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Multicentre Trial Of Calcium Channel Blocker Versus Calcium Channel Blocker Plus Cox2 Inhibitor In Preterm Labour
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$644,130.00
Summary
Preterm birth is a major problem in our society, and has enormous consequences for parents and children. It also has a major impact on scarce financial resources. When women present in preterm labor, current therapies have only limited success in stopping contractions and postponing birth. They have not been shown to reduce the rates of the serious neonatal problems associated with prematurity. This project will be coordinated in Newcastle, N.S.W., and will involve major perinatal centres throug ....Preterm birth is a major problem in our society, and has enormous consequences for parents and children. It also has a major impact on scarce financial resources. When women present in preterm labor, current therapies have only limited success in stopping contractions and postponing birth. They have not been shown to reduce the rates of the serious neonatal problems associated with prematurity. This project will be coordinated in Newcastle, N.S.W., and will involve major perinatal centres throughout Australia, along with overseas centres. It will test a new combination of drugs for their ability to postpone delivery in women presenting with preterm labour. It is postulated that the combination of drugs will be more effective than existing therapies. The drugs used in the trial are Nifedipine and Rofecoxib. Complications of prematurity include neonatal death, cerebral palsy, visual and hearing impairment, and chronic lung disease. These complications are most significant in extremely premature infants - in particular, those under 28 weeks gestation at the time of their delivery. For this reason, the study will focus only on women presenting in labour below 28 weeks. The ability to stop labour is important, but the main aim of any treatment for preterm labour is to reduce the rates of neonatal death and handicap. Babies born to women enrolled in this study will be followed for a period of one year after birth to assess their outcomes. It is our hypothesis that the combination of Rofecoxib and Nifedipine will result in lower rates of death and handicap in babies than Nifedipine alone. In addition, we will examine the rates of side effects in women receiving therapy. Currently used therapies, including intravenous ventolin, have high rates of maternal side effects. Nifedipine and Rofecoxib have both been shown to have low rates of maternal side effects.Read moreRead less
Gestational Diabetes: Treatment With Metformin Compared To Insulin
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$257,400.00
Summary
Gestational diabetes (GDM) is diagnosed when women have elevated blood sugar levels detected in pregnancy. Treatment aims to keep the mother's blood sugar normal and to prevent extra sugar transferring to the baby, as this can lead to elevated insulin levels, and subsequent complications, in the baby. Initial treatment is by diet, but more than 30% of women need further treatment with insulin injections. Metformin, which can be taken by as a tablet, is an alternative to insulin that is used wide ....Gestational diabetes (GDM) is diagnosed when women have elevated blood sugar levels detected in pregnancy. Treatment aims to keep the mother's blood sugar normal and to prevent extra sugar transferring to the baby, as this can lead to elevated insulin levels, and subsequent complications, in the baby. Initial treatment is by diet, but more than 30% of women need further treatment with insulin injections. Metformin, which can be taken by as a tablet, is an alternative to insulin that is used widely outside pregnancy for people with diabetes. There are good data to support the safety of metformin in pregnancy. We plan to test that metformin is not only safe but also an effective alternative to insulin for women with GDM. Metformin works by reducing resistance to insulin, which is a key factor for the development of GDM and also for high blood pressure complications. We hope to demonstrate a reduction in these complications with metformin treatment. Metformin is associated with less weight gain than insulin and we hope to demonstrate an associated reduction in the risk of diabetes following pregnancy in women with GDM treated with metformin. It is likely that metformin crosses the placenta, and if so, it may reduce elevated insulin levels in the baby. The study will measure insulin levels in the cord blood, hoping to demonstrate that more babies have normal insulin levels in pregnancies treated with metformin.Read moreRead less
Building Evidence-based Research And Practice In South East Asia: Impact On Pregnancy And Childbirth Care And Outcomes.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,354,337.00
Summary
Disorders related to pregnancy and childbirth are a major health issue in SE Asia. They represent one of the biggest health risk differences between the developed and developing world. By establishing a network of researchers and teachers of evidence-based health care across four SE Asian countries supported from Australia, this collaborative project aims to improve the clinical practice of treating pregnancy and childbirth related disorders and the health outcomes of mothers and infants in SE A ....Disorders related to pregnancy and childbirth are a major health issue in SE Asia. They represent one of the biggest health risk differences between the developed and developing world. By establishing a network of researchers and teachers of evidence-based health care across four SE Asian countries supported from Australia, this collaborative project aims to improve the clinical practice of treating pregnancy and childbirth related disorders and the health outcomes of mothers and infants in SE Asia.Read moreRead less