98 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
We are attempting to improve the cerebral monitoring of extremely low gestational age (ELGA) infants, such that in the future, real-time monitoring will be possible, to aid clinicians in their management of these infants. We wish to establish a new NIRS device, diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS), as a safe, noninvasive and informative bedside tool for assessing and monitoring brain health in ELGA infants during the first few days of life. It is hoped that this method will provide detailed information on changes in oxygen consumption and metabolism, and cerebral perfusion. This technique will have wide applicability, but for this research study we wish to focus on the effect of blood flow instabilities, intermittent hypotension and hypoxic episodes, pressure passive CBF periods, and hypoperfusion on the preterm brain during the first days of life, and their relationship with incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). We aim to recruit 100 premature infants to obtain data to: 1. Test the feasibility of NIRS-DCS to monitor cerebral activity, perfusion and oxygen consumption in extremely premature infants during the first week of life. 2. To assess if these baseline values are impacted by intermittent hypoxic episodes. 3. To assess if cerebral blood flow disturbances correlate with incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage. 4. Correlate the NIRS-DCS findings with clinical outcome at hospital discharge.
The goal of this research study is to compare the levels of free fatty acids and free bilirubin between two intravenous lipid emulsion products in premature newborns.
Preterm infants are born with immature lungs and often require help with breathing shortly after birth. This traditionally involves administering 100% oxygen. Unfortunately, delivery of high oxygen concentrations leads to the production of free radicals that can injure many organ systems. Term and near-term newborns deprived of oxygen during or prior to birth respond as well or better to resuscitation with room air (21% oxygen) compared to 100% oxygen. However, a static concentration of 21% oxygen may be inappropriate for preterm infants with lung disease.Purpose of the study is to investigate if preterm neonates where resuscitation is initiated with 21% fiO2 and adjusted to meet transitional goal saturations (Limited oxygen strategy or LOX) would have less oxidative stress as measured by the oxidative balance ratio of biological antioxidant potential/total hydroperoxide compared to infants where resuscitation is initiated with pure oxygen and titrated for targeted saturations of 85-94% (Traditional oxygen strategy or TOX). Secondary outcomes of interest included need for other delivery room resuscitation measures, respiratory support and ventilation/oxygenation status upon neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, survival to hospital discharge, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and other short-term morbidities.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a serious lung condition that affects premature newborns. The condition involves abnormal development of lung tissue and is characterized by inflammation and scarring in the lungs. Treatment with inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) may reduce the incidence of BPD and another commonly associated condition called pulmonary hypertension, which is high blood pressure in the vessels carrying blood to the lungs.. This study will determine if early treatment with low-dose iNO reduces the incidence of BPD, pulmonary hypertension, and death in premature newborns.
This study is evaluating whether a bedside brainwave monitor can be used to detect early brain injury in premature infants.
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.
Almost all infants born \<29 weeks gestational age develop apnea of prematurity and are treated with caffeine. Type of diet and disease states may be significant contributors of variability in caffeine metabolism and pharmacokinetics (PK) in this population. This prospective, observational, open-label, opportunistic PK study will compare the population PK of caffeine between infants fed formula and infants fed exclusively breast milk; compare the activities of caffeine metabolizing enzymes between infants fed formula and infants fed exclusively breast milk; and determine the effect of hypoxia, hypotension, and infection on caffeine PK and metabolism in premature infants.
Cycled (intermittent) phototherapy will be compared to continuous (uninterrupted) phototherapy in the treatment of hyperbilirubinemia (newborn jaundice) in extremely low birth weight newborns in a pilot randomized controlled trial. Hypothesis: Cycled phototherapy (PT) will provide the same benefits as continuous phototherapy in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants without the risks that have been associated with continuous phototherapy.
The purpose of this study is to determine if changes in specific gene products in the placenta or cord/infant blood affect a baby's birth weight, increase the risk of premature birth, or increase the risk of developing diseases of prematurity. We would also like to characterize whether placental epigenetic changes or placental markers of environmental exposures are associated with premature birth.
To estimate the impact of having a child with serious illness (SI) on the health and healthcare of other members of the child's family.
The purpose of this study is to compare the standard of care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), known as Family Centered Care, to a new model of care, called mobile enhanced Family Integrated Care. This exploratory two-group comparison study will examine the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness, providing the first United States (US) information about outcomes of a new NICU care model that better integrates parents into all aspects of their baby's care. The use of mobile technology as part of this new model of care could improve access and equity in family integration for the many US families who face barriers to NICU involvement.
Seventy preterm infants born less than or equal to 32 weeks gestation were put into either the sensory-based intervention (experiment) group or traditional care (control) group. Consecutive admissions at St. Louis Children's Hospital (SLCH) who were hospitalized in a private NICU room were recruited. The parents of infants in the sensory-based intervention group were educated and supported by trained therapists to give different positive sensory experiences to their infants while hospitalized. The traditional care group received normal, standard care while hospitalized. For both care groups, infant neurobehavior, sensory processing, and parent mental health were measured at term age prior to hospital discharge. Child development, sensory processing, and parent mental health were measured again at age one year (corrected). Differences between the two groups were explored.
BACKGROUND: Annually \>400,000 US newborns require neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) care.1/3 will require ongoing or specialty care after discharge. Some NICU graduates can be classified as children with special health care needs (CSHCN) who will require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally. NICU parents report increased anxiety and stress during their stay and transition home from the NICU. Short-term peer-to -peer programs during hospitalization decrease stress, anxiety and depression for mothers, however, no studies have evaluated the effects of long term post-discharge peer support. Children's National (CN) provides medical home services to CSHCN through its Parent Navigator Program (PNP). Parent Navigators (PNs) are CSHCN parents who provide peer emotional support, access to community resources, and assistance with navigating complicated health systems. NICU graduates and their caregivers may benefit from support provided by PNs after discharge. No data regarding the impact of PNs on patient and family outcomes of the NICU graduate are available. OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a PNP on a parent's self-efficacy, stress, anxiety, depression; infant health care utilization, and immunization status. METHODS: 300 NICU graduates will be randomized to receive either PN for 12 months (intervention group) or usual care (comparison group). Baseline data at 1 week, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after discharge will be collected from caregivers in both groups including scales for self-efficacy, stress, anxiety, and depression, infant healthcare utilization and immunization status. Outcomes will be compared at 12 months. PATIENT OUTCOMES (PROJECTED) The study outcomes are parental self-efficacy, stress, anxiety, and depression; infant health care utilization and immunization status. ANTICIPATED IMPACT Prior studies utilizing small samples have suggested that peer support in the NICU can reduce anxiety and depression in caregivers. It is unclear whether peer support after discharge, when a family is faced with the total care of their child without structured supports, can significantly impact parents' ability to care for their child. The investigators anticipate that this simple intervention will increase self-efficacy in caregivers, reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, in turn resulting in improved health outcomes for their child.
The study will evaluate the effect of NTRA-2112 on intestinal malabsorption in preterm infants.
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 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.
90 preterm infants were randomly assigned to kangaroo care (skin-to-=skin, chest-to-chest) group (n=50) or control (remained in incubator, prone (n=40) for a pretest period of 2- 3 hours, then fed, then KC group was placed in KC and control group remained in incubator for a 2-3 hr test period. EEG measures of sleep, HR, and RR were taken. .
Infants in neonatal intensive care units are increasing exposed to non-invasive ventilatory support modes (nasal continuous positive airway pressure - NCPAP and high flow nasal cannula: \>1 L/min flow - HFNC). While there have been small descriptive studies of noise exposure in infants on NCPAP, there have been no comparative trials done comparing noise exposure in infants undergoing both NCPAP and HFNC. Objective: Using a cross-over model determine noise exposure levels in infants exposed to similar levels of respiratory support provided by NCPAP and HFNC.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the developmental effects of two different types of positioning used with premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.
The skin barrier lipids will be lower in premature infants than in full term infants and will become normal over 3-4 months after birth. The higher skin pH in premature infants will be related to an altered lipid composition which will change as the skin acidifies.
Premature infants sometimes require sedation to ensure minimal movement during diagnostic procedures such as MRIs. However, sedatives may produce adverse effects. The purpose of this two-day study is to determine whether massage therapy will promote sleep in preterm infants and also help them to stay asleep, providing a safer way to sedate infants for procedures. A small instrument called a sleep watch or actigraph will be placed around the infant's ankle to measure muscle activity and provide an indication of sleep. Infants will receive a 10- minute massage on one morning of the study and no massage on the alternate morning. Recordings from the actigraph will show whether there is difference in sleep pattern with and without massage. Infants will be monitored for any heart rate and oxygen saturation changes on both mornings of the study.
This proposed investigation will test the following hypotheses: 1) Enzymatic activity of CYP2B6 characterized by the formation clearance of methadone to EDDP (CLf,EDDP), is directly related to both gestational and postnatal age; 2) variations in the CYP2B6 gene (SNPs) are associated with variable activity of the CYP2B6 enzyme (as measured by the formation clearance, CLf,EDDP), and 3) the elimination rate of methadone and its major metabolite EDDP in neonates is dependent on the glomerular filtration rate and therefore on the stage of development (defined by both gestational and postnatal age). The investigators propose to develop a PK model for methadone dosing in neonates that takes into account both developmental stage and genetic variability. The long-term goal of the proposed investigations is to improve dosing of methadone in neonates exposed to opioids in utero or post-natally, leading to improved control of their withdrawal syndrome and decreased adverse drug reactions associated with the current use of methadone in these vulnerable patients. More immediately, the investigators will develop a PK model for methadone dosing based on relevant developmental and genetic characteristics. The acquired knowledge based on the proposed study will lead to a more efficacious treatment of pain or opiate withdrawal syndrome in newborn infants with a decreased chance of adverse drug reactions.
The purpose of this study is to see if daily massage therapy will help premature infants respond to stress better, as well as improve their growth and neurobehavioral development.
Breast milk is readily accepted as the ideal source of nutrition for almost all infants, including premature or very low birth weight infants. However, these high-risk infants require the addition of fortifiers to their milk in order to achieve sufficient levels of calories, vitamins, and minerals for adequate growth. We are currently using a liquid human milk fortifier which does not provide sufficient protein intake, requiring addition of a liquid protein supplement. A new product has been released which provides sufficient protein in the liquid HMF, without the acidification seen in previous products. This is a prospective, randomized noninferiority study comparing the safety and efficacy of the new HMF with additional protein to our current standard of adding additional protein supplementation on top of the HMF.
This was a quasi-experimental pilot study comparing blood glucose values 30 minutes after feeding alone or feeding + dextrose gel in newborns at risk for transient neonatal hypoglycemia.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether early (before NICU discharge) or late (55-60 weeks post-menstrual age) inguinal hernia repair is safer for premature infants who have an inguinal hernia.
This research study is being done to investigate the effect of changing an infant's body position on how hard the baby works to breathe, the baby's oxygen level, the baby's carbon dioxide level, the baby's lung volume, the baby's lung compliance (ability of the lung to expand and fill with air), and how frequently the baby develops clinically significant events such as apnea (baby stops breathing on his own), bradycardia (low heart rate), and desaturation (low oxygen) events.
Investigators hypothesize that premature newborns with poor cardiopulmonary performance have higher morbidities and poorer physical and cognitive developmental outcomes. Investigators further hypothesize that audible sounds combined with novel inaudible vibrations above and below human perception interpreted with transparent and auditable AI algorithms can detect and identify early gas and fluid movement anomalies not uncovered by conventional tools in an non-invasive, easy, fast, and low cost examination.
This is a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, sequential dose-escalating, double-masked, safety study of sildenafil in premature infants (inpatient in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs)) with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
This is a prospective crossover study to compare the within-subject effect of the two target ranges of arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2), both within the clinically recommended range of 90- 95%. The specific objective of this study to evaluate the impact of targeting SpO2 within 93-95% compared to the 90-92% range on ventilatory stability in premature infants of 23-29 weeks gestational age (GA).