Normal oximetry and cardiorespiratory parameters in preterm infants
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A study to establish normal oxygen saturations and cardiorespiratory parameters in preterm infants
IRAS ID
224597
Contact name
Hazel Evans
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Divisional research manager
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
In the UK approximately 50,000 babies/year are born after 32 weeks and before term. Some develop airway inflammation resulting in chronic lung disease and are supported by long term oxygen therapy. Increasingly decisions around starting and weaning oxygen are based on recordings using sensitive modern oximeters which sample very frequently and exclude artefact due to movement. These oximeters are therefore able to detect brief dips in oxygen level. The impact of these dips on airway inflammation and neurological development is unknown which increases the uncertainty on who should and shouldn’t receive supplemental oxygen.
Normative data using these oximeters is available for older children, and more recently for term infants who are more susceptible to short pauses in breathing and thus transient falls in oxygen saturation. Preterm infants demonstrate greater breathing instability so reference ranges for term infants may not be applicable to preterm infants.
This study aims to collect data on oxygen saturation parameters using modern oximeters for healthy preterm infants born after 32 weeks gestation and how this changes with time from birth until 40 weeks gestation and report the cause of oxygen desaturations through detailed cardiorespiratory monitoring. This is a feasibility study to obtain preliminary data to frame an application for a larger study.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SC/0430
Date of REC Opinion
2 Oct 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion