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The Calmer Project

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Acute Pain
Interventions
Device: The Calmer
Other: Standard of Care
Registration Number
NCT01433588
Lead Sponsor
Children's & Women's Health Centre of British Columbia
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to see if the Calmer is more effective at managing acute pain in preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care than the current standard of care in the unit.

Hypothesis: While receiving treatment with Calmer, infants will show lower behavioral pain scores and lower heart rates, and more stable autonomic regulation as measured by heart rate variability indices, than infants given a soother plus facilitated tucking (standard of care) during routine blood collection.

Detailed Description

60 infants will be randomized to either receive the standard of care or the Calmer during a routine blood collection.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
54
Inclusion Criteria
  • Stable infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children's and Women's Health Centre of British Columbia (C&W)
  • Preterm infants born at 27 to 36+6 completed weeks gestational age (GA) will be included
  • GA is determined on the basis of the first day of the last menstrual period, early gestation ultrasonogram (in most cases) or best estimate based on neonatal examination
  • Mothers must speak enough English to provide consent
Exclusion Criteria
  • Infants who have congenital anomalies, active, ongoing infection, or have undergone surgery
  • Infants who have received pharmacological analgesics or sedatives within 72 hours of the assessment
  • History of maternal abuse of controlled drugs and substances; blood collection that occurs beyond the 35th completed week (35 weeks + 6 days) GA
  • Small for GA defined as a birth weight at least 2 standard deviations below mean for GA
  • Higher order multiples (e.g. triplets)
  • Infants in a cot

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
CalmerThe CalmerThis therapeutic platform, called the Calmer interacts with the infant to help reduce stress to help promote better outcomes. It is being tested to see if it mimics Kangaroo care, maternal skin to skin, to help promote better health outcomes. Infants would be placed on it prior, during and after bloodwork to see if it elicits a favorable response.
Standard CareStandard of CareStandard of care during bloodwork is receiving a soother and facilitated tucking.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in Behavioral Indicators of Infant Pain (BIIP) ScoreDuring the assessment period in the study, estimated to occur around one hour.

The Behavioral Indicators of Infant Pain (BIIP) is a reliable and valid scale for assessing acute procedural pain in preterm infants.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Secondary Outcome Measures: Heart Rate VariabilityDuring and after assessment period in the study, estimated to be 6 hours.

Heart rate variability during the assessment period will be recorded, monitored and reviewed for changes, estimated to occur over the course of an hour. Additionally, the heart rate variability will be recorded after the assessment period, for approximately 5 hours.

Secondary Outcome Measures: NIRSDuring the assessment period in the study, estimated to occur over less than an hour.

Brain blood oxy- and de-oxyhemoglobin, TSI, total hemoglobin, using near infra-red spectroscopy. During the assessment period in the study, estimated to occur around one hour.

Secondary Outcome Measures: Heart RateDuring and after the assessment period in the study, estimated to be 6 hours.

Heart rate will be recorded during the assessment period, one hour, to denote changes. Additionally, the heart rate will be recorded after the assessment period, for approximately 5 hours.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

BC Children's and Women's Health Centre

🇨🇦

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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