Tag Archives: Randomized Controlled Trials

Closing the PDA… or leaving it alone?

Posted on 20 October 2023 by Keith Barrington

Two new publications, in the Journal of Pediatrics, report trends in definitive closure of the PDA. This is a subject that I haven’t written about much on the blog, I wrote about the Beneductus trial last year, which was an … Continue reading →

Posted in Neonatal Research | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Artificial Formulae and NEC. It is not necessarily the protein source!

Posted on 18 October 2023 by Keith Barrington

As mentioned several times recently, artificial formula seems to lead to an increase in Necrotising Enterocolitis, compared to donor milk. Of note, the trials in the Cochrane Systematic Review include both those with the entire diet being formula or donor … Continue reading →

Posted in Neonatal Research | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Preventing NEC. Does erythropoietin have a role? Unreliable data.

Posted on 16 October 2023 by Keith Barrington

I wrote a similarly titled post 3 years ago, which lamented the poor research practices of a group in Zhengzhou, who seem to perform large RCTs, then register them after completion, and sometimes register them with different primary outcomes to … Continue reading →

Posted in Neonatal Research | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The myth of the “exclusive human milk diet”; fortification options for breast milk.

Posted on 12 October 2023 by Keith Barrington

The Exclusive Human Milk Diet sounds superficially immediately convincing: “We should only give milk products derived from human milk to human babies”. But, is it more than just a catchy phrase? The major company which is responsible for producing a … Continue reading →

Posted in Neonatal Research | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Long break, same preoccupations!

Posted on 10 October 2023 by Keith Barrington

I had a long break from blogging over the summer, and, as I return to action, I note that there are some really high quality studies which have been performed or are in progress. But I continue to lament some … Continue reading →

Posted in Neonatal Research | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Probiotics. What now?

Posted on 6 October 2023 by Keith Barrington

Many of you will have seen or heard of the FDA warning about probiotics in preterm infants. In a letter (I am not in the USA, so I am not sure exactly who this letter was sent to, or the … Continue reading →

Posted in Neonatal Research | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

PAS 2023, some supplemental selected stuff

Posted on 8 May 2023 by Keith Barrington

As usual, the annual meeting of PAS had too many things going on simultaneously to be able to get to all the interesting looking neonatal research. But here are a few things, that were of interest to me, and which … Continue reading →

Posted in Neonatal Research | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

PAS 2023, some selected stuff

Posted on 8 May 2023 by Keith Barrington

Hernia repair timing One trial which will should have an impact on the care of newborn infants is the trial of early versus late hernia repair. 40 neonatal centres in the USA randomized 320 preterm infants to inguinal hernia repair … Continue reading →

Posted in Neonatal Research | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

An ESCape route for infants suffering opiate withdrawal

Posted on 4 May 2023 by Keith Barrington

The Finnegan score was developed and evaluated in the 1970’s as the first systematic way of monitoring babies going through perinatal drug withdrawal. Although it was an advance at the time, it was not developed using modern standards, and was … Continue reading →

Posted in Neonatal Research | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

What now for cerebral NIRS in the preterm?

Posted on 25 April 2023 by Keith Barrington

Previous randomized trials of routine cerebral NIRS in preterm infants have shown that cerebral hypoxia can be reduced by responding to the signal, but in an underpowered follow up of a subgroup, there was no impact on long term outcomes. … Continue reading →

Posted in Neonatal Research | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment