Is survival and neurodevelopmental impairment at 2 years of age the gold standard outcome for neonatal studies?

Childhood Health and Educational outcomes afteR perinatal Brain injury (CHERuB): protocol for a population-matched cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Over 3000 infants suffer a brain injury around the time of birth every year in England. Although these injuries can have important implications for children and their families, our understanding of how these injuries affect children's lives is limited.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The aim of the CHERuB study (Childhood Health and Educational outcomes afteR perinatal Brain injury) is to investigate longitudinal childhood health and educational outcomes after perinatal brain injury through the creation of a population-matched cohort study. This study will use the Department of Health and Social Care definition of perinatal brain injury which includes infants with intracranial haemorrhage, preterm white matter injury, hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, perinatal stroke, central nervous system infections, seizures and kernicterus. All children born with a perinatal brain injury in England between 2008 and 2019 will be included (n=54 176) and two matched comparator groups of infants without brain injury will be created: a preterm control group identified from the National Neonatal Research Data Set and a term/late preterm control group identified using birth records. The national health, education and social care records of these infants will be linked to ascertain their longitudinal childhood outcomes between 2008 and 2023. This cohort will include approximately 170 000 children. The associations between perinatal brain injuries and survival without neurosensory impairment, neurodevelopmental impairments, chronic health conditions and mental health conditions throughout childhood will be examined using regression methods and time-to-event analyses.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study has West London Research Ethics Committee and Confidential Advisory Group approval (20/LO/1023 and 22/CAG/0068 issued 20/10/2022). Findings will be published in open-access journals and publicised via the CHERuB study website, social media accounts and our charity partners.

Two-year neurodevelopmental data for preterm infants born over an 11-year period in England and Wales, 2008-2018: a retrospective study using the National Neonatal Research Database

OBJECTIVE

United Kingdom guidelines recommend all infants born <30 weeks' gestation receive neurodevelopmental follow-up at 2 years corrected age. In this study, we describe completeness and results of 2-year neurodevelopmental records in the National Neonatal Research Database (NNRD).

DESIGN

This retrospective cohort study uses data from the NNRD, which holds data on all neonatal admissions in England and Wales, including 2year follow-up status.

PATIENTS

We included all preterm infants born <30 weeks' gestation between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2018 in England and Wales, who survived to discharge from neonatal care.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Presence of a 2-year neurodevelopmental assessment record in the NNRD, use of standardised assessment tools, results of functional 2-year neurodevelopmental assessments (visual, auditory, neuromotor, communication, overall development).

RESULTS

Of the 41 505 infants included, 24 125 (58%) had a 2-year neurodevelopmental assessment recorded. This improved over time, from 32% to 71% for births in 2008 and 2018, respectively.Of those with available data: 0.4% were blind; 1% had a hearing impairment not correctable with aids; 13% had <5 meaningful words, vocalisations or signs; 8% could not walk without assistance and 9% had severe (≥12 months) developmental delay.

CONCLUSIONS

The proportion of infants admitted to neonatal units in England and Wales with a 2-year neurodevelopmental record has improved over time. Rates of follow-up data from recent years are comparable to those of bespoke observational studies. With continual improvement in data completeness, the potential for use of NNRD as a source of longer-term outcome data can be realised.

Cerebral oximetry monitoring versus usual care for extremely preterm infants: a study protocol for the 2-year follow-up of the SafeBoosC-III randomised clinical trial

BACKGROUND

In the SafeBoosC-III trial, treatment guided by cerebral oximetry monitoring for the first 72 hours after birth did not reduce the incidence of death or severe brain injury in extremely preterm infants at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age, as compared with usual care. Despite an association between severe brain injury diagnosed in the neonatal period and later neurodevelopmental disability, this relationship is not always strong. The objective of the SafeBoosC-III follow-up study is to assess mortality, neurodevelopmental disability, or any harm in trial participants at 2 years of corrected age. One important challenge is the lack of funding for local costs for a trial-specific assessment.

METHODS

Of the 1601 infants randomised in the SafeBoosC-III trial, 1276 infants were alive at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age and will potentially be available for the 2-year follow-up. Inclusion criteria will be enrollment in a neonatal intensive care unit taking part in the follow-up study and parental consent if required by local regulations. We aim to collect data from routine follow-up programmes between the ages of 18 and 30 months of corrected age. If no routine follow-up has been conducted, we will collect informal assessments from other health care records from the age of at least 12 months. A local co-investigator blinded to group allocation will classify outcomes based on these records. We will supplement this with parental questionnaires including the Parent Report of Children's Abilities-Revised. There will be two co-primary outcomes: the composite of death or moderate or severe neurodevelopmental disability and mean Bayley-III/IV cognitive score. We will use a 3-tier model for prioritisation, based on the quality of data. This approach has been chosen to minimise loss to follow-up assuming that little data is better than no data at all.

DISCUSSION

Follow-up at the age of 2 years is important for intervention trials in the newborn period as only time can show real benefits and harms later in childhood. To decrease the risk of generalisation and data-driven biased conclusions, we present a detailed description of the methodology for the SafeBoosC-III follow-up study. As funding is limited, a pragmatic approach is necessary.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05134116 . Registered on 24 November 2021.

Prenatal Intravenous Magnesium at 30-34 Weeks' Gestation and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Offspring: The MAGENTA Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Intravenous magnesium sulfate administered to pregnant individuals before birth at less than 30 weeks' gestation reduces the risk of death and cerebral palsy in their children. The effects at later gestational ages are unclear.

Objective

To determine whether administration of magnesium sulfate at 30 to 34 weeks' gestation reduces death or cerebral palsy at 2 years.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This randomized clinical trial enrolled pregnant individuals expected to deliver at 30 to 34 weeks' gestation and was conducted at 24 Australian and New Zealand hospitals between January 2012 and April 2018.

Intervention

Intravenous magnesium sulfate (4 g) was compared with placebo.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was death (stillbirth, death of a live-born infant before hospital discharge, or death after hospital discharge before 2 years' corrected age) or cerebral palsy (loss of motor function and abnormalities of muscle tone and power assessed by a pediatrician) at 2 years' corrected age. There were 36 secondary outcomes that assessed the health of the pregnant individual, infant, and child.

Results

Of the 1433 pregnant individuals enrolled (mean age, 30.6 [SD, 6.6] years; 46 [3.2%] self-identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, 237 [16.5%] as Asian, 82 [5.7%] as Māori, 61 [4.3%] as Pacific, and 966 [67.4%] as White) and their 1679 infants, 1365 (81%) offspring (691 in the magnesium group and 674 in the placebo group) were included in the primary outcome analysis. Death or cerebral palsy at 2 years' corrected age was not significantly different between the magnesium and placebo groups (3.3% [23 of 691 children] vs 2.7% [18 of 674 children], respectively; risk difference, 0.61% [95% CI, -1.27% to 2.50%]; adjusted relative risk [RR], 1.19 [95% CI, 0.65 to 2.18]). Components of the primary outcome did not differ between groups. Neonates in the magnesium group were less likely to have respiratory distress syndrome vs the placebo group (34% [294 of 858] vs 41% [334 of 821], respectively; adjusted RR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.76 to 0.95]) and chronic lung disease (5.6% [48 of 858] vs 8.2% [67 of 821]; adjusted RR, 0.69 [95% CI, 0.48 to 0.99]) during the birth hospitalization. No serious adverse events occurred; however, adverse events were more likely in pregnant individuals who received magnesium vs placebo (77% [531 of 690] vs 20% [136 of 667], respectively; adjusted RR, 3.76 [95% CI, 3.22 to 4.39]). Fewer pregnant individuals in the magnesium group had a cesarean delivery vs the placebo group (56% [406 of 729] vs 61% [427 of 704], respectively; adjusted RR, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.84 to 0.99]), although more in the magnesium group had a major postpartum hemorrhage (3.4% [25 of 729] vs 1.7% [12 of 704] in the placebo group; adjusted RR, 1.98 [95% CI, 1.01 to 3.91]).

Conclusions and Relevance

Administration of intravenous magnesium sulfate prior to preterm birth at 30 to 34 weeks' gestation did not improve child survival free of cerebral palsy at 2 years, although the study had limited power to detect small between-group differences.

Trial Registration

anzctr.org.au Identifier: ACTRN12611000491965.

All Care is Brain Care: Neuro-Focused Quality Improvement in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Neonates requiring intensive care are in a critical period of brain development that coincides with the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization, placing these infants at high risk of brain injury and long-term neurodevelopmental impairment. Care in the NICU has the potential to be both harmful and protective to the developing brain. Neuro-focused quality improvement efforts address 3 main pillars of neuroprotective care: prevention of acquired injury, protection of normal maturation, and promotion of a positive environment. Despite challenges in measurement, many centers have shown success with consistent implementation of best and potentially better practices that may improve markers of brain health and neurodevelopment.

Impact of low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage on neurodevelopmental outcome in very preterm infants at two years of age

BACKGROUND

High-grade intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in very preterm infants is a known risk factor for adverse neurodevelopmental outcome. Prognosis is less clear for low-grade (grades I/II) IVH however, with conflicting study results in recent years.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of low-grade IVH on neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years corrected age in preterm infants born below 32 weeks gestation at the University hospital of Zurich between 2009 and 2014.

METHODS

Among 843 live-born preterm infants born during the observation period, 509 were included in our study. Exclusion criteria were death, high-grade IVH, cystic periventricular leukomalacia and congenital malformations. Infants were grouped into those with or without low-grade IVH according to cranial ultrasound. Neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) was defined as cognitive or motor developmental score > 2 standard deviations below the mean and/or CP grades 2-5 and/or moderate/severe vision loss and/or hearing problem corrected with hearing aids. Multivariate linear regression was used to assess effect of low-grade IVH on endpoints while adjusting for other risk factors.

RESULTS

87 preterm infants had low-grade IVH (42 grade I, 45 grade II) on cranial ultrasound. These were compared to 422 preterm infants without IVH. Follow-up rate was 82.4 %. Preterm infants with low-grade IVH had higher rates of NDI (21.8 vs 13.3 %, p = 0.047). Infants with IVH grade II had significantly higher rates for CP (8.9 % vs 3.6 %, p = 0.003), visual impairment (20.5 % vs 8.3 %, p = 0.009) and NDI (33.3 % vs 13.3 %, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In our study, low-grade IVH - and especially IVH grade II - is associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of corrected age.

Preterm Brain Injury and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes: A Meta-analysis

CONTEXT

Preterm brain injuries are common; neurodevelopmental outcomes following contemporary neonatal care are continually evolving.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review and meta-analyze neurodevelopmental outcomes among preterm infants after intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and white matter injury (WMI).

DATA SOURCES

Published and grey literature were searched across 10 databases between 2000 and 2021.

STUDY SELECTION

Observational studies reporting 3-year neurodevelopmental outcomes for preterm infants with IVH or WMI compared with preterm infants without injury.

DATA EXTRACTION

Study characteristics, population characteristics, and outcome data were extracted.

RESULTS

Thirty eight studies were included. There was an increased adjusted risk of moderate-severe neurodevelopmental impairment after IVH grade 1 to 2 (adjusted odds ratio 1.35 [95% confidence interval 1.05-1.75]) and IVH grade 3 to 4 (adjusted odds ratio 4.26 [3.25-5.59]). Children with IVH grade 1 to 2 had higher risks of cerebral palsy (odds ratio [OR] 1.76 [1.39-2.24]), cognitive (OR 1.79 [1.09-2.95]), hearing (OR 1.83 [1.03-3.24]), and visual impairment (OR 1.77 [1.08-2.9]). Children with IVH grade 3 to 4 had markedly higher risks of cerebral palsy (OR 4.98 [4.13-6.00]), motor (OR 2.7 [1.52-4.8]), cognitive (OR 2.3 [1.67-3.15]), hearing (OR 2.44 [1.42-4.2]), and visual impairment (OR 5.42 [2.77-10.58]). Children with WMI had much higher risks of cerebral palsy (OR 14.91 [7.3-30.46]), motor (OR 5.3 [3-9.36]), and cognitive impairment (OR 3.48 [2.18-5.53]).

LIMITATIONS

Heterogeneity of outcome data.

CONCLUSIONS

Mild IVH, severe IVH, and WMI are associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Utilization of core outcome sets and availability of open-access study data would improve our understanding of the nuances of these outcomes.

Longitudinal medical needs for periviable NICU survivors

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the technologies required, medications needed, and early intervention services utilized from discharge to 12 months post-discharge for periviable infants (22 0/7 to 24 6/7 weeks gestational age) followed in a comprehensive NICU follow-up clinic.

STUDY DESIGN

Information regarding medication use, technology requirement, and early intervention services was collected prospectively at one, six, and twelve months after discharge. Neurodevelopmental assessment was completed at 12 months corrected age.

RESULT

69 periviable infants were actively treated and survived to discharge during the study period. 54 infants were enrolled and followed in the comprehensive NICU follow-up clinic. Use of technology and prescribed medications decreased with a 46% reduction of infants requiring ≥1 technology device (74.1% vs. 40.4%, p < 0.01) and 64% reduction in infants requiring ≥1 medication (88.9% vs 31.9%, p < 0.01) 12 months post discharge. There was an increase in early intervention services with 83% of infants receiving services by 12 months post discharge.

CONCLUSION

Technology and medication requirements were high at discharge but notably decreased in the first year after discharge concurrent with increased enrollment in early interventional services. Many periviable infants survive without severe short-term developmental delays.

Mortality, In-Hospital Morbidity, Care Practices, and 2-Year Outcomes for Extremely Preterm Infants in the US, 2013-2018

IMPORTANCE

Despite improvement during recent decades, extremely preterm infants continue to contribute disproportionately to neonatal mortality and childhood morbidity.

OBJECTIVE

To review survival, in-hospital morbidities, care practices, and neurodevelopmental and functional outcomes at 22-26 months' corrected age for extremely preterm infants.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Prospective registry for extremely preterm infants born at 19 US academic centers that are part of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. The study included 10 877 infants born at 22-28 weeks' gestational age between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2018, including 2566 infants born before 27 weeks between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2016, who completed follow-up assessments at 22-26 months' corrected age. The last assessment was completed on August 13, 2019. Outcomes were compared with a similar cohort of infants born in 2008-2012 adjusting for gestational age.

EXPOSURES

Extremely preterm birth.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Survival and 12 in-hospital morbidities were assessed, including necrotizing enterocolitis, infection, intracranial hemorrhage, retinopathy of prematurity, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Infants were assessed at 22-26 months' corrected age for 12 health and functional outcomes, including neurodevelopment, cerebral palsy, vision, hearing, rehospitalizations, and need for assistive devices.

RESULTS

The 10 877 infants were 49.0% female and 51.0% male; 78.3% (8495/10848) survived to discharge, an increase from 76.0% in 2008-2012 (adjusted difference, 2.0%; 95% CI, 1.0%-2.9%). Survival to discharge was 10.9% (60/549) for live-born infants at 22 weeks and 94.0% (2267/2412) at 28 weeks. Survival among actively treated infants was 30.0% (60/200) at 22 weeks and 55.8% (535/958) at 23 weeks. All in-hospital morbidities were more likely among infants born at earlier gestational ages. Overall, 8.9% (890/9956) of infants had necrotizing enterocolitis, 2.4% (238/9957) had early-onset infection, 19.9% (1911/9610) had late-onset infection, 14.3% (1386/9705) had severe intracranial hemorrhage, 12.8% (1099/8585) had severe retinopathy of prematurity, and 8.0% (666/8305) had severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Among 2930 surviving infants with gestational ages of 22-26 weeks eligible for follow-up, 2566 (87.6%) were examined. By 2-year follow-up, 8.4% (214/2555) of children had moderate to severe cerebral palsy, 1.5% (38/2555) had bilateral blindness, 2.5% (64/2527) required hearing aids or cochlear implants, 49.9% (1277/2561) had been rehospitalized, and 15.4% (393/2560) required mobility aids or other supportive devices. Among 2458 fully evaluated infants, 48.7% (1198/2458) had no or mild neurodevelopmental impairment at follow-up, 29.3% (709/2419) had moderate neurodevelopmental impairment, and 21.2% (512/2419) had severe neurodevelopmental impairment.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Among extremely preterm infants born in 2013-2018 and treated at 19 US academic medical centers, 78.3% survived to discharge, a significantly higher rate than for infants born in 2008-2012. Among infants born at less than 27 weeks' gestational age, rehospitalization and neurodevelopmental impairment were common at 2 years of age.

Predictors of Neurodevelopmental Impairment After Neonatal Bacterial Meningitis

BACKGROUND

Neonatal bacterial meningitis has high rates of morbidity and mortality. Early clinical signs and neuroimaging suggest adverse outcomes, but little is known about their combined predictive properties. We evaluated the combination of findings most associated with death and neurodevelopmental impairment.

METHODS

Single-center retrospective cohort study of term and late preterm neonates with bacterial meningitis. Predictors of death and neurodevelopmental impairment were identified on univariate analysis and incorporated into Lasso models to identify variables best predicting adverse outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 103 neonates, 6 died acutely; 30% of survivors had neurodevelopmental impairment. Clinical variables (seizures, pressor support) predicted death and neurodevelopmental impairment better than the neuroimaging or combined findings (area under the curve 0.88 vs 0.79 and 0.83, respectively). Among survivors, neuroimaging findings (cerebrovascular lesions, ventriculomegaly) predicted neurodevelopmental impairment better than clinical or combined findings (area under the curve 0.82 vs 0.80 and 0.77, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Seizures are important predictors of adverse outcomes in neonatal bacterial meningitis. Among survivors, neuroimaging findings help predict neurodevelopmental impairment.

Never too late? Quadruplets at the age of 65 years

Background

We discuss the challenges of multiple pregnancy at very advanced reproductive age.

Case presentation

We present the case of a quadruplet pregnancy at the maternal age of 65 following in-vitro fertilization (IVF) with donor eggs and sperm, involving cross-border reproductive care. All children born were at 25 weeks’ gestation and survived; however, poor neurodevelopmental outcome remains a major concern in one child.

Conclusions

The use of reproductive technology to achieve a multiple pregnancy at such an advanced post-menopausal age generated a debate on ethical, psychosocial and medical questions. We share this debate and highlight the need to reconsider international guidelines for women of advanced reproductive age.

Association of Continuous Opioids and/or Midazolam During Early Mechanical Ventilation with Survival and Sensorimotor Outcomes at Age 2 Years in Premature Infants: Results from the French Prospective National EPIPAGE 2 Cohort

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association of early continuous infusions of opioids and/or midazolam with survival and sensorimotor outcomes at age 2 years in very premature infants who were ventilated.

STUDY DESIGN

This national observational study included premature infants born before 32 weeks of gestation intubated within 1 hour after birth and still intubated at 24 hours from the French EPIPAGE 2 cohort. Infants only treated with bolus were excluded. Treated infants received continuous opioid and/or midazolam infusion started before 7 days of life and before the first extubation. Naive infants did not receive these treatments before the first extubation, or received them after the first week of life, or never received them. This study compared treated (n = 450) vs naive (n = 472) infants by using inverse probability of treatment weighting after multiple imputation in chained equations. The primary outcomes were survival and survival without moderate or severe neuromotor or sensory impairment at age 2 years.

RESULTS

Survival at age 2 years was significantly higher in the treated group (92.5% vs 87.9%, risk difference, 4.7%; 95% CI, 0.3-9.1; P = .037), but treated and naive infants did not significantly differ for survival without moderate or severe neuromotor or sensory impairment (86.6% vs 81.3%; risk difference, 5.3%; 95% CI -0.3 to 11.0; P = .063). These results were confirmed by sensitivity analyses using 5 alternative models.

CONCLUSIONS

Continuous opioid and/or midazolam infusions in very premature infants during initial mechanical ventilation that continued past 24 hours of life were associated with improved survival without any difference in moderate or severe sensorimotor impairments at age 2 years.

Quality improvement for NICU graduates: Feasible, relevant, impactful

Continuous quality improvement (CQI) has become a vital component of newborn medicine. Applying core principles - robust measurement, repeated small tests of change, collaborative learning through data sharing - have led to improvements in care quality, safety, and outcomes in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). High-risk infant follow-up programs (HRIF) have historically aided such quality improvement efforts by providing outcomes data about NICU interventions. Though as a discipline, HRIF has not universally embraced CQI for its own practice. In this review, we summarize the history of CQI in neonatology and applications of improvement science in healthcare and describe examples of CQI in HRIF. We identify the need for consensus on what defines 'high-risk' and constitutes meaningful outcomes. Last, we outline four areas for future investment: establishing evidence-based care delivery systems, standardizing outcomes and their measures, embracing a family-centered approach prioritizing parent goals, and developing professional standards of care for HRIF.

Patent Ductus Arteriosus Clinical Trials: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

The identification of an optimal management strategy for the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in the context of extreme prematurity remains elusive. Observational studies have reported a persistent association between PDA and neonatal adverse outcomes, but by and large, no clinical trial, to date, has demonstrated that treating a PDA results in a reduction of those morbidities. This discrepancy has led many to assume that the PDA is an innocent bystander in the physiological mechanisms responsible for such complications and a reluctance to actively pursue shunt elimination. It would be remiss to discount the volume of evidence available clearly documenting a strong association between longstanding PDA exposure and negative outcomes. There needs to be a radical change in the design, patient selection and possible outcome assessment in any further trials addressing the PDA. The purpose of this review is to explore the reasons that preclude existing clinical trials from definitively ascribing a causal relationship between PDA patency and adverse outcomes in the context of extreme prematurity, why previous studies have failed to demonstrate significant beneficial effects following PDA treatment and how future research may be conducted to allow us to draw concrete conclusions regarding the potential merits of ductal closure.

The relationship of neurodevelopmental impairment to concurrent early childhood outcomes of extremely preterm infants

OBJECTIVE

Determine how neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) relates to concurrent outcomes for children born extremely preterm.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study children born 22 0/7-26 6/7 weeks' gestation at NICHD Neonatal Research Network hospitals. Outcomes were ascertained at 18-22 months' corrected age.

RESULT

Of 6562 children, 2618 (40%) died and 441 (7%) had no follow-up. Among the remaining 3483 children, 825 (24%), 1576 (45%), 657 (19%), and 425 (12%) had no, potential/mild, moderate, and severe NDI, respectively. Rehospitalization, respiratory medications, surgery, and medical support services were associated with greater NDI severity but affected >10% of children without NDI. Rehospitalization occurred in 40% of children with no NDI (mean (SD): 1.7 (1.3) episodes).

CONCLUSION

Medical, functional, and social outcomes at 18-22 months' corrected age were associated with NDI; however, many children without NDI were affected. These data should contribute to counseling families and the design of studies for childhood outcomes beyond NDI.

Creative Music Therapy and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Pre-term Infants at 2 Years: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

Impaired neurodevelopment is increasingly recognized as a major health issue in children born prematurely. Creative music therapy (CMT) intends to prevent and or reduce neurobehavioral deficits in pre-term infants using musical stimulation and socio-emotional co-regulation. We conducted a randomized, clinical pilot CMT trial to test feasibility and to examine long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in pre-term infants (NCT02434224: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02434224). Eighty-two pre-term infants were randomized either to CMT or standard care. A specially trained music therapist provided family-integrating CMT via infant-directed singing during hospitalization. Fifty-six infants underwent follow-up at 2 years of corrected age. No significant beneficial nor adverse effects of CMT were identified in routine clinical neurodevelopmental measures (Bayley-III Scales of Infant and Toddler Development and the standardized neurological examination). Longer term follow-up (5 years) and larger future studies are recommended to elucidate possible long-term effects of music in relation to more sensitive outcomes including executive function, detailed language processing and social-emotional development.

Randomised trial of cord clamping at very preterm birth: outcomes at 2 years

OBJECTIVE

To report outcomes at 2 years corrected age for children of women recruited to a trial comparing alternative policies for timing of cord clamping and immediate neonatal care at very preterm birth.

DESIGN

Parallel group randomised (1:1) trial.

SETTING

Eight UK tertiary maternity units.

PARTICIPANTS

Two hundred and seventy-six babies born to 261 women expected to have a live birth before 32⁺⁰ weeks' gestation.

INTERVENTIONS

Deferred cord clamping (≥2 min) and immediate neonatal care with cord intact or immediate (≤20 s) clamping and immediate neonatal care after clamping.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Composite of death or adverse neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years corrected age.

RESULTS

Six babies born after 35⁺⁶ weeks were excluded. At 2 years corrected age, outcome data were not available for a further 52 children, leaving 218 for analysis (115 deferred clamping, 103 immediate clamping). Overall, 24/115 (21%) children allocated deferred clamping died or had an adverse neurodevelopmental outcome compared with 35/103 (34%) allocated immediate clamping; risk ratio (RR) 0.61 (95% CI 0.39 to 0.96); risk difference (RD) -13% (95% CI -25% to -1%). Multiple imputation for missing data gave an RR 0.69 (95% CI 0.44 to 1.09) and RD -9% (95% CI -21% to 2%).

CONCLUSIONS

Deferred clamping and immediate neonatal care with cord intact may reduce the risk of death or adverse neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of age for children born very premature. Confirmation in larger studies is needed to determine the real benefits and harms.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ISRCTN21456601.

Perioperative fetal hemodynamic changes in twin-twin transfusion syndrome and neurodevelopmental outcome at two years of age

Objective

To investigate whether perioperative fetal hemodynamic changes in twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) are associated with neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) at two years.

Methods

Doppler parameters of three sonograms (day before, first day after and 1 week after laser surgery for TTTS) were assessed for correlation with neurodevelopmental outcome at two years (2008‐2016). NDI was defined as: cerebral palsy, deafness, blindness, and/or a Bayley‐III cognitive/motor developmental test‐score > 2SD below the mean.

Results

Long‐term outcome was assessed in 492 TTTS survivors. NDI was present in 5% (24/492). After adjustment for severe cerebral injury (present in 4%), associated with NDI were: middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity (MCA‐PSV) >1.5 multiples of the median (MoM) 1 day after surgery (odds ratio [OR] 4.96; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17‐21.05, P = .03), a change from normal umbilical artery pulsatility index (UA‐PI) presurgery to UA‐PI >p95 postsurgery (OR 4.19; 95% CI: 1.04‐16.87, P = .04), a change from normal to MCA‐PSV >1.5MoM (OR 4.75; 95% CI: 1.43‐15.77, P = .01).

Conclusion

Perioperative fetal hemodynamic changes in TTTS pregnancies treated with laser are associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcome. Prospective research on the cerebrovascular response to altered hemodynamic conditions is necessary to further understand the cerebral autoregulatory capacity of the fetus in relation to neurodevelopmental outcome.

Effect of timing of umbilical cord clamping and other strategies to influence placental transfusion at preterm birth on maternal and infant outcomes

BACKGROUND

Infants born preterm (before 37 weeks' gestation) have poorer outcomes than infants at term, particularly if born before 32 weeks. Early cord clamping has been standard practice over many years, and enables quick transfer of the infant to neonatal care. Delayed clamping allows blood flow between the placenta, umbilical cord and baby to continue, and may aid transition. Keeping baby at the mother's side enables neonatal care with the cord intact and this, along with delayed clamping, may improve outcomes. Umbilical cord milking (UCM) is proposed for increasing placental transfusion when immediate care for the preterm baby is needed. This Cochrane Review is a further update of a review first published in 2004 and updated in 2012.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects on infants born at less than 37 weeks' gestation, and their mothers of: 1) delayed cord clamping (DCC) compared with early cord clamping (ECC) both with immediate neonatal care after cord clamping; 2) DCC with immediate neonatal care with cord intact compared with ECC with immediate neonatal care after cord clamping; 3) DCC with immediate neonatal care after cord clamping compared with UCM; 4) UCM compared with ECC with immediate neonatal care after cord clamping.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group Trials Register, ClinicalTrials.gov, the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (10 November 2017), and reference lists of retrieved studies. We updated the search in November 2018 and added nine new trial reports to the awaiting classification section to be assessed at the next update.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing delayed with early clamping of the umbilical cord (with immediate neonatal care after cord clamping or with cord intact) and UCM for births before 37 weeks' gestation. Quasi-RCTs were excluded.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk of bias, extracted data and checked them for accuracy. Random-effects are used in all meta-analyses. Review authors assessed the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach.

MAIN RESULTS

This update includes forty-eight studies, involving 5721 babies and their mothers, with data available from 40 studies involving 4884 babies and their mothers. Babies were between 24 and 36+6 weeks' gestation at birth and multiple births were included. The data are mostly from high-income countries. Delayed clamping ranged between 30 to 180 seconds, with most studies delaying for 30 to 60 seconds. Early clamping was less than 30 seconds and often immediate. UCM was mostly before cord clamping but some were milked after cord clamping. We undertook subgroup analysis by gestation and type of intervention, and sensitivity analyses by low risk of selection and attrition bias.All studies were high risk for performance bias and many were unclear for other aspects of risk of bias. Certainty of the evidence using GRADE was mostly low, mainly due to imprecision and unclear risk of bias.Delayed cord clamping (DCC) versus early cord clamping (ECC) both with immediate neonatal care after cord clamping (25 studies, 3100 babies and their mothers)DCC probably reduces the number of babies who die before discharge compared with ECC (average risk ratio (aRR) 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54 to 0.98, 20 studies, 2680 babies (moderate certainty)).No studies reported on 'Death or neurodevelopmental impairment' in the early years'.DCC may make little or no difference to the number of babies with severe intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH grades 3 and 4) (aRR 0.94, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.39, 10 studies, 2058 babies, low certainty) but slightly reduces the number of babies with any grade IVH (aRR 0.83, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.99, 15 studies, 2333 babies, high certainty).DCC has little or no effect on chronic lung disease (CLD) (aRR 1.04, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.14, 6 studies, 1644 babies, high certainty).Due to insufficient data, we were unable to form conclusions regarding periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) (aRR 0.58, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.30, 4 studies, 1544 babies, low certainty) or maternal blood loss of 500 mL or greater (aRR 1.14, 95% CI 0.07 to 17.63, 2 studies, 180 women, very low certainty).We identified no important heterogeneity in subgroup or sensitivity analyses.Delayed cord clamping (DCC) with immediate neonatal care with cord intact versus early cord clamping (ECC) (one study, 276 babies and their mothers)There are insufficient data to be confident in our findings, but DCC with immediate neonatal care with cord intact may reduce the number of babies who die before discharge, although the data are also compatible with a slight increase in mortality, compared with ECC (aRR 0.47, 95% CI 0.20 to 1.11, 1 study, 270 babies, low certainty). DCC may also reduce the number of babies who die or have neurodevelopmental impairment in early years (aRR 0.61, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.96, 1 study, 218 babies, low certainty). There may be little or no difference in: severe IVH; all grades IVH; PVL; CLD; maternal blood loss ≥ 500 mL, assessed as low certainty mainly due to serious imprecision.Delayed cord clamping (DCC) with immediate neonatal care after cord clamping versus umbilical cord milking (UCM) (three studies, 322 babies and their mothers) and UCM versus early cord clamping (ECC) (11 studies, 1183 babies and their mothers)There are insufficient data for reliable conclusions about the comparative effects of UCM compared with delayed or early clamping (mostly low or very low certainty).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Delayed, rather than early, cord clamping may reduce the risk of death before discharge for babies born preterm. There is insufficient evidence to show what duration of delay is best, one or several minutes, and therefore the optimum time to clamp the umbilical cord remains unclear. Whilst the current evidence supports not clamping the cord before 30 seconds at preterm births, future trials could compare different lengths of delay. Immediate neonatal care with the cord intact requires further study, and there are insufficient data on UCM.The nine new reports awaiting further classification may alter the conclusions of the review once assessed.

Challenges in Designing Clinical Trials to Test New Drugs in the Pregnant Woman and Fetus

The need for new drugs in pregnancy is widely recognized. This review identifies several unique challenges and describes some solutions. Specific studies and drug development programs need careful planning that accounts for the needs of regulatory agencies. The perinatal (obstetric/pediatric) community needs to establish collaborations to develop methodologies, to facilitate data sharing, and to lobby for research and access to medicines. There is a need to gather and present information that promotes proportionate judgments of the balance between potential benefits and risks. This will require researchers to look beyond their traditional ways of working.

Recommendations for the design of therapeutic trials for neonatal seizures

Although seizures have a higher incidence in neonates than any other age group and are associated with significant mortality and neurodevelopmental disability, treatment is largely guided by physician preference and tradition, due to a lack of data from well-designed clinical trials. There is increasing interest in conducting trials of novel drugs to treat neonatal seizures, but the unique characteristics of this disorder and patient population require special consideration with regard to trial design. The Critical Path Institute formed a global working group of experts and key stakeholders from academia, the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory agencies, neonatal nurse associations, and patient advocacy groups to develop consensus recommendations for design of clinical trials to treat neonatal seizures. The broad expertise and perspectives of this group were invaluable in developing recommendations addressing: (1) use of neonate-specific adaptive trial designs, (2) inclusion/exclusion criteria, (3) stratification and randomization, (4) statistical analysis, (5) safety monitoring, and (6) definitions of important outcomes. The guidelines are based on available literature and expert consensus, pharmacokinetic analyses, ethical considerations, and parental concerns. These recommendations will ultimately facilitate development of a Master Protocol and design of efficient and successful drug trials to improve the treatment and outcome for this highly vulnerable population.

Association between perinatal interventional activity and 2-year outcome of Swiss extremely preterm born infants: a population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To investigate if centre-specific levels of perinatal interventional activity were associated with neonatal and neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of age in two separately analysed cohorts of infants: cohort A born at 22-25 and cohort B born at 26-27 gestational weeks, respectively.

DESIGN

Geographically defined, retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

All nine level III perinatal centres (neonatal intensive care units and affiliated obstetrical services) in Switzerland.

PATIENTS

All live-born infants in Switzerland in 2006-2013 below 28 gestational weeks, excluding infants with major congenital malformation.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Outcomes at 2 years corrected for prematurity were mortality, survival with any major neonatal morbidity and with severe-to-moderate neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI).

RESULTS

Cohort A associated birth in a centre with high perinatal activity with low mortality adjusted OR (aOR 0.22; 95% CI 0.16 to 0.32), while no association was observed with survival with major morbidity (aOR 0.74; 95% CI 0.46 to 1.19) and with NDI (aOR 0.97; 95% CI 0.46 to 2.02). Median age at death (8 vs 4 days) and length of stay (100 vs 73 days) were higher in high than in low activity centres. The results for cohort B mirrored those for cohort A.

CONCLUSIONS

Centres with high perinatal activity in Switzerland have a significantly lower risk for mortality while having comparable outcomes among survivors. This confirms the results of other studies but in a geographically defined area applying a more restrictive approach to initiation of perinatal intensive care than previous studies. The study adds that infants up to 28 weeks benefited from a higher perinatal activity and why further research is required to better estimate the added burden on children who ultimately do not survive.

Assessment of long-term neurodevelopmental outcome following trials of medicinal products in newborn infants

There is significant uncertainty over the role of assessment of long-term neurodevelopmental outcome (LTO) in neonatal clinical trials. A multidisciplinary working group was established to identify key issues in this area and to make recommendations about optimal approaches to evaluate LTO in therapeutic trials in newborns, which can be developed by sponsors and investigators with other key stakeholders. A key consideration for neonatal trials is the potential for the investigational product to cause widespread effects and drives the need to assess outcome in multiple organs. Thus investigators must assess whether the product has an impact on the brain and the potential for it to cause potential effects on LTO. Critically, is assessment of LTO an important direct therapeutic target or a safety outcome? Such decisions and outcomes need to be specific to the product being studied and use published data, only considering expert opinion when prior evidence does not exist. In designing the trial, the balance of benefits, costs, and burdens of assessments to the researcher and families need to be considered. Families and parent advocates should be involved in design and execution of the study. A framework is presented for use by all key stakeholders to determine the need, nature, and duration of LTO assessments in regulatory trials involving newborn infants.

Mild hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy and long term neurodevelopmental outcome - A systematic review

AIMS

Hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) remains a significant cause of long term neurodisability despite therapeutic hypothermia (TH). Infants with mild HIE, representing 50% of those with HIE, are perceived as low risk and are currently not eligible for TH [1]. This review examines the available evidence of outcome in term infants with mild HIE.

METHODS

Medline, Embase and Cochrane Clinical Trials databases were searched in March 2017. Studies with well-defined HIE grading at birth and standardised neurodevelopmental assessment at ≥18 months were included. Abnormal outcome was defined as death, cerebral palsy or standardised neurodevelopmental test score more than 1 standard deviation below the mean.

RESULT

Twenty studies were included. Abnormal outcome was reported in 86/341 (25%) of infants. There was insufficient evidence to examine the effect of TH on outcome.

CONCLUSION

A significant proportion of infants with mild HIE have abnormal outcome at follow up.

Long-term neuroprotective effect of erythropoietin on executive functions in very preterm children (EpoKids): protocol of a prospective follow-up study

INTRODUCTION

Premature infants are particularly vulnerable to brain injuries with associated cognitive and behavioural deficits. The worldwide first randomised interventional multicentre trial investigating the neuroprotective effects of erythropoietin (entitled 'Does erythropoietin improve outcome in very preterm infants?' (NCT00413946)) included 450 very preterm infants in Switzerland. MRI at term equivalent age showed less white matter (WM) injury in the erythropoietin group compared with the placebo group. Despite these promising imaging findings, neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years showed no beneficial effect of early erythropoietin. One explanation could be that the assessment of more complex cognitive functions such as executive functions (EFs) is only possible at a later age. We hypothesise that due to improved WM development and fewer WM injuries, children born preterm treated with early erythropoietin will have better EF abilities at 7-12 years than those treated with placebo.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

365 children who were included into the primary analysis of the original trial (NCT00413946) will be eligible in this prospective follow-up study at the age of 7-12 years. 185 children born at term will be control children. Primary outcome measures are EF abilities and processing speed, while secondary outcomes are academic performance, IQ, fine motor abilities and global brain connectivity. A comprehensive test battery will be applied to assess EFs. MRI will be performed to assess global brain connectivity. Cognitive scores and MRI measures will be compared between both groups using the Wilcoxon test. Propensity score matching will be used to balance gender, age, socioeconomic status and other potentially unbalanced variables between the children born preterm and the healthy control children.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The cantonal ethical committee granted ethical approval for this study (KEK 2017-00521). Written consent will be obtained from the parents. Findings from this study will be disseminated via international and national conference presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Prophylactic Early Erythropoietin for Neuroprotection in Preterm Infants: A Meta-analysis

CONTEXT

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) is a promising pharmacological agent for neuroprotection in neonates.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether prophylactic rhEPO administration in very preterm infants improves neurodevelopmental outcomes in a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

DATA SOURCES

Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched in December 2016 and complemented by other sources.

STUDY SELECTION

RCTs investigating the use of rhEPO in preterm infants versus a control group were selected if they were published in a peer-reviewed journal and reported neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 to 24 months' corrected age.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data extraction and analysis followed the standard methods of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group. The primary outcome was the number of infants with a Mental Developmental Index (MDI) <70 on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Secondary outcomes included a Psychomotor Development Index <70, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, and hearing impairment.

RESULTS

Four RCTs, comprising 1133 infants, were included in the meta-analysis. Prophylactic rhEPO administration reduced the incidence of children with an MDI <70, with an odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 0.51 (0.31-0.81), P < .005. The number needed to treat was 14. There was no statistically significant effect on any secondary outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Prophylactic rhEPO improved the cognitive development of very preterm infants, as assessed by the MDI at a corrected age of 18 to 24 months, without affecting other neurodevelopmental outcomes. Current and future RCTs should investigate optimal dosing and timing of prophylactic rhEPO and plan for long-term neurodevelopmental follow-up.

The ORACLE Children Study: educational outcomes at 11 years of age following antenatal prescription of erythromycin or co-amoxiclav

BACKGROUND

Antibiotics used for women in spontaneous preterm labour without overt infection, in contrast to those with preterm rupture of membranes, are associated with altered functional outcomes in their children.

METHODS

From the National Pupil Database, we used Key Stage 2 scores, national test scores in school year 6 at 11 years of age, to explore the hypothesis that erythromycin and co-amoxiclav were associated with poorer educational outcomes within the ORACLE Children Study.

RESULTS

Anonymised scores for 97% of surviving children born to mothers recruited to ORACLE and resident in England were analysed against treatment group adjusting for key available socio-demographic potential confounders. No association with crude or with adjusted scores for English, mathematics or science was observed by maternal antibiotic group in either women with preterm rupture of membranes or spontaneous preterm labour with intact membranes. While the proportion receiving special educational needs was similar in each group (range 31.6-34.4%), it was higher than the national rate of 19%.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite evidence that antibiotics are associated with increased functional impairment at 7 years, educational test scores and special needs at 11 years of age show no differences between trial groups.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ISCRT Number 52995660 (original ORACLE trial number).

Feasibility of a Team Approach to Complex Congenital Heart Defect Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up: Early Experience of a Combined Cardiology/Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Follow-Up Program

Infants with complex congenital heart disease are at high risk for poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, implementation of dedicated congenital heart disease follow-up programs presents important infrastructure, personnel, and resource challenges. We present the development, implementation, and retrospective review of 1- and 2-year outcomes of a Complex Congenital Heart Defect Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up program. This program was a synergistic approach between the Pediatric Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Pediatric Intensive Care, and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Follow-Up teams to provide a feasible and responsible utilization of existing infrastructure and personnel, to develop and implement a program dedicated to children with congenital heart disease. Trained developmental testers administered the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 over the phone to the parents of all referred children at least once between 6 and 12 months' corrected age. At 18 months' corrected age, all children were scheduled in the Neonatal Intensive-Care Unit Follow-Up Clinic for a visit with standardized neurological exams, Bayley III, multidisciplinary therapy evaluations and continued follow-up. Of the 132 patients identified in the Cardiothoracic Surgery database and at discharge from the hospital, a total number of 106 infants were reviewed. A genetic syndrome was identified in 23.4% of the population. Neuroimaging abnormalities were identified in 21.7% of the cohort with 12.8% having visibly severe insults. As a result, 23 (26.7%) received first-time referrals for early intervention services, 16 (13.8%) received referrals for new services in addition to their existing ones. We concluded that utilization of existing resources in collaboration with established programs can ensure targeted neurodevelopmental follow-up for all children with complex congenital heart disease.

Early blood pressure, antihypotensive therapy and outcomes at 18-22 months' corrected age in extremely preterm infants

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationships between early blood pressure (BP) changes, receipt of antihypotensive therapy and 18-22 months' corrected age (CA) outcomes for extremely preterm infants.

DESIGN

Prospective observational study of infants 23(0/7)-26(6/7) weeks' gestational age (GA). Hourly BP values and antihypotensive therapy exposure in the first 24 h were recorded. Four groups were defined: infants who did or did not receive antihypotensive therapy in whom BP did or did not rise at the expected rate (defined as an increase in the mean arterial BP of ≥5 mm Hg/day). Random-intercept logistic modelling controlling for centre clustering, GA and illness severity was used to investigate the relationship between BP, antihypotensive therapies and infant outcomes.

SETTING

Sixteen academic centres of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Death or neurodevelopmental impairment/developmental delay (NIDD) at 18-22 months' CA.

RESULTS

Of 367 infants, 203 (55%) received an antihypotensive therapy, 272 (74%) survived to discharge and 331 (90%) had a known outcome at 18-22 months' CA. With logistic regression, there was an increased risk of death/NIDD with antihypotensive therapy versus no treatment (OR 1.836, 95% CI 1.092 to 3.086), but not NIDD alone (OR 1.53, 95% CI 0.708 to 3.307).

CONCLUSIONS

Independent of early BP changes, antihypotensive therapy exposure was associated with an increased risk of death/NIDD at 18-22 months' CA when controlling for risk factors known to affect survival and neurodevelopment.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

clinicaltrials.gov #NCT00874393.

Design and conduct of a large obstetric or neonatal randomized controlled trial

As event rates fall, if mortality and disability are to improve further there is increasing need for large, well-designed trials. These should enroll more patients, more rapidly and at lower cost, with better representation of infants at highest risk and greater integration with routine care. This may require simpler datasets, linkage with routinely collected data, and international collaboration. It may be helpful to draw attention to recent evidence that participation in Phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is at least as safe as receiving established care. Nationally coordinated clinical research networks employing local research staff may be the single most effective strategy to integrate clinical trials into routine practice. Other goals are: international standardization of outcomes; consensus on composite endpoints, biomarkers, surrogates and measures of disability; greater efficiency through randomized factorial designs and cluster or cross-over cluster RCTs; and equipping parents as partners in all aspects of the conduct of RCTs and in implementing their results.

Erythropoietin for the Repair of Cerebral Injury in Very Preterm Infants (EpoRepair)

BACKGROUND

Preterm infants suffering from intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental impairment. Observational data suggest that recombinant human erythropoietin (rEPO) improves long-term cognitive outcome in infants with IVH. Recent studies revealed a beneficial effect of early high-dose rEPO on white matter development in preterm infants determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

OBJECTIVES

To summarize the current evidence and to delineate the study protocol of the EpoRepair trial (Erythropoietin for the Repair of Cerebral Injury in Very Preterm Infants).

METHODS

The study involves a review of the literature and the design of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial of repetitive high-dose rEPO administration, enrolling 120 very preterm infants with moderate-to-severe IVH diagnosed by cranial ultrasound in the first days of life, qualitative and quantitative MRI at term-equivalent age and long-term neurodevelopmental follow-up until 5 years of age.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The hypothesis generated by observational data that rEPO may improve long-term cognitive outcomes of preterm infants suffering from IVH are to be confirmed or refuted by the randomized controlled trial, EpoRepair.