intubated soon after birth, often within the first few hours. If caffeine is given early enough and is sufficient to stimulate effective breathing, perhaps these babies may not require intubation. Additionally, caffeine may improve blood flow in preterm babies when given soon after birth. Approximately half of babies in this study will receive caffeine within two hours after birth, and half will receive caffeine 12 hours after birth. The hypothesis is that preterm babies who receive caffeine within 2 hours after birth will have a lower incidence of intubation than preterm babies who receive caffeine 12 hours after birth. The main secondary hypothesis is that caffeine given soon after birth will enhance blood flow in preterm babies.
This study compared the administration of porcine surfactant (poractant alfa, Curosurf®) through a less invasive method (LISA), using a thin catheter, CHF 6440 (LISACATH®), during non-invasive ventilation (CPAP, NIPPV, BiPAP) with an approved conventional surfactant administration during invasive ventilation followed by rapid extubation in terms of short term and mid-term safety and efficacy in spontaneously breathing preterm neonates who have clinical signs of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
This study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of lucinactant for inhalation, administered as an aerosol in up to four escalating doses to preterm neonates 26 to 28 weeks gestational age who are receiving nCPAP for RDS compared to neonates receiving nCPAP alone.
Delayed cord clamping (DCC) from 30 to 60 seconds allows blood to continue to flow from the placenta through the umbilical cord to the infant, thus resulting in a placental transfusion. This transfusion may improve circulating volume at birth leading to a smoother postnatal transition and overall improved outcome for preterm infants. The average blood volume delivered with DCC up to 90 seconds in preterm infants has been estimated to be about 12 ml per kg with vaginal deliveries resulting in slightly higher transfusions compared to cesarean deliveries. Several several short-term benefits have been described including a reduction in the need for blood transfusions as well as a possible reduction in intraventricular hemorrhage and necrotizing enterocolitis. All mothers with threatened preterm delivery between 28 and 34 6/7 weeks will be approached for the study. Following consent, the infant will be randomly assigned to either a 30 or 60 second delay in cord clamping in the delivery room. If the infant is not breathing by 30 seconds, the cord will be clamped and the infant moved to a resuscitation area. The primary outcome is a 3 percent difference in the hematocrit at one hour (routinely obtained on all babies). With approximately 75 neonates in each group (30 and 60 second DCC), there is 80% power to detect a difference in the mean hematocrit of 3% using a two-sample t-test with a 0.05 two-sided significance level.
The primary hypothesis is that preterm infants who are less than or equal to 32 weeks gestation and weigh 1001-2500 grams at birth will have an increase in weight gain with a feeding goal of 180-200 ml/kg/day more than the commonly used feeding goal of 140-160 ml/kg/day
In this study, newborn babies with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), receiving oxygen via nasal continuous airway pressure (CPAP) modalities, and needing surfactant treatment will be randomized to standard delivery of surfactant via and endotracheal tube airway (inserted after pre-medication for pain with a short-acting narcotic), or to surfactant delivery via laryngeal mask airway (LMA). The intent is to remove the airways and return babies to non-invasive CPAP support, after surfactant is given. The primary outcome measure is the rate of failure of initial surfactant therapy. Standardized failure criteria are reached: a) early, if the baby is unable to be placed back on non-invasive CPAP (i.e., needs tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation) or, b) late, if the baby requires ventilation, retreatment with surfactant within 8 hours or more than 2 doses of surfactant. The objective of this protocol is to reduce the need for endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation in preterm neonates with RDS needing rescue surfactant therapy by instilling surfactant though an LMA, while achieving comparable efficacy of surfactant treatment. The hypothesis is that surfactant treatment through an LMA will decrease the proportion of babies with RDS who require mechanical ventilation or subsequent intubation, when compared to standard surfactant treatment following endotracheal intubation with sedation.
The goal of this protocol is to establish a randomized clinical trial comparing the use of cord blood vs. infant blood with the primary outcome of comparing both the absolute hemoglobin concentration and the percent change in hemoglobin concentration from baseline around 24 hours of life.
The purpose of this study is to determine an optimal strategy to wean nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) in preterm babies. The investigators hypothesize that babies that are taken off NCPAP at lower settings will need fewer total days on NCPAP than those babies taken off at higher settings.
Premature infants are at risk of having pauses in breathing, or apneas, due to their immaturity. Premature infants are routinely given caffeine, a respiratory stimulant, on the first day of life to prevent apneas. However, if they continue to have apneas, they may require a breathing tube to be placed in the trachea. There are risks to having a breathing tube, so it would be beneficial to avoid it if possible. If caffeine is given earlier, it may decrease the need for a breathing tube. Some studies also suggest that caffeine may also improve heart function which may prevent low blood pressure if given early.
The purpose of the study is to determine whether packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusion affects intestinal blood flow of premature infants during feedings and if so, whether return of normal intestinal blood flow pattern occurs within 48 hours of blood transfusion. Abnormal intestinal responses to the feedings (insufficient postprandial blood flow increase in order to digest given feeding volume or overall decrease of intestinal blood flow) may predispose infants to feeding intolerance and to serious intestinal disease called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a relatively common heart condition found in young preterm infants that can lead to decreased blood flow in different organs, including intestines. Thus, the determination of the presence or absence of PDA is an important part of the study, since it can be a relevant confounding variable. In this study, the investigators will assess intestinal blood flow by using sonogram to measure velocity through the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), the artery supplying most of the intestine, both pre- and 45 minutes post feeding. The investigators will also use echocardiogram to determine the presence or absence of PDA. Each set of measurements will be done immediately before and after the transfusion, and again 24 and 48 hours after the transfusion. Specific Hypothesis: The investigators hypothesize that infants will have attenuated postprandial blood flow velocities in immediate posttransfusion state when compared to the pretransfusion values. The investigators further hypothesize that normal, pretransfusion postprandial blood flow velocities will be achieved 48 hrs after the blood transfusion.
The goal of the study is to determine if parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis (PNAC) is related to the amount of parenteral (intravenous) fat administered to premature babies until full enteral nutrition is achieved.
Preterm newborns typically must be thermally regulated. In the United States, isolettes (incubators) are used to help them maintain their temperature. Traditionally, the temperature support (i.e. the temperature of the incubator) is decreased slowly according to NICU protocol until the baby is able to maintain its temperature in an open crib, without regard to the status of its feedings. This study will attempt to determine if there is a difference in length of stay, weight gain, and calories needed to gain appropriate weight between a group of newborns whose isolette temperatures are decreased in an aggressive strategy (isolette temperatures are decreased based only on baby's body temperature), and a group of newborns whose isolette temperatures are decreased in a conservative strategy (isolette temperatures are decreased to a minimum temperature and then kept steady until their feeds are at caloric goal and they are taking at least half of their feeds by mouth).
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and safety of a single dose of IV azithromycin in preterm neonates and confirm that the pharmacokinetics of azithromycin is similar in the 24-\<32 week and 32-\<37 week neonate. The dose of 10 mg/kg has been chosen on the basis of previous pediatric pharmacokinetic studies.
To determine the short and long term effects of placental transfusion at birth by milking and delayed cord clamping of the umbilical cord in neonates born between 24 weeks 0 days and 34 weeks 0 days weeks' gestation.
The purpose of this study is to determine if the combination of late doses of Infasurf with inhaled nitric oxide will interact to improve the surfactant function and thus the respiratory status and outcome of treated infants.
To compare the 2 methods of weaning of nasal CPAP in premature babies born at 32 weeks or less
Many extremely premature infants, born before 28 weeks' gestation age, require immediate help with breathing after birth. Positive pressure ventilation (PPV) using a device called a T-piece resuscitator is a common method. PPV is needed to establish proper lung function, improve gas exchange, and encourage the infant to breathe spontaneously. However, T-piece resuscitators have limitations, like a lack of visual feedback and variable settings, which may result in reduced effectiveness of PPV. Improving PPV effectiveness may reduce the need for more invasive procedures, such as intubation, which pose an increased risk of complications and death for these fragile infants. A novel approach, that may overcome the above limitations and deliver PPV with precise settings through a nasal mask, is to use a ventilator to deliver PPV (V-PPV) using a respiratory mode called nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV). While NIPPV is commonly used in neonatal intensive care units to support breathing in premature infants, the impact of V-PPV use during immediate post-birth stabilization needs to be studied. Preliminary data from our recent single-center study confirmed the feasibility of using V-PPV for resuscitation of extremely premature babies and indicated its potential superiority with a 28% decrease in the need for intubation compared to historical use of T-piece. This promising innovation may enhance outcomes for these vulnerable infants by refining the way we provide respiratory support in their critical first moments. The research objective is to compare the clinical outcomes of extremely premature infants receiving manual T-piece versus V-PPV during immediate post-birth stabilization. The primary aim is to evaluate the impact of V-PPV on major health complications or death. This study seeks to provide insights into improving the care and outcomes of these infants during a critical stage of transition from fetus to newborn.
The aims of this observational bench project are to validate the performance of the miniaturized and modernized hematofluorometer that measures bilirubin capacity into a product and is suitable for operation in various point of care environments w in the management of preterm neonates.
The purpose of this study is to improve the dosing of morphine in critically ill premature neonates.
This study will evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of ceftobiprole in term and pre-term newborn babies and infants up to 3 months of age with late-onset sepsis (LOS). Ceftobiprole is an antibiotic which belongs to a group of medicines called 'cephalosporin antibiotics'. It is approved for its use to treat adults and children with pneumonia in many European and non-European countries.