Glycerin Suppositories Used Prophylactically in Premature Infants (SUPP): a Pilot Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Feeding Intolerance in Premature Infants
• Interventions: Drug: Glycerin Suppository; Other: Sham Suppository

• Registration Number: NCT02153606
• Lead Sponsor: McMaster University

Brief Summary

All premature babies have problems with feeding and nutrition. Some can develop a life-threatening bowel infection necrotizing enterocolitis. This can result in the need for emergency surgery, loss of bowel, lifelong feeding problems, and death. Giving premature babies glycerin suppositories may be one way to stimulate the digestive tract and help prevent these problems. To see if this treatment works, the investigators need to study hundreds of premature babies in a large trial involving multiple hospitals. The purpose of this project is to carry out a small study first and make sure that the larger trial is feasible. The investigators will invite approximately 30 premature babies from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at McMaster University Medical Centre to participate in this study over a 6-month period. The investigators will focus on feasibility issues, including cost, safety, and rate of participation. This will allow us to rigorously test our study protocol and lay the groundwork for the larger study involving multiple hospitals.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2014-05-23
• Study First Submitted QC: 2014-05-29
• Study First Posted: 2014-06-03
• Study Start: 2015-01
• Status Verified: 2016-03
• Last Update Submitted: 2016-03-15
• Last Update Posted: 2016-03-17
• Primary Completion: 2016-06

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

• Gestational age 24-32 weeks OR
• Birth weight 500-1500 grams

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Exclusion Criteria

• Congenital gastrointestinal anomalies
• Surgery within 48 hours of birth
• Culture-proven sepsis*
• Vasopressors within 6 hours of first intervention
• Nitric oxide
• Duct-dependent congenital heart defect requiring prostaglandins
• Suspected coagulopathy (mucosal bleeding from any orifice)
• Confirmed coagulopathy (any one of the following):
• International Normalized Ratio greater than 1.4
• Partial Thromboplastin Time greater than 39 seconds
• Fibrinogen less than 1.00 grams/liter
• Thrombocytopenia (platelet count less than 100 x 10^9/liter)**
• Neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count less than 0.5 x 10^9/liter)
• Complete meconium evacuation (2 normal bowel movements) within 48 hours of life
• Parent or legal guardian unable to understand English

Note:

* C-reactive protein is not an exclusion criteria

** Indomethacin alone is not an exclusion criteria

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Glycerin Suppository	Glycerin Suppository	-
Sham Suppository	Sham Suppository	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Days to full enteral feeding (150 ml/kg/day)	Up to 4 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Days to complete meconium evacuation	Up to 4 months	Number of days to complete meconium evacuation (defined as two normal bowel movements free of meconium staining).
Compliance with treatment regimen	Up to 4 months
Feeding volume on day 14 of life (ml/kg/day)	14 days
Mortality	Up to 4 months
Necrotizing enterocolitis	Up to 4 months
Culture-proven line sepsis	Up to 4 months
Days of parenteral nutrition	Up to 4 months

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

McMaster University Medical Centre; 🇨🇦 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada