Non-invasive cardiac output monitoring in newborn infant study

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Non-Invasive Continuous Cardiac Output Monitoring in Newborn Infant Study

  • IRAS ID

    262104

  • Contact name

    Jayanta Banerjee

  • Contact email

    jayanta.banerjee@nhs.net

  • Sponsor organisation

    Imperial College London

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    3 years, 0 months, 0 days

  • Research summary

    After birth babies go through various adaptive changes in their body, switching from life in the womb to the external world. In general, this transition is smooth, but in babies born with difficulties around the time of delivery such as infections, reduced oxygen and blood supply to the fetus, and in preterm and growth restricted babies this transition may not be smooth. This may result in major compromise in the baby, reduced blood flow (perfusion) to the vital organs such as brain, gut and kidneys, bleeding in brain and lungs, thereby requiring intensive care management. This involves ventilatory support, fluid resuscitation and medicines to improve blood flow and oxygen delivery to the vital organs. It is also well known that babies who suffer from reduced growth in the womb has tendency to poor adaptation after birth.

    In the first stage of this project, our aim is to understand if heart function and blood flow can be measured reliably and continuously using non-invasive techniques without causing pain and discomfort to the baby and compare these with standard ultrasound measurements which cannot be measured continuously. In the second stage, we aim to evaluate the effects of changes in blood flow and tissue oxygen levels over the first 72 hours after birth and its response to rapid saline infusions and medications.

    We will aim to establish relationship between heart function, blood flow and routine observations and interventions. These results will be used to develop pathways which will help in future to direct judicious use of saline infusions, medications to manage blood pressure and reduce risks of poor organ blood flow, lung and brain haemorrhage. The study methods will be discussed with the parent focus groups and the outcomes will be presented in national and international conferences and published in websites and peer reviewed journals.

  • REC name

    London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    19/LO/1290

  • Date of REC Opinion

    2 Oct 2019

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion