Clinical Research Directory

Lipid Infusions to Optimize Nutrition Trial

The purpose of this study is to identify survival free of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), fatty acid profiles, and early biochemical measures for oxidative stress comparing mixed oil lipid emulsion (MOLE) vs soybean oil-based lipid emulsion (SOLE) and to establish whether MOLE or SOLE is more effective in minimizing pulmonary outcomes, neonatal morbidities, long-term morbidity and mortality, and improving discharge growth and Bayley Scales of Infant Development Fourth Edition (BSID-IV) neurodevelopmental assessment at two years

Early Prediction of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Preterm Infants Using Clinical Data

Early Prediction of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Preterm Infants Using Clinical Data from the First Three Postnatal Weeks with Large Language Models: A Retrospective Study This retrospective, observational study aims to evaluate the early prediction of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants using clinical data from the first, second, and third postnatal weeks. The study includes infants born before 32 weeks of gestation or weighing less than 1,500 grams, followed at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Konya City Hospital. The study will compare the performance of different large language models (LLMs), including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, in predicting BPD development. Clinical variables such as gestational age, birth weight, respiratory support, oxygen requirement, mechanical ventilation duration, and infection status will be used. Primary outcome: Accuracy of BPD risk prediction by each AI model compared to actual clinical outcomes. Secondary outcomes: Sensitivity and specificity of predictions, weekly prediction performance, and comparative performance among AI models. The results will provide insight into the potential clinical utility of AI-based approaches for early BPD risk assessment in preterm infants.

Frequent Standardized Oral Care Using Human Milk in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Premature infants are susceptible to complications related to infrequent and non-standardized oral care. Although the benefits of frequent standardized oral care are known to reduce oral dysbiosis (increased level of potentially pathogenic bacteria) and its associated complications in critically ill adults leading to established evidence-based guidelines, no such information exists for VLBW infants. The proposed study will prospectively follow 168 VLBW infants for 4 weeks following birth.

Transpyloric Versus Gastric Feeding in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if transpyloric tube feeding (feeding directly into the small intestine) versus gastric tube feeding tolerably and effectively reduces gastroesophageal reflux in infants born premature who have been diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The main questions this trial aims to answer are: Does transpyloric as compared to gastric tube feeding result in differences in the amount of experienced hypoxemia (low oxygen level in the blood) or serious adverse events? Does transpyloric as compared to gastric tube feeding reduce the frequency and severity of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) measured using 24 hour esophageal pH-multichannel intraluminal impedance (pH-MII) monitoring? Participants will: Undergo pre-trial 24 hour pH-MII monitoring to determine baseline severity of GER. Be randomly assigned to receive transpyloric or gastric tube feeding for 2 weeks. Undergo repeat pH-MII at the end of the 2 week trial to assess for change in GER. Undergo continuous pulse oximetry to record level of hypoxemia during the 2 week trial. Undergo saliva and airway (if supported by a breathing tube) fluid collection to measure biomarkers of GER. Be monitored clinically for possible adverse events.

The Diaphragmatic Initiated Ventilatory Assist (DIVA) Trial

DIVA is a pragmatic randomized clinical trial (RCT) to determine: among (P) preterm infants born 23 0/7-28 6/7 weeks gestation undergoing extubation from mechanical ventilation, whether (I) Non-invasive neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NIV-NAVA) (C) compared with Non-synchronized nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NS-NIPPV), will reduce the incidence of (O) extubation failure within (T) 5 days (120 hours) of extubation.

Pulmonary Hypertension and Oxygen Saturation Targeting in Preterm Infants

Around 50% of infants born extremely preterm develop a chronic lung disease known as bronchopulmonary dysplasia of which some infants will also develop pulmonary hypertension of which 50% of children will die before the age of 2. Physicians are currently limited in their ability to select the most appropriate oxygen targets that will improve outcomes in infants with this condition. This clinical trial will determine whether using different amounts of oxygen improve outcomes in infants with this disease.

p16Ink4a in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Children

The bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a respiratory disease of the premature child which lead to a reduction of gas exchange surface and to a prolonged respiratory failure. This disease has morphologic and functional consequences at adulthood and is today considered to be an early determinant of respiratory diseases at adulthood. The physiopathology of BPD is not well known. Several mechanisms could be involved especially a reparation failure favored by an increase of cellular senescence which is a permanent stop of cellular proliferation. The transcription factor 16 Ink4a, considered as a marker of aging, is one of the essential markers of senescence. Its increase during prematurity was shown at the blood cells of the cordon, but its involvement in BPD and its evolution in child are not yet studied.

OCTA Evaluation of Retinal Vascularization in Preterm Infants With or Without Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Retinal vascularization in humans develops between the 16th and 36th weeks of amenorrhea, in a centrifugal pattern starting from the optic disc. In the case of premature birth, the immature peripheral retina is at risk of ischemia due to incomplete vascular development. Prematurity is often associated with respiratory fragility. It frequently requires ventilatory support in the form of oxygen therapy, either invasive (orotracheal intubation) or non-invasive, which induces reflex arteriolar vasoconstriction, thereby worsening the existing ischemia. This raises the question of whether subclinical retinal vascular changes, detectable by OCT angiography, may explain the increased risk of amblyopia and the need for optical correction observed in these patients. OCT angiography is rapidly expanding in the field of retinal vascular diseases: it is a simple, fast, reliable, and non-invasive examination, requiring no injection, that enables high-resolution visualization of retinal vascularization, with separate analysis of the retinal plexuses and the choriocapillaris.

High-energy Human Milk Diets in the First Two Weeks After Birth to Reduce BPD in Extremely Preterm Infants

This Phase II, parallel-group, masked, randomized clinical trial aims to evaluate whether a DHA/ARA-enriched, fortified human milk diet administered during the first 14 days of life reduces respiratory morbidity and improves lung function in extremely preterm (EPT) infants (born at ≤28 weeks gestation).

A Clinical Efficacy and Safety Study of OHB-607 in Preventing Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Extremely Premature Infants

The purpose of this study is to determine if an investigational drug can prevent Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, reducing the burden of chronic lung disease in extremely premature infants, as compared to extremely premature infants receiving standard neonatal care alone.

Lung Ultrasound Score for Early Prediction of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Preterm Newborns

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is one of the most common and severe complications of extreme prematurity, affecting approximately 40% of infants born before 28 weeks of gestation. Despite advances in neonatal care and improved survival rates for extremely preterm infants, the incidence of BPD remains high. BPD is associated with significant short- and long-term morbidity, including chronic respiratory impairment, pulmonary hypertension, recurrent respiratory infections, and neurodevelopmental sequelae. Current diagnosis of BPD is based on the need for respiratory support at 36 weeks postmenstrual age, limiting opportunities for early therapeutic intervention. Since structural lung injury may become irreversible within the first weeks of life, the identification of reliable early predictors of BPD is a major clinical priority. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a non-invasive, radiation-free, bedside imaging technique increasingly used in neonatal intensive care units. The Lung Ultrasound Score (LUS) provides a quantitative assessment of lung aeration and has demonstrated utility in predicting several neonatal respiratory outcomes. Recent studies suggest that both LUS and pleural line abnormalities detected during the first weeks of life may be associated with the subsequent development of BPD, although evidence remains heterogeneous and no universally validated predictive method is currently available.

Pharmacokinetics and Placental Transfer of Caffeine

The goal of this study is to learn how a pregnant person's body processes caffeine and how much caffeine crosses the placenta to the baby. A small dose of caffeine will be given to each pregnant participant before delivery. Blood will be drawn to measure caffeine levels in the pregnant mother. Blood will also be taken from the placenta and from the newborn to measure caffeine levels. This data will be used to form a computer model of the metabolism of caffeine during pregnancy.

Efficacy and Safety of Zelpultide Alfa in Preterm Neonates at High Risk of Developing Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)

This is a randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter phase 2b/3 study with an adaptive seamless design. The goal fo this study is to determine if an investigational drug, Zelpultide Alfa, can reduce the occurrence of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) in extremely premature babies. The study comprises 2 parts: * Part 1: Phase 2b, dose selection and exploratory efficacy and safety. * Part 2: Phase 3, confirmatory efficacy and safety. In Part 1, the study subjects will be randomized with a 1:1:1 allocation ratio to either : 1. Standard of care + zelpultide alfa 4 mg/kg or, 2. Standard of care + zelpultide alfa 6 mg/kg or, 3. Standard of care + placebo (air-sham). In Part 1, all three arms will be evaluated descriptively to support dose selection based on safety, tolerability, and exploratory efficacy signals. Upon completion of Part 1, the DSMC will recommend which Phase 2b dose ("selected dose") to progress into Part 2 to the Study Steering Committee, which will decide the dose for Part 2 (Phase 3). A sample size reassessment will be performed after Part 1 completion. In Part 2, the selected dose of zelpultide alfa will be compared against placebo (air-sham) in a confirmatory analysis on the primary and key secondary endpoints. The study subjects will be randomized with a 1:1 allocation ratio to either: 1. Standard of care + zelpultide alfa (selected dose from Part 1), or 2. Standard of care + placebo (air-sham). The main objective in part 2 is to compare the efficacy of zelpultide alfa added to standard of care versus standard of care plus placebo (air-sham) in terms of incidence of grade 2 and grade 3 bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and death in neonates at high risk for developing BPD. In both parts, treatment will be administered intratracheally. Participants will receive up to 7 administrations of zelpultide alfa at (4mg/kg or 6 mg/kg) or air-sham in 24 h intervals while the subjects are still intubated per standard of care.

IVIG Trial for the Treatment of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

It is intended to examine the efficacy and safety of intravenous immunoglobulin(IVIG) for the bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterms. Participants will received continuous infusion IVIG 1 g/kg/day for the first 2 days, 0.5 g/kg/day for next 3 days (total does 3.5 g/kg), repeatable if necessary.

Point of Care Lung Ultrasound in Preterm Infants With Respiratory Distress

The goal of this observational study is to learn about the role of bedside lung ultrasound in infants born prematurely with breathing problems. The main question this study aims to answer is: Can bedside lung ultrasound performed in the first month of life predict the development of chronic lung disease in premature infants?

Ventilator Pressure and Optimization of Compliance and Hemodynamics

In preterm infants \< 34 weeks' gestation at birth receiving respiratory support with invasive positive pressure ventilation, the positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of best compliance will increase the cardiac output and improve oxygenation. This study may emphasize using point-of-care echocardiography along with electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to optimize ventilator settings in preterm infants. Infants will be randomized to a 4-hour crossover period of increasing and decreasing PEEP in random order from baseline to determine compliance, oxygenation, and cardiac hemodynamics at each step using echocardiography (ECHO) and EIT measurements. There will be a 15-minute washout period after changes prior to data collection.

Restricted Versus Liberal Fluid Intake for Prevention of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

The aim of this study is to determine whether restricted fluid intake (135 ±5 mL/kg/day) compared to liberal fluid intake (165 ±5 mL/kg/day) from day 8 of life reduces the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) at 36 weeks postmenstrual age or prior death in preterm infants born \<30 weeks gestational age.

Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Safety Profile of Understudied Drugs Administered to Children Per Standard of Care (POPS)

The study investigators are interested in learning more about how drugs, that are given to children by their health care provider, act in the bodies of children and young adults in hopes to find the most safe and effective dose for children. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the PK of understudied drugs currently being administered to children per SOC as prescribed by their treating provider.

A Cohort Study of the Intestinal Microbiota of Premature Infants

Premature infants are at risk for a variety of diseases, the investigators would like to learn more about why some premature babies are at higher risk and some are protected from these diseases. Scientists at UC Davis and other universities have developed new ways to measure the bacteria and a large number of small molecules in specimens of infant blood, urine, stomach fluid and poop and in mother's milk. These discoveries allow us to consider questions that were impossible to answer before these new techniques were developed. One such question is whether the bacteria in the poop of a premature baby can help us predict the baby's risk for developing infection or a common and serious disease of premature infants called necrotizing enterocolitis. A second question is whether the DNA of a premature baby (obtained from saliva with a q-tip) can predict higher risk for diseases of premature babies.

Inhaled Ciclesonide Study in Preterm Infants

Our overall objective is to conduct a safety study with inhaled ciclesonide to evaluate known glucocorticoids (sGC)-related acute and intermediate toxic effects while measuring for the first time in neonates its systemic absorption and potential bioactivity (i.e. activation of primary target, the GR, in blood cells).

Prospective Multicentre Mixed Methods Study to Explore Extubation Practices and Respiratory Outcomes in Extremely Preterm Neonates.

The purpose of this observational study is to learn about neonatologists' perceptions of extubation readiness and extubation and reintubation practices in extremely preterm infants in the first 2 weeks of life using prospective qualitative and quantitative data. Actual extubation readiness is defined as successful extubation, defined as no reintubation in the 7 days following extubation. Key research questions are: How do clinicians assess extubation readiness in this population? Does this assessment correlate with actual extubation success? What factors (reasons, clinical status, ventilatory parameters) are associated with extubation readiness? Patients born before 28 weeks gestational age and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) within the first 24 hours are be included. The attending physician will complete a prospectively administered questionnaire with open-ended and multiple-choice questions to daily assess the decision and rationale for extubation or non-extubation of patients mechanically ventilated during the first 15 days of life. Patient characteristics, respiratory outcomes, and mortality will be recorded until the end of hospitalisation and/or definitive weaning from any ventilatory support or supplemental oxygen.

Early Prediction of Spontaneous Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) Closure and PDA-Associated Outcomes

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), very common in preterm infants, is the delayed closure of a fetal blood vessel that limits blood flow through the lungs. PDA is associated with mortality and harmful long term outcomes including chronic lung disease and neurodevelopmental delay. Although, treatments to close PDA likely benefit some infants, widespread routine treatment of all preterm infants with PDA may not improve important outcomes. Left untreated, most PDAs close spontaneously. Thus, PDA treatment is increasingly controversial and varies markedly between hospitals and individual providers. The relevant and still unanswered clinical question is not whether to treat all preterm infants with PDA, but whom to treat and when. Treatment detriments may outweigh benefits, since all forms of deliberate PDA closure have potential adverse effects, especially in infants destined for early, spontaneous PDA closure. Unfortunately, clinicians cannot currently predict in the 1st month which infants are at highest risk for persistent PDA, and which combination of clinical risk factors, echocardiographic (echo) measurements, and serum biomarkers may best predict PDA-associated harm. The American Academy of Pediatrics has acknowledged early identification of infants at high-risk from PDA as a key research goal for informing future PDA-treatment effectiveness trials. Our objective is to use a prospective cohort of untreated infants with PDA to predict spontaneous ductal closure timing and identify echo measurements and biomarkers that are present in the 1st postnatal month and associated with long-term impairment. Our central hypothesis is that these risk factors can be determined to inform appropriate clinical treatments when necessary. Clinical, serum and urine biomarkers (BNP, NTpBNP, NGAL, H-FABP), and echo variables sequentially collected during each of the first 4 postnatal weeks will be examined. In addition myocardial deformation imaging (MDI) and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), innovative echo methods, will facilitate the quantitative evaluation of myocardial performance. Aim 1 will estimate the probability of spontaneous PDA closure and predict the timing of ductal closure using echo, biomarker, and clinical predictors. Aim 2 will specify which echo predictors and biomarkers are associated with mortality and severity of respiratory illness at 36-weeks PMA. Aim 3 will identify which echo predictors and biomarkers are associated with 22- to 26-month neurodevelopment. All models will be validated in a separate cohort. This project will significantly contribute to clinical outcomes and PDA management by reducing unnecessary and harmful overtreatment of infants with a high probability of early spontaneous PDA closure, and will permit the development of outcomes-focused trials to examine the effectiveness of PDA closure in those "high-risk" infants most likely to receive benefit.

Pressure-Sensing Mattresses and Mechanical Ventilation Weaning in Neonatal

This study aims to explore the correlation between using ballistocardiography for monitoring respiration and heart rate in neonates under invasive and non-invasive respiratory support.

PremaBiom: Metatranscriptomics of the Respiratory Microbiome to Predict the Occurrence of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Preterm Infants

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand the impact of respiratory microbiome maturation in respiratory health of preterm infants under 32 gestational weeks. The main questions it aims to answer are: * What is the role of microbiome maturation in respiratory health (development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, childhood asthma and viral respiratory infections) of preterm infants ? * Which environmental or health factors are involved in the maturation of the respiratory microbiome ? Participants will undergo follow-up from birth until 3 years of corrected age including nasal swabs, stool samples, and for some of them blood and milk sample.