NeoHandling Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
NeoHandling Study – Quantifying Handling Events of Extremely Preterm Infants in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
IRAS ID
352216
Contact name
Prakash Satodia
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
Extremely preterm infants, defined as those born at less than 28 weeks of gestation by the World Health Organisation, are among the most vulnerable patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Due to advances in neonatal care, increasing numbers of preterm babies are being provided full intensive care as appropriate. These babies are very likely to receive many more interventions. The overall burden of handling in a 22-, 23-, or 24-week gestation baby is likely to be significantly higher due to more aggressive intensive care being offered, and there is very poor data on overall burden of handling for such babies. This may have implications on physiological parameters thus impacting family integrated care and future neurodevelopment.
There is minimal research on the total burden of handling and no research on the total burden of handling in extremely preterm infants. Previous research has shown that tactile stimulation can lead to acute physiological changes in preterm infants, including fluctuations in heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation, as well as pain-related behaviours such as crying and grimacing. However, the extent and nature of these physiological responses in extremely preterm infants remain poorly understood, particularly in the context of routine NICU care.
This research project hopes to answer the following research question of: In extremely preterm infants (P) admitted to the NICU, how many handling events, interventions, procedures, and care tasks (I) occur over a 24-hour period throughout their first week of life (T), and how do these events impact immediate physiological responses (O) such as heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and other neonatal behaviours?
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NW/0134
Date of REC Opinion
18 Jun 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion