Clinical Research Directory

NICU Antibiotics and Outcomes Trial

The goal of the NANO trial is to study the longstanding clinical practice of empirically administering intravenous antibiotics to extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants in the first days of life. In this 802-subject multicenter placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial, the hypothesis to be tested is that the incidence of adverse outcomes is higher in babies receiving empiric antibiotics (EA) in the first week of life compared to babies receiving placebo. The study targets a population of ELBW infants in whom the clinical decision to use or not use EA is currently most challenging -- infants that are clinically stable that did not have a known exposure to intraamniotic infection and were not born preterm for maternal indications. The primary outcome is the composite outcome of late-onset sepsis (LOS), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), or death during the index hospitalization. Secondary safety outcomes will include total antibiotic days, days to full enteral feedings, and common morbidities in preterm infants that have previously been linked to EA, e.g. retinopathy of prematurity and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Weight and length z-score, and head circumference, are standard measures to be collected weekly by clinical team per a standardized protocol.

Amniotic Fluid & the Preterm Gut

Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and sepsis in preterm infants have been linked to intestinal immaturity and preclinical gut microbiota alterations. An important yet understudied contributor in the development of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is amniotic fluid (AF). Knowledge is lacking on the critical shifts that may occur in AF in extremely preterm birth. The aim of the current study is to assess the composition of AF using advanced biomedical techniques. Secondary objectives are to assess AF profiles of infants with chorioamnionitis (CAM) and/or fetal growth restriction (FGR), assess key metabolites across gestation, correlate AF profiles with neonatal outcomes, and explore associations with early gut microbiota. Methods: ln this multicenter, prospective, cohort study, AF (\~5 mL) will be collected from obstetric patients delivering their infants extremely preterm (gestational age (GA) 24+0/7-27+6/7 weeks, n=125), either during vaginal delivery or cesarean section (CS). Additionally, AF samples will be collected from a reference group (n=150), including early midtrimester (GA \<23+/7 weeks), very early and moderate to late preterm (GA 28+0/6-36+6/7 weeks), and full-term pregnancies (GA 37+0/7-41+6/7 weeks). Thorough characterization of AF will be conducted, including microbial profiling and metabolomics. Microbiota profiling of neonatal fecal samples will be conducted to assess the association between AF and early neonatal gut colonization patterns. Discussion and expected results: AF profiles associated with CAM and/or FGR in extremely preterm infants are expected to be identified, as well as relevant associations with neonatal health outcomes (including NEC and sepsis) and early neonatal gut colonization patterns. The current study will not only increase the understanding of the GIT development and the pathogenesis of NEC and sepsis but may also aid in the identification of high-risk infants. In the future, these findings may facilitate early targeted microbiota-based interventions to prevent disease progression and ultimately improve clinical outcomes.

Necrotizing Enterocolities

Haematological disturbances in neonates with necrotizing enterocolities

Impact of Enteral Feeding on Splanchnic Oxygenation During Packed Red Blood Cell Transfusion in Preterm Infants

This clinical trial aims to learn if enteral feeding influences cerebral and splanchnic oxygenation during red blood cell infusion in very low birth-weight preterm infants. It will also learn about how continuing or withholding enteral feeding during blood transfusion might trigger transfusion-related necrotizing enterocolitis. The main questions, it aims to answer are: * Does continuing or withholding enteral feeding have any impact on splanchnic and cerebral oxygenation in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants? * Does continuing enteral feeding result in feeding intolerance during red blood cell infusion or transfusion-related necrotizing enterocolitis (TANEC) in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants? Researchers will compare regional cerebral and splanchnic oxygenation obtained by Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy (NIRS) monitoring while receiving red blood cell transfusion. Participants will: * Continue or withhold enteral feeding during red blood cell infusion, and all participants will be under NIRS monitoring for the following 48 hours after the blood transfusion. * Be monitored for any signs and symptoms of new-onset feeding intolerance and/or necrotizing enterocolitis for 48 hours following the blood transfusion