Active clinical trials for "Premature Birth"

The main purpose of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is to optimize the development of the newborn. Preterm children are at greater risk for developmental disorders. On the one hand, this is due to cerebral complications inherent to the prematurity, on the other hand it is related to the very early and therefore vulnerable stage of brain development at the time of the premature birth. The development of the child is also the result of a constant interaction between the infant and its environment, primarily the primary caregiver (i.e. the parents). A premature birth can cause great stress to parents, and there are several obstacles that can make it difficult to handle their child. Therefore, we have developed a web application that supports parents until their child reaches the age of two. By keeping them informed, we hope to make them more confident in their role as parents, and thus facilitate the parent-child interaction. In order to determine whether this form of support has an additional effect on the development of the premature child, we compare two groups of premature infants and a group of non-premature infants.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the use of headphones in salivary cortisol levels in newborns (NB) during periods of nap aimed at noise reduction, brightness and handling NB, measure the concentrations of salivary cortisol before (baseline) and after the use of hearing protection (response) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A NICU nap periods and compare the influence of the use and non-use of hearing protection in salivary cortisol levels and sleep patterns of infants during nap periods of the NICU.

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is increasingly used for supporting preterm infants with respiratory distress in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and the incidence for nasal injury including skin redness or breakdown associated with pressure from the nasal interfaces is found in infants receiving this support. Risk is found higher in preterm infants than term infants due to the smaller gestation age and lower birth weight. Thus, the study aims to develop, implement, and evaluate an evidence-based practice guideline (the guideline) for preterm infants receiving NIV in the NICU. With the implementation of this guideline, it helps to promote comfort to infants receiving NIV, and at the same time to minimize complications associated with NIV.

Every year, globally, about 15 million babies are born preterm (before 37 weeks). This number is rising. Preterm birth (PTB) complications are the leading cause of death among children under 5 years of age, responsible for nearly 1 million deaths annually. PTB poses a strain on scarce health resources: each very premature baby costs tens of thousands of pounds in newborn care. One in 4 babies born before 28 weeks develop neurological impairment, a parent often having to give up work to care for an affected child. The prediction and prevention of PTB remain challenging because current methods, such as measuring the cervix by ultrasound, have limited accuracy. If a technique that reliably predicts PTB could be developed, there are care measures that can be employed to delay birth to reduce long-term disability/impairment. The Investigators have been studying whether they can detect the changes in cervical tissue structure and composition that precede PTB by using very low current Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Evidence recently showed that women at high risk of PTB (history of previous PTB), who deliver preterm, including delivery before 28 weeks gestation, have lower cervical "resistance" in mid-pregnancy than those who deliver at term. With NIHR funding, the investigators have developed a new device, based on a technique called magnetic impedance spectroscopy (MIS) that should address limitations of the EIS device for assessing PTB risk. The investigators now want to refine the new MIS device by minimising the signals it receives from other tissues around the cervix and making its measurements at internal body temperature more stable. The researchers also conduct clinical experiments to test whether it predicts PTB better than the previous EIS device, and check whether pregnant women find its use acceptable. This information will allow them to obtain UK regulatory approval to test the device in larger trials.

In the literature, it is emphasized that oral colostrum administration in very low birth weight infants supported the immune development of the premature newborn, contributed to the development of oral microbiota and reduced the length of hospital stay (Manzoni 2011; Pammi 2011; Zhang 2017; Moreno-Fernandez 2018; Rodriguez 2009). However, there was no source answering the question of how both the mother and the infant are affected by oral colostrum administration in very low birth weight infants. Based on the studies indicating that premature infants distinguished their mother's milk smell and taste (Lecanuet and Schoal, 1996; Aoyama et al. 2010), it was aimed to find answers to the questions of whether this administration in infants without oral intake had positive effect on the success of breastfeeding. Research Hypotheses: H0: Oral colostrum administration in very low birth weight premature infants who cannot be fed orally has no effect on breastfeeding. H1: Oral colostrum administration in very low birth weight premature infants who cannot be fed orally affects the success of breastfeeding

Cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke and cardiac insufficiency) are the leading cause of death worldwide. They are a major cause of concern in public health worldwide as well. Their incidence is increasing especially in emerging countries. It has been shown through epidemiological and experimental studies that these cardiovascular diseases are influenced by environmental factors which can act early during different periods of the development. Preterm birth is an emerging risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. Preterm birth rate varies accordingly to countries from 6 % to 14 % and accounts for 80% of low birth weight. These past thirty years have shown an improvement in the management and survival rate of these babies. The number of preterm infants reaching adulthood is thus increasing. Long term effects of preterm birth on cardiovascular diseases are little known. However, emerging evidence suggest that preterm birth affects certain functions and structure. A significant increase in blood pressure and alterations on the vascular, metabolic, and renal systems have been reported in healthy young adult born preterm. And abnormal heart shape with left ventricular hypertrophy have been demonstrated in these population (Oxford)

The purpose of this randomised control trial is to determine the efficacy of CT-optimal touch (gentle stroking at 3cm/s) for newborn's who require a heel prick.

The main objective of the study is to gather preliminary data on the effectiveness of High Flow Nasal canula (HFNC), provided since the delivery room, for ventilatory support in newborns of 34-36 weeks with moderate respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). The secondary objective is to evaluate the safety of HFNC in this indication.

For preterm infants, deferred cord clamping has been shown to improve both short term and long-term neonatal outcomes without an established harm for both the mother and her infant.The interference with resuscitative measures for the neonate or the mother is a risk that continued to hamper the implementation of delayed cord clamping in many centers around the world.For that reason, the evidence now is seeking a time-honored, yet not adopted method of placental transfusion that involves milking of the umbilical cord.

Background : Brain vulnerability is particularly marked in preterm neonates and has long-term consequences. Unlike lesions affecting other organs, those that affect the brain can currently not 'be repaired' by producing new cells. However, exeprience-driven brain plasticity allows the brain to reorganise its connections to compensate (at least partially) the effects of an injury. Purpose : To evaluate the influence of Primebrain stimulation programme administred by parents until 6 months post-term on motor and neurophysiological development of infants born <32 weeks' gestation or with birth weight <1500 g.