MedPath

Speed of Increasing Milk Feeds Trial

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Necrotizing Enterocolitis
Premature Birth
Late-onset Invasive Infection
Interventions
Dietary Supplement: Milk feed (breast milk or formula milk)
Registration Number
NCT01727609
Lead Sponsor
University of Oxford
Brief Summary

Survival of preterm infants has increased greatly over the years, so a major aim now is to improve the long term outlook for these babies and to avoid serious complications. The way babies are fed in early life affects short and long-term health and survival.

Because the bowels of preterm infants have not matured, they cannot digest large volumes of milk feeds straight away. Until the gut matures, nutrition is provided by intravenous drip while the amount of milk given is gradually increased over time. Increasing the amount of milk rapidly may increase the risk of gut complications. Increasing the amount of milk given more slowly means that intravenous nutrition is needed for longer; there is an associated risk of infection proportional to the time the intravenous line is present in the bloodstream of these infants. Despite the importance of milk feeding preterm infants, there have been few studies to inform how best to balance these risks, and what the best way to increase feeds in these infants is - this study sets out to address this missing information.

The study will compare two different speeds of milk feed increase, one 'faster' and one 'slower', both within rates currently used in United Kingdom neonatal units. The study aims to find out if either speed of milk feed increase gives better outcomes for the infants. Investigators will measure a variety of outcomes, such as survival without disability, infection, bowel problems, growth and long-term physical and mental development, as well as the impact on families and the National Health Service, including costs.

The study is being led by an established team of researchers who have run similar studies before, and uses an established network of neonatal units that have taken part in previous studies.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
2804
Inclusion Criteria
  • Gestational age at birth <32 weeks, or birth weight less than 1,500 g
  • Receiving ≤30 ml/kg/day of milk at randomisation
  • Written informed parental consent is obtained

To ensure the widest applicability to preterm infants across the United Kingdom, those exclusively breast milk fed, formula milk fed, or receiving mixed feeds will be included

Exclusion Criteria
  • Infants with a severe congenital anomaly
  • Infants who, in the opinion of the treating clinician, have no realistic chance of survival
  • Infants who are unlikely to be traceable for follow-up at 24 months of age corrected for prematurity (for example, infants of non-United Kingdom residents)

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Slower milk feed incrementMilk feed (breast milk or formula milk)Increase milk feeds by 18 ml/kg/day until on full milk feeds (tolerating 150 ml/kg/day for 3 consecutive days)
Faster milk feed incrementMilk feed (breast milk or formula milk)Increase milk feeds by 30 ml/kg/day until on full milk feeds (tolerating 150 ml/kg/day for 3 consecutive days)
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Survival without moderate or severe disability24 months of age corrected for prematurity
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (Bell stage 2 or 3)Participants will be followed from trial entry until hospital discharge (typically at 36 corrected weeks' gestation), an expected average of 8 weeks.
Length of hospital stayParticipants will be followed from trial entry until hospital discharge (typically at 36 corrected weeks' gestation), an expected average of 8 weeks.
Incidence of microbiologically-confirmed or clinically suspected late-onset invasive infectionParticipants will be followed from trial entry until hospital discharge (typically at 36 corrected weeks' gestation), an expected average of 8 weeks.
Growth (weight and head circumference) at hospital dischargeParticipants will be followed from trial entry until hospital discharge (typically at 36 corrected weeks' gestation), an expected average of 8 weeks.

Measured by weight and head circumference z-scores

Length of time in intensive careParticipants will be followed from trial entry until hospital discharge (typically at 36 corrected weeks' gestation), an expected average of 8 weeks.
Survival to discharge homeParticipants will be followed from trial entry until hospital discharge (typically at 36 corrected weeks' gestation), an expected average of 8 weeks.
Time taken to reach full milk feeds (tolerating 150 ml/kg/day for 3 consecutive days)Participants will be followed from trial entry until hospital discharge (typically at 36 corrected weeks' gestation), an expected average of 8 weeks.
Duration of parenteral feeding before hospital dischargeParticipants will be followed from trial entry until hospital discharge (typically at 36 corrected weeks' gestation), an expected average of 8 weeks.

Trial Locations

Locations (57)

John Radcliffe Hospital

🇬🇧

Oxford, United Kingdom

Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth

🇬🇧

Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Altnagelvin Area Hospital

🇬🇧

Londonderry, United Kingdom

James Cook University Hospital

🇬🇧

Middlesbrough, United Kingdom

St George's Hospital

🇬🇧

London, United Kingdom

St James's University Hospital

🇬🇧

Leeds, United Kingdom

Lincoln County Hospital

🇬🇧

Lincoln, United Kingdom

Leicester Royal Infirmary

🇬🇧

Leicester, United Kingdom

Northampton General Hospital

🇬🇧

Northampton, United Kingdom

Jessop Wing, Sheffield

🇬🇧

Sheffield, United Kingdom

Royal Cornwall Hospital

🇬🇧

Truro, United Kingdom

Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral

🇬🇧

Upton, United Kingdom

Warrington Hospital

🇬🇧

Warrington, United Kingdom

New Cross Hospital

🇬🇧

Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

Royal Victoria Infirmary

🇬🇧

Newcastle, United Kingdom

Nottingham City Hospital

🇬🇧

Nottingham, United Kingdom

Derriford Hospital

🇬🇧

Plymouth, United Kingdom

Craigavon Area Hospital

🇬🇧

Portadown, United Kingdom

Queen's Hospital, Romford

🇬🇧

Romford, United Kingdom

Queen's Medical Centre

🇬🇧

Nottingham, United Kingdom

Royal Berkshire Hospital

🇬🇧

Reading, United Kingdom

Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton

🇬🇧

Southampton, United Kingdom

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

🇬🇧

Shrewsbury, United Kingdom

University Hospital of North Tees

🇬🇧

Stockton on Tees, United Kingdom

Royal Stoke University Hospital

🇬🇧

Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom

Singleton Hospital

🇬🇧

Swansea, United Kingdom

King's Mill Hospital

🇬🇧

Sutton-in-Ashfield, United Kingdom

Sunderland Royal Hospital

🇬🇧

Sunderland, United Kingdom

Croydon University Hospital

🇬🇧

Thornton Heath, United Kingdom

Great Western Hospital, Swindon

🇬🇧

Swindon, United Kingdom

Pinderfields General Hospital

🇬🇧

Wakefield, United Kingdom

Worcestershire Royal Hospital

🇬🇧

Worcester, United Kingdom

Wishaw General Hospital

🇬🇧

Wishaw, United Kingdom

York Hospital

🇬🇧

York, United Kingdom

National Maternity Hospital, Dublin

🇮🇪

Dublin, Ireland

Birmingham Women's Hospital

🇬🇧

Birmingham, United Kingdom

William Harvey Hospital

🇬🇧

Ashford, United Kingdom

Royal Maternity Hospital, Belfast

🇬🇧

Belfast, United Kingdom

Birmingham City Hospital

🇬🇧

Birmingham, United Kingdom

Bradford Royal Infirmary

🇬🇧

Bradford, United Kingdom

Birmingham Heartlands Hospital

🇬🇧

Birmingham, United Kingdom

Southmead Hospital

🇬🇧

Bristol, United Kingdom

St Michael's Hospital

🇬🇧

Bristol, United Kingdom

St Peters Hospital

🇬🇧

Chertsey, United Kingdom

Countess of Chester Hospital

🇬🇧

Chester, United Kingdom

University Hospital Coventry

🇬🇧

Coventry, United Kingdom

Leighton Hospital

🇬🇧

Crewe, United Kingdom

Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh

🇬🇧

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Derbyshire Children's Hospital

🇬🇧

Derby, United Kingdom

Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital

🇬🇧

Exeter, United Kingdom

Princess Royal Maternity Hospital, Glasgow

🇬🇧

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Gloucestershire Royal Hosptial

🇬🇧

Gloucester, United Kingdom

Calderdale Royal Hospital

🇬🇧

Halifax, United Kingdom

Hull Royal Infirmary

🇬🇧

Hull, United Kingdom

Leeds General Infirmary

🇬🇧

Leeds, United Kingdom

Kettering General Hospital

🇬🇧

Kettering, United Kingdom

Southern General Hospital

🇬🇧

Glasgow, United Kingdom

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