Active clinical trials for "Retinopathy of Prematurity"

To evaluate the effect of ambient light reduction on the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Vitamin A is essential for optimal growth, and development. In the newborn, especially if preterm, it is necessary for the cellular differentiation, for the health of the anterior eye, it is a constituent of visual pigment, and it is essential for surfactant synthesis. Immune response Vitamin A supplementation demonstrated to reduces infancy mortality, but very low (<1500g birth weight) and extremely low (<1000g birth weight) preterm infants are born with low body stores of vitamin A and are at high risk of vitamin A deficiency. Nevertheless, optimal vitamin A supplementation for these infants is not clearly defined, despite evidence of benefit of an early supplementation. Prematurity is associate to the risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) which is a disease marked by respiratory compromise associated with high mortality and severe long-term morbidity, as well as prematurity is associate to the risk for retinopathy, a pathology that may be related to less rhodopsin quantity which seem dependent on vitamin A concentration. Vitamin A can be given enterally, intramuscularly, or intravenously. Recently an oral administration as drops is available resulting particularly convenient avoiding the pain associated with repetitive intramuscular injections, or the discomfort of parenteral administration. Studies of vitamin A in the infant population suggest that plasma retinol concentrations >0.7 µM/L indicate vitamin A sufficiency, nevertheless preterm infants have lower concentration and concentration < 0.35 µM/L are very dangerous. Vitamin A deficiency at this level may constitute a problem for preterm newborn, resulting for example, in histological alterations in the respiratory epithelium leading to chronic lung disease, retinopathy of prematurity, patency of the ductus arteriosis, and immune competence deficiency. The aim of the present study is to verify efficacy and tolerability of a new oral administration of vitamin A as drops, 3000 IU/kg/die for 4 weeks, in infants < 1500g weight at birth, verifying the competence of the supplementation reaching ideal blood concentration (≥0.7 µM/L) and relating the blood achieved concentrations of vitamin A to the outcome in typical pathologies, as BPD and ROP. Not treated group of matched newborn infants is the controlarm.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the administration of propranolol is effective in the treatment of the retinopathy of the prematurity.

Despite advances in the neonatal intensive care units, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) has become a common reason for blindness and visual disabilities in premature infants so that it accounts for about 5% and 30% of such complications in developed and developing countries. The pathophysiology of ROP is multifactorial. Supplemental oxygen demand and lower gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW) are among the major risk factors for the occurrence and progression of ROP. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents are a promising modality of treatment for ROP, as laser therapy is associated with disadvantages such as complications from undertreatment or overtreatment, anterior segment burns, hemorrhage, or ischemia, and potentially higher rates of myopia. Ranibizumab is the first approved anti-VEGF treatment for the management of retinopathy, and is a promising alternative to laser therapy. Ranibizumab is a humanized monoclonal recombinant antibody fragment with a shorter half-life and less systemic toxicity than bevacizumab. Its binding affinity is nearly tenfold that of bevacizumab. The plasma half-life of bevacizumab is 17-21 days, while that of ranibizumab is 3 days. Greater systemic absorption of bevacizumab is thought to lead to greater systemic suppression of VEGF. These data may explain the better safety profile of ranibizumab. Type I ROP is defined as any stage of ROP with plus disease in zone I, stage 3 ROP in zone I and stage 2 or 3 ROP with plus disease in zone II . The hallmark of Aggressive-ROP (previously known as Aggressive posterior-ROP) is rapid development of pathological neovascularization and severe plus disease without progression being observed through the typical stages of ROP. It may occur in larger preterm infants and beyond the posterior retina. The aim of this prospective study is to compare the efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab for type 1 ROP and A-ROP as regard acute ROP regression, recurrence profile, peripheral retinal vascularization and the need for further ablative therapy.

The purpose of this trial was to determine the efficacy and safety of supplemental therapeutic oxygen for infants with prethreshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) to reduce the probability of progression to threshold ROP and the need for peripheral retinal ablation.

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of propranolol eye drops in preterm newborns with a precocious stage of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Preterm newborns (gestational age 23-32 weeks) with a stage 2 ROP (zone II without plus) will receive propranolol eye drops treatment until retinal vascularization will be completed. Propranolol concentrations will be measured on dried blood spots during the first 3 days of treatment and at the steady state. Cardiovascular and respiratory parameters will be continuously monitored. Blood samplings checking metabolic, renal and liver functions will be performed periodically, as well as cardiac function, in order to verify the treatment safety. Serial ophthalmological evaluations will be planned to monitor the efficacy of the treatment, the ROP progression and the possible complications.

The purpose of this study is to find a dose of intravitreal bevacizumab that is lower than currently used for severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), is effective in this study, and can be tested in future larger studies.

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of propranolol 0.2% eye drops in treating preterm newborns with a precocious stage of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Preterm newborns (gestational age 23-32 weeks) with a stage 1 ROP will receive propranolol 0.2% eye drops treatment until retinal vascularization will be completed, but no more than 90 days. Propranolol concentrations will be measured on dried blood spots at the steady state (10th day). Cardiovascular and respiratory parameters will be continuously monitored. Blood samplings checking metabolic, renal and liver functions will be performed periodically, as well as cardiac function, in order to verify the treatment safety. Serial ophthalmological evaluations will be planned to monitor the efficacy of the treatment, the ROP progression and the possible complications.

This pilot study was a randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial to measure changes in blood and urine levels of inositol in premature infants at high risk for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) following a single intravenous dose of inositol. Based on previous studies, the premise is that maintaining inositol concentrations similar to those occurring naturally in utero will reduce the rates of ROP and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants. The objective was to evaluate the single-dose pharmacokinetics and safety of different amounts of intravenous myo-inositol (provided by Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories) in very low birth weight neonates, in preparation for a future Phase III multi-center randomized controlled trial. This study enrolled 74 infants at high risk for retinopathy at 9 NICHD Neonatal Research Network sites, and randomly assigned them to receive either 60mg/kg of 5% inositol, 120 mg/kg of 5% inositol, 60 mg/kg of 5% glucose (the placebo), or 120 mg/kg of 5% glucose.

The purpose of this study is to see if an oral sucrose solution can comfort premature infants during their necessary eye exams. The investigators believe that the use of this solution prior to the eye exams will lead to a decrease in pain as measured by a rise in heart rate and a fall in oxygen saturation. In addition this will lead to a decrease in events in the 12 hours following examination. Events include episodes when the infants temporarily stop breathing, have a drop in their heart rates, or have a drop in their oxygen levels.