Clinical Research Directory

Amnioinfusion's Protective Effects on Respiratory and Longitudinal Pediatric Outcomes After Intrapartum Thick Meconium Exposure

Thick meconium in the amniotic fluid occurs in about one out of seven pregnancies and increases the chance that a newborn may have breathing problems after birth. These problems can include the need for oxygen, breathing support, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), or, in severe cases, meconium aspiration syndrome or persistent pulmonary hypertension. Although amnioinfusion or placing sterile fluid into the uterus during labor was previously studied as a way to reduce these complications, earlier research had major limitations. Past studies included all types of meconium, used different fluid types and temperatures, had inconsistent protocols, and did not measure biomarkers of inflammation or look at long-term outcomes. As a result, it is still unclear whether a modern, standardized approach to amnioinfusion can meaningfully improve newborn health when the meconium is truly thick. The PEARL Trial is a randomized clinical trial designed to answer this question. The study will enroll pregnant individuals at or beyond 36 weeks of gestation who develop thick meconium-stained amniotic fluid, confirmed using a simple, objective measurement ("meconium-crit"). Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either: Warm lactated Ringer's (LR) amnioinfusion through an intrauterine pressure catheter (IUPC), following a standardized protocol, or standard care without amnioinfusion. The main goal is to determine whether warm LR amnioinfusion reduces short-term breathing problems in newborns. The study also collects umbilical cord blood at birth to evaluate markers of inflammation and potential brain injury, which may help explain why some infants develop complications. Families will also be contacted when their child is 12 months old to complete a developmental questionnaire that is widely used in pediatric practice. By using a clear definition of thick meconium, a warm LR infusion protocol, fidelity checklists, and long-term follow-up, this trial aims to provide high-quality evidence to guide care in labor and delivery units nationwide.

Influenza & COVID-19 Obstetric and Perinatal Epidemiology Study in India

This study will be conducted as a prospective cohort study, enrolling all eligible women in their first trimester of pregnancy during a baseline visit during week 6-13 of pregnancy at Government Medical College Hospital, Nagpur. The Hospital provides primary, secondary, and tertiary care and the obstetric department delivers about 10,000 babies a year. The hypothesis is that co-infection of other respiratory viruses (ORV), particularly COVID-19 and Influenza increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in mothers and babies and could address the current standard of care in India to not vaccinate pregnant women during pregnancy, by either encouraging vaccination against both viruses before planning a pregnancy or during pregnancy based on global data supporting the safety of this strategy.

Improving Intrapartum Care for Saving Life at Birth in Ethiopia Through PartoMa Approach

Overall Objective To introduce PartoMa approach (locally agreed and achievable intrapartum guidelines and a continual in-house training program) to Ethiopian context through continuous fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring using MOYO device and co-creation of context specific intrapartum care guideline for improving decision making in intrapartum care in Eastern Ethiopia. Interventions 1. Locally agreed and achievable intrapartum guidelines 2. Low dose high frequency trainings (LDHF) 3. Partograph Overall Design A quasi-experimental pre-post study (PartoMa study) Setting Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Haramaya Hospital and Hiwot Fana University Hospital, Ethiopia. Population Laboring women delivering at the study site from February 2023 to March 2025 and their offspring, as well as health providers. Women and their offspring will be enrolled at/after onset of labour and followed until discharge. Endpoints The primary endpoint is perinatal mortality. For further description and secondary outcomes, please see below. Study Time Data collection from June 2023 to May 2025. Specific Objectives i. To assess FHR monitoring practice and use of obstetric guideline for decision making in Hiwot Fana University Hospital ii. To improve feto-maternal outcome through applying PartoMa approach in Hiwot Fana University Hospital. iii. To determine the feasibility, acceptability and sustainability of low-dose high frequency trainings and PartoMa seminars in Hiwot Fana University Hospital. iv. To document changes in pregnancy outcomes after the introduction of PartoMa approaches-seminars, low dose high frequency trainings, continuous FHR monitoring and tailored interventions-in Hiwot Fana University Hospital. Setting PartoMa Ethiopia will be implemented at Haramaya General Hospital and Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized University Hospital, which are both busy maternity units in Eastern Ethiopia. Both are government hospitals with an annual delivery number of around 5,000.