Active clinical trials for "Premature Birth"

The objetive of the study is to evaluate the non-inferiority or the equivalence of the kangaroo care position, in lateral versus traditional one in prone measuring the stability of several parameters in premature infants less than 28 weeks of gestational age during the first 5 days of life.

In some studies of fetal thymus volume, fetal stress factors; infection, preterm premature premature rupture of membranes, preeclampsia, preterm delivery risk. Generally, there is a direct correlation between fetal growth and thymus volume and it was observed that thymus volume decreased in pregnancies accompanied by fetal stress factors.The aim of this study was to measure fetal thymus volume in second trimester twin pregnancies and to investigate whether there is a statistically significant correlation between preterm birth risk pregnancies.

This research will investigate the PPG signal morphology related to physiological and non- physiological changes in arrhythmia-related heart rate as well as the performance of the PPG-based features previously developed within the framework of the Mini-Holter study to discriminate between several cardiac arrhythmias. To this end, clinical data will be recorded on patients by using a wrist-based PPG monitor simultaneously with 12-lead ECG and intracardiac electrogram (EGM) signals at the university hospital in Lausanne. Importantly, this study will remain purely observational as it will not change the diagnostic and therapeutic management of the included patients, nor will it interfere with the time course of the procedures. The aim of enHEART study is to validate on a larger database the ability of several previously developed PPG-based features to detect a variety of cardiac arrhythmias.

It consists of evaluating the advantage of routine detection of phIGFBP-1 to reduce the total duration of hospitalization for patients with a risk of preterm labor before 32 weeks of gestation without increasing the number of preterm labour. Methods Patient with a risk of preterm labor (ultrasound cervical length < 25 mm +/- described or recorded uterine contractions) before 32 weeks of gestation will be hospitalized to receive tocolytic drugs and antenatal corticosteroid therapy according to our gold standard protocol. After 48 hours, they will be assessed by examination, external tocodynamometry and the measure of cervical length by ultrasound. Stabilized patients will be included and randomized into 2 groups of 210 patients each. The first group "A" will benefit from the standard protocol (extended hospitalization of 2 or 4 days according to the clinical and ultrasound assessment); whereas the second group, "B", will have the benefit of the detection of phIGFBP-1.If the result proves negative, patients could be discharged early at day 2. In the case of a positive result, patients will follow the standard procedure because of the low positive predictive value of the test. The main outcome is the total duration of hospitalization. Study duration The trial period will be 36 months. Expected results The use of detection of IGFBP-1 would enable us to select patients at risk and to decrease the duration of hospitalization in the case of a negative result. Perspectives The negative predictive value of phIGFBP-1 test could be useful to select patients with stabilized risk of preterm labor, who could be discharged early. Moreover it could be used, in the Perinat Sud network, to decide if patients with a risk of preterm labor would benefit from hospitalization in a level II or III maternity ward.

In obstetric, the investigators can't predict accurately with current means (BISHOP score, traditional cervix ultrasonography and fibronectin) the childbirth time and delay. If ultrasonography can determine the length, the cervix opening, it can't define its flexibility. Indeed, the conventional cervix ultrasonography can't inform us about the consistency of the uterine cervix. The elastography (elasticity imagery) is an innovating technology. It is a new technology currently used as part of breast cancer estimate. This diagnosis mean use the ultrasonography to measure the tissues answer under pressure. Its contribution in obstetric must be estimated to improve patients minimum fare. The main target of the investigators study is to estimate the interest of the measure of cervix elasticity degree by elastography in prediction of premature birth within a population of pregnant women

Newborns infants equal or less than 1500 grams and/or equal and less than 32 weeks will have ophthalmologic examination for ROP at 6 weeks old. They will be randomized blindly to receive 2 ml of 12.5% dextrose in water (D12.5W) orally five minute before examination (intervention group) or nothing (control). NIPS scale will be applied two minutes before examination and two minutes after examination.

Placement of a vaginal pessary reduces significantly the rate of spontaneous preterm birth in pregnant women with short cervical length at 18-22 weeks scan.

To evaluate, in a prospective multicenter study, ultrashort-term heat inactivation for the prevention of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) transmission in preterm infants (<32 weeks gestational age or <1500 g birth weight) under clinical conditions. Inactivation will be done only during the period of infectivity of breast milk, characterized by viral excretion strongly associated with subsequent infection, monitored by periodic virologic examinations of BM and urine of the infant. Thus the investigators hypothesis is that no CMV transmission through breast milk will occur using a gentle ultrashort heat inactivation procedure applied to infective breast milk. The protocol has been approved by the ethics committee of Tuebingen University Hospital.

Utilization of nitric oxide (NO) therapy has been related to a trend towards short term improvement in very premature infants. A two year follow-up of children treated soon after birth with NO in the neonatal period, suggests that a significant improvement in neurodevelopmental outcome might occur. This study aims to evaluate follow-up at 6 years, in respiratory and neurodevelopmental outcome, of children born very prematurely, some of them having been treated with nitric oxide in the neonatal period.

The purpose of this study is to determine if supplementation of calcium by the enteral route (gut feeding) to extremely low birth weight infants will lead to less myopia (nearsightedness) at 6-12 months postnatal age. Secondly, the study will determine if calcium supplementation is well tolerated, if it reduces the molding of these premature infants' heads, and if it decreases myopia at the 18-22 month postnatal age visit.