Clinical Research Directory

Effect of Thermoregulation Bundle Applied at Birth on Neonatal Physiological Parameters and Breastfeeding

Maintaining the infant's body temperature (thermoregulation), particularly in the first hour after birth, is critical for the newborn's survival and adaptation to the environment. It is hypothesized that the implementation of a thermoregulation bundle will lead to a faster stabilization of physiological parameters and will positively influence the initiation and overall success of breastfeeding. To this end, this study will examine the effects of a thermoregulation bundle applied at birth on the physiological parameters of newborns (vital signs such as body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, and oxygen saturation) and its impact on breastfeeding.

Investigation of the Mechanisms of the Tendency to Hypothermia in Newborns and Premature Neonates

Newborns have thermoregulatory mechanisms that differ from those of adults. Instead of producing heat through shivering, newborns primarily rely on non-shivering thermogenesis by the brown adipose tissue. The development of this thermogenic tissue starts around the 26th gestational week and continues until shortly before birth, after which no further growth occurs. As a result, premature infants, who have less developed brown fat, are more prone to reduced heat production and are at higher risk for hypothermia. There are few human studies examining the thermoregulatory differences and mechanisms between full-term and premature neonates, and the findings remain inconclusive. In this study, the investigators aim to conduct a prospective, observational research. Researchers will compare body temperature, brown adipose tissue activity, and specific plasma markers between full-term and premature neonates in insensive care units and during elective surgeries.

Efficacy of Celsi Warmer for the Management of Hypothermic Newborns at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria

The prevalence of hypothermia across low-resource settings is high, especially in countries with high neonatal mortality rates. If left untreated, hypothermia can additionally result in a significant comorbidity, and has been linked to a reduction in the effectiveness of treatment for other newborn conditions. Effective thermal care for hypothermic newborns is not widely available in low-resource settings due to cost of consumables and spare parts. In this study, the research team wish to evaluate the efficacy of a novel neonatal warming mattress in treating hypothermic newborns. Warming mattress, 'Celsi Warmer', has been developed by Rice 360 Institute for Global Health Technologies, in conjunction with African clinicians, to be a robust, low-cost, and easy-to-use warming mattress which can address the challenges of hypothermia. This is a single-arm, non-randomized, prospective intervention study. Up to 90 eligible infants at the neonatal wards of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital will be recruited to evaluate the efficacy of Celsi Warmer in rewarming hypothermic newborns. Infants temperature will be monitored during thermal intervention and the performance of the device will be evaluated. The temperatures of each infant will be compared before, during, and after the intervention.