Trial to Shorten Pharmacologic Treatment of Newborns With Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS)
- Conditions
- Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
- Interventions
- Registration Number
- NCT04214834
- Lead Sponsor
- Advancing Clinical Trials in Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal (ACT NOW) Program
- Brief Summary
The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a rapid wean intervention compared with a slow-wean intervention in reducing the number of days of opioid treatment from the first dose of weaning to cessation of opioid among infants receiving an opioid (defined as morphine or methadone) as the primary treatment for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS).
- Detailed Description
This will be a pragmatic, randomized, blinded trial comparing a rapid-wean intervention (15% decrements from the stabilization dose) to a slow-wean intervention (10% decrements from the stabilization dose) to determine whether rapid weaning will reduce the number of treatment days among infants receiving morphine or methadone orally as the primary treatment for NOWS. Participating hospitals must provide pharmacologic treatment to at least an average of 12 opioid exposed infants each year, use a scoring system to assess for signs of NOWS (original or modified Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring system, Eat-Sleep or Console), and provide opioid replacement therapy with either morphine or methadone as the primary drug for treating NOWS. Hospitals may change use of these two opioids during the trial period. The investigators will stratify randomization by hospital.
The study protocol will commence after NOWS signs have been controlled with an opioid (stabilization) and weaning of pharmacologic treatment is to be started. At or before each 24-hour interval, clinical team members will evaluate and score infants, per hospital practice, for signs of NOWS to determine if the infant will tolerate weaning of the study drug. After study drug cessation, the clinical team will observe infants in the hospital for at least 48 hours prior to discharge, which is similar to clinical practice. A trained examiner will administer the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) to assess neurobehavioral profiles after infants cease study drug and prior to discharge.
At one month post discharge, primary caregivers will complete the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Questionnaire (MPAQ) and a caregiver questionnaire. The site research team will contact the primary caregiver(s) to update contact information and/or complete questionnaires when the infant is 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months of age. The questionnaires will assess infant wellness, neurobehavioral functioning and development, postnatal attachment and bonding, and caregiver well-being. At 24 months, the infants will be seen during which a, certified developmental specialists, blinded to the intervention, will administer the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Fourth Edition (Bayley-4) to assess infant neurodevelopment. The BSI and the Brief Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) will also be administered during the 24 month visit along with measures of growth.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 189
-
Hospital Level
- Hospital provides pharmacologic treatment to at least an average of 12 opioid exposed infants each year
- Hospital uses a scoring system to assess for signs of NOWS (original or modified Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring system, Eat-Sleep or Console)
- Hospital provides opioid replacement therapy with either morphine or methadone as part of pharmacologic treatment of NOWS
-
Infant Level
- Gestational age ≥ 36 weeks
- Receiving scheduled pharmacological therapy with morphine or methadone as the primary drug treatment for NOWS secondary to maternal opioid use
- Tolerating enteral feeds and medications by mouth
-
Hospital Level
- Hospitals discharge > 10% of infants from the hospital on opioid replacement therapy on average per year
-
Infant Level
- Major birth defect (e.g. gastroschisis)
- Any major surgery (minor surgery [e.g., circumcision, digit ligation, frenulectomy] is not an exclusion criterion)
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy
- Seizures from etiologies other than NOWS
- Treatment with opioids for reasons other than NOWS
- Respiratory support (nasal cannula or greater) for > 72 hours
- Planned discharge from the hospital on opioids
- Use of other opioids (e.g., buprenorphine) as primary drugs for treatment of NOWS
- Weaning of morphine or methadone as the primary treatment of NOWS has started
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Rapid-wean Morphine 15% decrements from the stabilization dose of morphine/methadone Rapid-wean Methadone 15% decrements from the stabilization dose of morphine/methadone Slow-wean Morphine 10% decrements from the stabilization dose of morphine/methadone Slow-wean Methadone 10% decrements from the stabilization dose of morphine/methadone
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Days of Opioid Treatment From First Wean to Cessation From the start of opioid study medication until weaning. Infants exited the study intervention without unblinding (remained in the trial) by 35 days from the first weaning dose. Outcome truncated at 35 days regardless of the study arm. The number of days of opioid treatment (used as primary treatment), including escalation, resumption, and spot treatment, from the first weaning dose to cessation of opioid. From the start of opioid study medication until weaning. Infants will exit the study intervention without unblinding (remain in the trial) if they have not weaned off study drug by 35 days (inclusive of the 35th day) form the first weaning dose. Outcome will be truncated at 35 days regardless of the study arm.We note that primary outcome data is missing for 4 participants resulting in total sample of 185 for the primary analysis.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Days of Opioid Treatment From First Wean to Cessation Among Infants That Were Not Withdrawn in High Enrolling Centers From the start of opioid study medication until weaning. Infants exited the study intervention without unblinding (remained in the trial) by 35 days from the first weaning dose. Outcome truncated at 35 days regardless of the study arm. The number of days of opioid treatment from first wean to cessation among infants that were not withdrawn in high enrolling centers
Days of Opioid Treatment From First Wean to Cessation Among High Enrolling Centers From the start of opioid study medication until weaning. Infants exited the study intervention without unblinding (remained in the trial) by 35 days from the first weaning dose. Outcome truncated at 35 days regardless of the study arm. The number of days of opioid treatment from first wean to cessation among high enrolling centers
Days of Opioid Treatment From First Wean to Cessation Among Infants That Were Not Withdrawn From the start of opioid study medication until weaning. Infants exited the study intervention without unblinding (remained in the trial) by 35 days from the first weaning dose. Outcome truncated at 35 days regardless of the study arm. The number of days of opioid treatment from first wean to cessation among infants that were not withdrawn
Trial Locations
- Locations (24)
Loma Linda University Medical Center
🇺🇸Loma Linda, California, United States
University of Arizona
🇺🇸Tucson, Arizona, United States
West Virginia University Hospital
🇺🇸Morgantown, West Virginia, United States
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
🇺🇸Providence, Rhode Island, United States
University of Alabama at Birmingham
🇺🇸Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Central Michigan University
🇺🇸Detroit, Michigan, United States
Metrohealth
🇺🇸Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Nationwide Childeren's Hospital
🇺🇸Columbus, Ohio, United States
RTI International
🇺🇸Durham, North Carolina, United States
Washington University School of Medicine
🇺🇸Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
Ohio State University Hospital
🇺🇸Columbus, Ohio, United States
Sanford Health
🇺🇸Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
University of Arkansas Medical Sciences
🇺🇸Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
University of Iowa
🇺🇸Iowa City, Iowa, United States
Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns
🇺🇸San Diego, California, United States
Tulane University Health Science Center
🇺🇸New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Ochsner Baptist Clinical Trials Unit
🇺🇸New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Children's Mercy Hospital
🇺🇸Kansas City, Missouri, United States
University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center-West Campus
🇺🇸Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Ochsner Medical Regional Hospital
🇺🇸Kenner, Louisiana, United States
MedStar Franklin Square
🇺🇸Hyattsville, Maryland, United States
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
🇺🇸Memphis, Tennessee, United States
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
🇺🇸Memphis, Tennessee, United States
University of New Mexico
🇺🇸Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States