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Enhancing Breast Milk Production With Domperidone in Mothers of Preterm Neonates

Phase 2
Completed
Conditions
Low Milk Supply
Interventions
Drug: Placebo Tablet
Registration Number
NCT01512225
Lead Sponsor
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Domperidone in those mothers who are identified as having difficulty with breast milk production to meet the nutritional needs of their infant in the neonatal intensive are unit hospitalization setting, and to determine how it should be considered in the care of mothers and their preterm infants without causing undesirable effects to either the mother or infant.

Detailed Description

It is widely acknowledged that recent perinatal and neonatal technological advances (eg. assisted ventilation, surfactant, antenatal corticosteroids) have greatly enhanced the survival rate of very low birth weight and extremely low birth weight infants. A compelling body of evidence now exists to suggest that use of breast milk to feed preterm infants during initial hospitalization positively impacts their neurodevelopment during early childhood and beyond. In order to provide breastmilk, mothers of preterm infants have to begin to produce and mechanically express milk. However, these mothers are often faced with challenges in maintaining an adequate volume that will meet their infants' nutritional needs, as well as declines in production after several weeks despite a myriad of measures designed to assist in production. The primary hypothesis for this study is that Domperidone, through its pharmacologic action on increasing prolactin levels, will assist mothers experiencing inadequate breast milk production in increasing breast milk volumes to a level identified as being sufficient for continued pumping in the hospitalization period.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
90
Inclusion Criteria
  • mothers of a preterm infant born < 30 completed weeks gestation (23 0/7-29 6/7 weeks)
  • postpartum period of 7-21 days
  • mechanically pumping a minimum average of 6 times a day in the 4-7 days prior to enrollment
  • experiencing inadequate milk supply defined as providing < 100% of the average of the daily nutritional intake during the previous 72-hour period prior to enrollment based on a fluid intake of 250 mL/kg/d or experiencing a clinical reduction of approximately 20% from a peak volume during the previous 72-hour period prior to enrollment
Exclusion Criteria
  • history of known or suspected cardiac dysrhythmias (tachyarrhythmia, Q-Tc prolongation) or currently on an anti-arrhythmic medication
  • currently experiencing mastitis
  • previous breast surgery, including augmentation or reduction, nipple piercing and/or the use of nipple rings/studs within the last year, or any reduction
  • known chronic or debilitating illness, known abnormal liver function or gastric abnormalities gastrointestinal that will be exacerbated by the use of a prokinetic, examples include hemorrhage or blockage, actively treated with acid reflux which requires treatment for greater than 5 days and includes H2 blockers (occasional use of H2 blockers for heartburn or mild acid reflux is not considered an exclusion) and HIV
  • known to have a prolactin-releasing pituitary tumor
  • receiving medications known to alter the metabolism and pharmacokinetics of domperidone (eg. oral "azole" antifungals, erythromycin antibiotics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO) inhibitors) or medications that have dopaminergic or antidopaminergic activity or affect prolactin levels
  • mothers of higher order pregnancies (triplet, or more)
  • currently smoking 6 or more cigarette per day as reported by the mother

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Domperidone for days 1 to 28Domperidone maleateDomperidone maleate tablets 10 mg orally three times daily from days 1 to 28
Placebo for days 1 to 14 and domperidone for day 15-28Domperidone maleateIdentical placebo tablets 10 mg orally three times daily from days 1 to 14 followed by Domperidone maleate tablets 10 mg orally three times daily from days 15 to 28
Placebo for days 1 to 14 and domperidone for day 15-28Placebo TabletIdentical placebo tablets 10 mg orally three times daily from days 1 to 14 followed by Domperidone maleate tablets 10 mg orally three times daily from days 15 to 28
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Increase in Breast Milk ProductionDay 0 to day 14

The primary outcome is the difference in the proportion of women having a 50% increase in breast milk volume at the end of 14 days of treatment with domperidone compared to mothers receiving placebo (mean day 14 volume minus mean day 0 volume at entry).

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Increase in Breast Milk Volume on Day 28day 0 to day 28

Number of mothers who achieved 50% increase in milk volume on day 28

Mean Breast Milk Volumes on Day 14Day 0 and day 14

Mean milk volumes between the two groups at 14 days of study intervention

Mean Breast Milk Volumes on Day 28day 0 and 28

Mean milk volumes between the two groups at 28 days of study intervention

Mean Volume Change From Day 0 to Day 14days 0 and 14

change on the volume of milk from day 0 to day 14 between the two groups

Mean Volume Change on the Volume of Milk From Day 15 to Day 28day 15 and day 28

change on the volume of milk from day 15 to day 28 between the two groups

Provision of Breast Milk at Term Gestationterm gestation

provision of breast milk as the primary source of nutrition

Provision of Breast Milk at 6 Weeks Post Term Gestation6 weeks post term gestation

Provision of breast milk at 6 weeks post term gestation as primary source of nutrition

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

🇨🇦

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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