National Library of Medicine. This site offers clinical alert notices. Clinical alerts are provided to expedite the release of findings from the NIH-funded clinical trials where such release could significantly affect morbidity and mortality.
In large, multicenter clinical studies, a therapy has been shown to significantly lower the risk of lung and brain damage in some very low birthweight premature infants. Results from two randomized clinical trials demonstrate that when given within the first few weeks of life, inhaled nitric oxide helps prevent chronic lung disease in some low birthweight premature infants. In addition, when used within 48 hours after birth, treatment appears to protect some premature newborns from brain injury.
"For over 60 years the most appropriate oxygen level for preterm babies remains unknown. To answer this, we will combine data from over 5300 babies to be sure the expected benefits of lower oxygen for babies' eyes and lungs does not come at the expense of increasing death or major disability in these children. Planning to do this before the results of any of the trials are known is called a prospective meta-analysis. This is the first time this technique has been used in neonatal medicine.
Completed study. In this feasibility study, hyperoxemia, as proximated by transcutaneous hemoglobin saturation with oxygen (Sp02), at the time of birth will cause sustained pulmonary oxidative stress as demonstrated by elevation of ulmonary protein carbonyl. Furthermore, this oxidative stress will be directly proportional to the imposed oxygen-burden during resuscitation at the time of birth. This study will give us information regarding the magnitude of protein carbonyl elevation in the preterm infant. With these results we will be able to 1. establish the technique for the running or protein carbonyl assays and 2. calculate an appropriate sample size for a future randomized control trial.
New England Journal of Medicine abstract of study to evaluate the effects of induction of moderate hypothermia in infants who had perinatal asphyxia. Study concluded that Induction of moderate hypothermia for 72 hours in infants who had perinatal asphyxia did not significantly reduce the combined rate of death or severe disability but resulted in improved neurologic outcomes in survivors. (Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN89547571 [controlled-trials.com] .)
Completed study. Objective of this project was to develop and evaluate two different alternative or complementary medical modalities that have been used in children with cerebral palsy by practitioners in an attempt to decelerate the complications from the neurologic insult and resultant muscle imbalance.
Study to investigate the clinical results after different rehabilitation regimens(Limited or unlimited weightbearing after surgery) in Open-wedge High Tibial Osteotomies. The hypothesis is that unlimited weightbearing is beneficial for the healing and rehabilitation
Abstract - CONTEXT: Chorioamnionitis has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cerebral palsy, but most studies have not reported a significant association. Cystic periventricular leukomalacia (cPVL) is believed to be a precursor of cerebral palsy in preterm infants. OBJECTIVES of the study is to determine whether chorioamnionitis is associated with cerebral palsy or cPVL and to examine factors that may explain differences in study results.
Canadian study regarding Idiopathic scoliosis. Idiopathic scoliosis affects 2-5% of adolescents. Study will compare the quality of life, functional outcome, cosmetic result, and the correction of spinal deformity of two instrumentation systems for the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
Shriners Hospitals for Children study proposes to determine if injections of BTX-A to the hamstring muscles result in measurable physiologic changes not observed with normal saline injections in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy who walk with a flexed-knee gait pattern.
University of Weatern Ontario, Canada study to estimate to what extent computerized fetal heart rate (FHR) parameters are affected by labor and to estimate the relationship between FHR parameters and the degree of fetal metabolic acidosis in laboring patients at term.
Study concluded that in term pregnant women with reassuring FHR tracing, labor causes an increase in both short- and long-term FHR variation, which was abolished in the presence of nonreassuring FHR tracing. Computer-derived FHR parameters studied during the last hour of labor were not correlated with the degree of metabolic acidosis as measured in the umbilical artery at birth.
Completed study sponsored by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development NICHD and conducted in two cities in Zambia to determine if the combined Neonatal Resuscitation Program/Essential Newborn Care Program compared to the new World Health Organization (W.H.O.) basic perinatal care education of health care providers (Essential Newborn Care Program) results in reduced mortality due to perinatal asphyxia
NCBI PubMed Abstract, Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Study involving piglets to determine whether the generation of superoxide anion occurs primarily during asphyxia or whether reventilation must take place, 2) to investigate the effects of indomethacin pretreatment at a therapeutic dose of 0.2 mg/kg i.v. on superoxide anion generation, and 3) to investigate the effects of oxypurinol, an oxygen free radical scavenger, on superoxide anion production during asphyxia/reventilation
Study of effects of prenatal nicotine exposture by the Instatute of Psychiatry, King's College London. Study design provides a model for the impact of prenatal exposure to nicotine at blood levels comparable with those in medium and heavy smokers. There were marked developmental and behavioural deficits induced in the offspring of nicotine-exposed female rats