Generating And Applying Clinical Research To Improve The Outcomes Of Neonatal Intensive Care
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$568,892.00
Summary
Birth is a complex process and sometimes babies require help to make the transition to independent life. Professor Peter Davis is conducting research into how best to support this transition. This involves helping the lungs to work efficiently and supporting the changes in circulation of the blood to the brain and to the rest of the body. His work aims to quickly identify babies who need help and then provide better treatments to make sure they have the best chance of a healthy life.
Optimising Early Respiratory Support For Preterm Infants: The HIPSTER Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$696,791.00
Summary
Premature babies who need breathing support are often given ‘nasal continuous positive airway pressure’ (NCPAP) via large nasal prongs. It works well but is uncomfortable. A newer, popular support is ‘high flow’ (HF) which uses smaller nose prongs and may be more comfortable, but HF has not been well studied. The HIPSTER trial will compare these systems in 750 premature babies, at random half will have NCPAP, half will have HF. We will assess whether babies do equally well with each system.
A Study Of The Impact Of Treating Electrographic Seizures In Term Or Near-term Infants With Neonatal Encephalopathy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,365,184.00
Summary
Seizures in the newborn infant are common and may be harmful to the developing brain. They are not always recognised. This study investigates whether or not treating all seizures detected using a bedside brain activity monitor improves developmental outcome, compared to just treating seizures that doctors recognise.
Right From The Start: Improving Respiratory Support For Preterm Infants From Their First Breath To Independent Breathing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$266,623.00
Summary
My research program with the world leading research team at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne aims to improve the journey of preterm babies from birth, through the neonatal nursery, to a healthy start at home. Too many preterm babies die or have long term health problems. I will study gentler methods to support breathing from birth, investigate better ways of supporting them until they can breathe independently, and assess how to support more babies to stay in their birth hospitals.
Evaluating Neonatal Intensive Care For Tiny Babies In The 2000s - Is It Still Effective, Efficient And Available?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$246,333.00
Summary
Most extremely tiny babies, those of birthweight less than 1000 g, need intensive care to survive. However some survivors have substantial problems with their long-term health. Since intensive care is costly we must be sure that it is money well spent. From the late 1970s until the late 1990s in the state of Victoria neonatal intensive care has been increasingly effective, with large increases in the long-term survival rate, from 25% in 1979-80, to 73% in 1997. Its efficiency has been relatively ....Most extremely tiny babies, those of birthweight less than 1000 g, need intensive care to survive. However some survivors have substantial problems with their long-term health. Since intensive care is costly we must be sure that it is money well spent. From the late 1970s until the late 1990s in the state of Victoria neonatal intensive care has been increasingly effective, with large increases in the long-term survival rate, from 25% in 1979-80, to 73% in 1997. Its efficiency has been relatively high and stable over time, comparing favorably with many other health care programmes, both intensive and non-intensive. It has been increasingly available, with fewer than 10% of ELBW infants born outside major hospitals with intensive care nurseries, and more tiny babies offered intensive care. We now need to know if these benefits have been maintained for tiny babies born in the 2000s. Hence we need to assess the long-term health of tiny babies born in Victoria in 2005.Read moreRead less
Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating bowel condition afflicting almost 1 in 10 of very preterm babies. About a third of babies with NEC do not survive. Currently, there is no cure. We propose the use of stem-like cells from the human placenta as a targeted therapy for NEC, working by minimising gut damage and accelerating gut repair.
Neuroprotective Role Of Sulphate Among Preterm Babies (SuPreme Study)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$749,338.00
Summary
Magnesium sulphate administered to mothers shortly before preterm birth, reduces the risk of cerebral palsy. The mechanism of its neuroprotective effect is unknown, and our studies suggest sulphate is the protective element. Preterm babies rapidly become sulphate deficient, and magnesium sulphate mitigates this deficiency in most infants. In this study we will investigate whether low blood sulphate levels at 1 week of age correlate with cerebral palsy.
In What Position Should We Be Sleeping Preterm Infants In The NICU?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$409,742.00
Summary
Preterm babies are at risk of brain injury caused by low cerebral blood flow and oxygenation. The prone sleeping position (lying on abdomen) has been found to decrease both cerebral oxygenation and blood pressure in healthy term babies, and is a major risk factor for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. However, it is common practice for preterm babies to be slept in the prone position.This study will examine the effects of prone vs supine positions on brain oxygenation in the preterm babies.
Is There Cytomegalovirus In Mothers Breastmilk And Does It Cause Infection In Very Premature Babies?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$235,970.00
Summary
The hypothesis behind this study is that some very premature infants become infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV) from their mother's breast milk. This proposal is for a study of 200 CMV antibody positive mothers who are expressing breast milk for their very premature infants. We believe this is likely to be about 50% of all mothers. It has been well established that some full term infants are infected with CMV from their mother's breastmilk. The question now is do very premature infants with poor ....The hypothesis behind this study is that some very premature infants become infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV) from their mother's breast milk. This proposal is for a study of 200 CMV antibody positive mothers who are expressing breast milk for their very premature infants. We believe this is likely to be about 50% of all mothers. It has been well established that some full term infants are infected with CMV from their mother's breastmilk. The question now is do very premature infants with poor immunity develop serious infections from cytomegalovirus. This project has the overall aim of determining what proportion of very premature infants become ill with CMV excreted in their mother's breast milk, and then determining the nature and severity of those illnesses. It will also define how many mothers of premature infants are excreting CMV in their breast milk, the time this starts after birth, the viral load transmitted to the infant, the age after birth when the infants first become infected, the proportion who become ill with the infection, the details of the diseases and whether freezing breast milk kills the CMV.Read moreRead less
Neuro-protection In The Preterm Brain - A New Role For Dopamine Therapy?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$183,975.00
Summary
Brain injury in premature babies leads to long term adverse outcome. Preliminary data show that dopamine improves brain oxygen. Our study will define effects of dopamine in preventing injury in the immature brain, using animal studies. In immature lambs receiving dopamine, we will test the protective effect of dopamine on brain oxygenation during hypoxia. Outcome will be measured by examining cell injury on lamb brain slices.