Prematurity and the Lipid Profiles of Newborns
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the Impact of Prematurity on Lipid Profiles in Newborn Infants
IRAS ID
196253
Contact name
Kathryn Beardsall
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 28 days
Research summary
Preterm babies can not tolerate milk in the same way as babies who are born at term. Preterm babies may initially require special feed solutions to be given into their veins before the gradual introduction of specialised milk feeds. We all need different nutrients to grow, but fats are the main source of energy and provide essential building blocks for cells, particularly the brain. However there is little information on the differences in specific fat levels in preterm babies compared to term babies receiving either breast milk or different formula and this is what we aim to study.
We will use a new method that only needs a few drops of blood to measure all the different kinds of fats in great detail. These drops of blood will be collected onto the same kind of card that is used for newborn screening of all babies. Samples will be taken from preterm babies once they reach full feeds, and once they reach the time they were expected to be born. If a baby is being given breast milk we will also ask to collect a small sample of milk to determine the mixture of fats it contains. We will then explore the differences in the fat levels in babies born early to those born at term and look at the effect of different kinds of feeds.
REC name
London - Chelsea Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0610
Date of REC Opinion
20 Apr 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion