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
Centre For Clinical Research Excellence In Newborn Medicine
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,519,475.00
Summary
The Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Newborn Medicine will study adverse outcomes for the brains and lungs of newborn babies; it will establish how often these occur in different types of babies (ranging from very premature babies, through to those born on time), investigate the different causes, develop treatments to either prevent or treat the adverse outcomes, determine the long-term consequences into adulthood, and continually re-evaluate the effectiveness of the various treatment ....The Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Newborn Medicine will study adverse outcomes for the brains and lungs of newborn babies; it will establish how often these occur in different types of babies (ranging from very premature babies, through to those born on time), investigate the different causes, develop treatments to either prevent or treat the adverse outcomes, determine the long-term consequences into adulthood, and continually re-evaluate the effectiveness of the various treatment strategies designed to improve the health outcomes for newborn babies.Read moreRead less
I am a psychologist whose research program aims to improve the long-term well-being for children born very small or immature. My research focuses on 1) determining the nature and severity of cognitive and behavioural problems faced by children born very small-immature, 2) investigating how these problems are associated with brain injury and alterations to brain development, and 3) assessing the effectiveness of clinical interventions which aim to reduce complications and enhance development.
Improving The Long-term Quality Of Life For Preterm Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$638,517.00
Summary
My vision is to improve the long-term quality of life of preterm children (<37 weeks’ gestation), with a specific focus on those born very preterm (VP; <32 weeks’ gestation). To achieve this goal my research has two broad and related aims: 1) Determine the neurological and socio-environmental mechanisms leading to impairments in preterm children; and 2) Develop and assess the efficacy of perinatal and early intervention programs for preterm children.
Premature babies often need assistance to breathe but this can injure the lung and lead to abnormal lung development and long-term lung disease. We have recently identified 3 factors that we believe are fundamental to initiating this abnormal lung development. We will demonstrate that these 3 factors mediate abnormal lung development following lung injury at birth. This information can then be used to reduce the incidence and severity of chronic lung disease of the newborn.
Retinal Photography To Assess Early Kidney Development In Indigenous Babies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$888,098.00
Summary
The objective of this study is to identify infants who are at high risk off subsequent kidney failure . To achieve this objective, we plan to carry out comparison of kidney growth and function between Aboriginal and and non-Aboriginal infants from birth until they are 2 years old. We also hope to determine if changes in the blood vessels in these infants' eyes correspond to changes in the growing kidney- we are trying to determine if the eyes are the windows to the growing kidneys.
Postnatal Dexamethasone In Tiny Babies: Does It Do More Good Than Harm?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$394,688.00
Summary
The survival rate for tiny or very premature babies has improved dramatically in recent times, from below 10% in the 1960s to greater than 70% in the 1990s. However, some of these babies require prolonged periods of help with breathing and oxygen treatment to survive, and many develop a form of chronic lung disease in the newborn period. A powerful group of drugs, known as corticosteroids, have been used to treat or prevent this chronic lung disease in newborn babies, with some success in shorte ....The survival rate for tiny or very premature babies has improved dramatically in recent times, from below 10% in the 1960s to greater than 70% in the 1990s. However, some of these babies require prolonged periods of help with breathing and oxygen treatment to survive, and many develop a form of chronic lung disease in the newborn period. A powerful group of drugs, known as corticosteroids, have been used to treat or prevent this chronic lung disease in newborn babies, with some success in shortening the time that the babies need help with breathing. However, corticosteroids have the potential to cause long-term harm to the developing baby's brain, and may cause lifelong problems with thinking, walking, talking, seeing or hearing. We want to test in a clinical trial if corticosteroids, specifically dexamethasone, can reduce the need for help with breathing and the rate of chronic lung disease without causing long-term problems to the developing baby's brain. Babies who are very tiny (born weighing less than 1000 g), or born very early (born before 28 weeks of pregnancy, or more than 12 weeks premature) will be eligible for this study if they still need help with their breathing after one week of age from a machine called a respirator, and their doctor considers that corticosteroids might be helpful to the baby's breathing. Some babies will receive dexamethasone and other babies will be treated with a harmless placebo - chance will decide which treatment the baby receives. All other aspects of the babies' care will continue as normally. Children who survive to 2 years of age will be assessed fully to determine if they have any problems with their health, including problems with their thinking, walking, talking, seeing or hearing. We will determine if dexamethasone is helpful or not for very tiny or very premature babies who have breathing problems after the first week of life. We will also measure the economic impact of dexamethasone treatment in these babies.Read moreRead less