Tag Archives: Randomized Controlled Trials

Steroid drops for retinopathy?

Posted on 11 August 2026 by Keith Barrington

A just published, modestly sized, multicentre randomized masked trial from Sweden has investigated the efficacy of dexamethasone eyedrops to prevent the progression of pre-threshold RoP. Infants born before 30 weeks’ gestational age (GA) were eligible if they had prethreshold RoP, … Continue reading →

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Study Design: Hierarchical Composite Outcomes

Posted on 7 August 2026 by Keith Barrington

As frequent readers of the blog will know, there are major concerns about using the classical dichotomous composite outcomes for trials. One of the outcomes included is usually death, as it “competes” with many other outcomes, and the other components … Continue reading →

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Finally, a SMART approach for the PDA?

Posted on 3 July 2026 by Keith Barrington

One of the thorniest topics in neonatology currently. Some experts seem certain that we can define PDAs that benefit from early treatment. In contrast, the recent trials don’t show any clinical benefit in early treated groups compared to controls, and … Continue reading →

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A new standard for NOWS

Posted on 28 April 2026 by Keith Barrington

Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal is a major public health problem in the world. Large numbers of infants born after fetal exposure to opioids experience unpleasant symptoms, requiring non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic intervention. Studies of different approaches for symptom control have the potential … Continue reading →

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Neonatal Research Shorts : March 2026

Posted on 27 March 2026 by Keith Barrington

Pineda R, et al. Language and sound exposure across neonatal intensive care hospitalization and relationships with early outcome. J Perinatol 2026. In this short term outcome study, 64 very preterm infants <29 weeks GA were evaluated at near-term age with … Continue reading →

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Steroids and BPD, what do we really know?

Posted on 26 March 2026 by Keith Barrington

My first foray into systematic review and meta-analysis was about 25 years ago with this article Barrington KJ. The adverse neuro-developmental effects of postnatal steroids in the preterm infant: a systematic review of RCTs. BMC Pediatr. 2001;1:1. As you can … Continue reading →

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Neonatal Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, what is it and how should we treat it?

Posted on 20 March 2026 by Keith Barrington

ARDS is a fairly common problem in the adult and the paediatric ICU; following trauma, or systemic sepsis, or other extrapulmonary insults, usually inflammatory in nature, or as a complication of direct pulmonary insults, such as pneumonia or aspiration of … Continue reading →

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Neonatal Research Shorts : February 2026

Posted on 17 March 2026 by Keith Barrington

Dereymaeker A, et al. Neonatal sleep physiology and early executive functioning in preterm children. Pediatr Res. 2026. In this observational study, the authors recorded sleep architecture overnight shortly prior to discharge of 76 preterm infants, averaging 30 weeks GA. The … Continue reading →

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Automated oxygen control; is it worth it?

Posted on 18 February 2026 by Keith Barrington

The history of automated controls of inspired oxygen goes back many decades, to before the invention of pulse oximetry. The first studies I remember used transcutaneous PO2 as the target variable, which had major limitations, as well as the advantage … Continue reading →

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Prophylactic acetaminophen in the preterm

Posted on 17 February 2026 by Keith Barrington

In a newly published trial (Roze JC, et al. Prophylactic Treatment of Patent Ductus Arteriosus With Acetaminophen: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Pediatr. 2026) nearly 800 infants of 23 to <29 weeks GA were randomized within 12 hours of birth. … Continue reading →

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