Active clinical trials for "Enterocolitis"

The primary purpose of this study is to compare two surgical treatments for perforated necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight babies.

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare the incidence of late onset sepsis and/or necrotizing enterocolitis and duration of hospitalization in low birth weight infants fed with fortified mother's milk supplemented with either fortified pasteurized donor human milk or preterm formula, and with fortified mother's milk versus preterm formula. II. Determine the relationship between functional antibody titers in serial milk samples and the incidence of pathogen specific late onset sepsis (e.g., Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus) in these patients. III. Determine the long term sequelae (growth, body composition, health, and neurodevelopment) of human milk versus formula feeding in these patients. IV. Determine the relationship between stress and milk production in the mothers of these patients.

Survival of preterm infants has increased greatly over the years, so a major aim now is to improve the long term outlook for these babies and to avoid serious complications. The way babies are fed in early life affects short and long-term health and survival. Because the bowels of preterm infants have not matured, they cannot digest large volumes of milk feeds straight away. Until the gut matures, nutrition is provided by intravenous drip while the amount of milk given is gradually increased over time. Increasing the amount of milk rapidly may increase the risk of gut complications. Increasing the amount of milk given more slowly means that intravenous nutrition is needed for longer; there is an associated risk of infection proportional to the time the intravenous line is present in the bloodstream of these infants. Despite the importance of milk feeding preterm infants, there have been few studies to inform how best to balance these risks, and what the best way to increase feeds in these infants is - this study sets out to address this missing information. The study will compare two different speeds of milk feed increase, one 'faster' and one 'slower', both within rates currently used in United Kingdom neonatal units. The study aims to find out if either speed of milk feed increase gives better outcomes for the infants. Investigators will measure a variety of outcomes, such as survival without disability, infection, bowel problems, growth and long-term physical and mental development, as well as the impact on families and the National Health Service, including costs. The study is being led by an established team of researchers who have run similar studies before, and uses an established network of neonatal units that have taken part in previous studies.

This study evaluates the relationship between anemia and stool microbiota in premature infants. It also evaluates the relationship between blood transfusion and stool microbiota.

A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial was conducted in the neonatal high care unit of Tygerberg Children's Hospital (TBCH) Cape Town, South Africa for the period July 2011 to August 2012. The primary objective of the study was to assess the effect of probiotics on the incidence of NEC in high risk infants born to HIV-positive and HIV-negative women. Throughout the study period, the standard of care protocol consisted of one dose (5 drops) probiotic/placebo daily for 4 weeks (28 days). This provided the study group with L. rhamnosus GG (0.35 x 109 colony-forming units [CFU]) and B. infantis (0.35 x 109 CFU) daily. The control group received placebo consisting of medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil. Supplementation of the probiotic/placebo was initiated when enteral feeds started. Probiotic/ placebo supplementation was delayed/ halted in the event of: the infants being nill per os (NPO); when a query Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) was suspected the infant continued with treatment until a confirmed a positive diagnosis of NEC I was made through abdominal X-ray; if the infant remained a query NEC and was NPO the infant did not receive probiotics/ placebo until the enteral feeds were commenced again. Supplementation was discontinued when HIV-exposed infants had a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) result on day 14 of life. All study participants received human breast milk. Both the probiotics and placebo were mixed with the mothers own breast milk or donor breast milk before administration via the orogastric tube or orally. The probiotic/ placebo was added to the breast milk by the researcher and two research assistants who were blinded and not involved in the routine care of the infants. Participants exited the study on day 28 after birth or upon discharge from the hospital.

Probiotics are favorable microorganisms that regulate the flora of the gastrointestinal system and stimulate the immune system. Necrotizing enterocolitis incidence is 10-25% in newborn infants whose birth weights are < 1500 g. Although bifidobacterium and other lactobacilli spp. have been used to reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis in clinical trials, Lactobacillus reuteri has not been used in the prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight infants yet. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of orally administered Lactobacillus reuteri in reducing the incidence and severity of necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight infants.

Mortality and incidence of severe complications is still high among extremely premature infants. Common causes of severe complications in this population are poor nutrition, necrotizing enterocolitis, and severe infections. Feeding intolerance is also a common problem resulting in prolonged need for intravenous lines and poor nutrition. The aim of the study is to evaluate whether supplementation with the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 daily to premature infants with extremely low birth weight increases feeding tolerance to breast milk and thereby improves nutrition, increases growth and reduces serious complications and mortality in this population. Beyond this, possible mechanisms underlying these effects will be analyzed in stool, breast milk and blood samples.

Extremely premature (BW<1250g) infants are at high risk for morbidity and mortality. Own mother's colostrum (OMC) and milk (OMM) protect against neonatal morbidity and are rich in immune factors which may provide immunostimulatory effects when administered oropharyngeally to extremely premature infants during the first weeks of life. The investigators hypothesize that infants who receive oropharyngeal mother's colostrum and milk will have significantly lower rates of infection and improved health outcomes, compared to infants who receive a placebo.

With preterm birth, the ingestion of amniotic fluid containing enterocyte trophic factors ceases abruptly. This likely predisposes them to villous atrophy feeding intolerance and necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC) once feedings are instituted.Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) and Erythropoietin (EPO) have important non-hematopoietic roles in human developmental biology. Among these roles, they have trophic actions on villous height and bowel length of the developing intestine.The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of enteral recombinant human G-CSF and recombinant human EPO in prevention of feeding intolerance and /or NEC in preterm infants.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether dietary supplementation with Lactobacillus GG will reduce the rate of failure or relapse following treatment of CDAD with metronidazole.