Current Projects
The Newborn Research Centre leads many studies in both the delivery room and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to improve health outcomes for babies.
Currently recruiting babies
BLUEPRINT Study
The BLUEPRINT Study aims to understand how the lungs of premature babies function in the first week after birth. The study uses lung ultrasound imaging and blood tests to map out early preterm lung disease in babies born between 22- and 32-weeks’ gestation. The BLUEPRINT Study aims to enrol 550 babies.
MINI study
The Multicenter Inventory of Neonatal-Perinatal Interventions (MINI) study is an international registry, which details outcomes and practices for births and babies born at 22-23 weeks’ gestation. This enables our team to evaluate the care for this population of babies and identify potential opportunities to improve practice.
https://www.tinybabycollaborative.org/research
High-Flow on the Cord
The High-Flow on the Cord study is exploring the feasibility of using nasal high-flow therapy in very preterm babies (born between 26- and 32-weeks’ gestation) before umbilical cord clamping. Delayed cord clamping is known to improve survival in preterm infants, but it is sometimes not possible when babies require immediate breathing support. Nasal high-flow therapy delivers heated, humidified air and oxygen through small nasal prongs, which may help stimulate breathing and allow for delayed cord clamping.
AIRPREMO2 Study
The AIRPREMO2 Study, is an observational study to measure the level of support newborn babies receive while treated with non-invasive breathing support. All babies who receive this breathing support have a gastric tube which extends from their nose or mouth into their stomach. The aim of this study is to assess the ability of a new device to monitor airway pressure while these babies are receiving breathing support.
The NeoNav ECHO
When a baby has an umbilical line inserted, its position is usually confirmed using ultrasound. This study is exploring the use of a sensor that detects electrical signals from the heart to help guide umbilical line placement. By comparing these electrical signals to the actual position of the catheter, researchers aim to determine whether this approach could make line placement faster, more accurate, and less stressful for babies.
COMING SOON! BabyCCINO
The BabyCCINO study will investigate the optimal dose of caffeine for very preterm babies (born before 32 weeks’ gestation) who experience apnoea of prematurity, a condition where babies stop breathing intermittently. Caffeine is already known to help reduce how often these pauses in breathing occur and to lower the need for breathing support, which may decrease the risk of complications after birth. However, the most effective dose is still uncertain. This study will compare three commonly used caffeine doses and treatment regimens to determine which provides the best outcomes for preterm babies.
 study is an international registry, which details outcomes and practices for births and babies born at 22-23 weeks’ gestation. This enables our team to evaluate the care for this population of babies and identify potential opportunities to improve practice. https://www.tinybabycollaborative.org/research)
Long-term follow up studies
Several research groups are working towards a better understanding of the long-term outcomes for tiny babies well beyond the nursery, including sometimes into adulthood.
VICS
The Victorian Infant Collaborative Study (VICS) is a long-term study of prematurely born infants throughout their childhood and into adulthood. VICS has been working towards better understanding the extent of long-term health problems that occur in the tiniest (those of birth weight < 1000g) and most premature (those of <28 weeks of gestation) babies born in Victoria.
VIBeS
The Victorian Infant Brain Study (VIBeS) research group looks at brain injury and early brain development in premature and sick infants using state-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques. They also focus on identifying factors that influence brain maturation in sick infants and determine how they are associated with neurobehavioural development.
LaPreM
The aims of this study are to understand the effect of being born between 32 and 36+6 weeks of pregnancy on the baby’s behaviour and responsiveness, and brain development, compared with infants born at 37 weeks or greater, known as “term” babies. The study is looking at the brain characteristics of babies using a technique called magnetic resonance imaging or MRI.
PoppiE study
This study aims to determine the effect of reducing iodine from vitamin and mineral supplements for pregnant women who have adequate iodine intake on cognitive development of children at 2 years of age.
NIMBUS study
Approximately 120 Australian babies will suffer a stroke each year, based on a 1:3,500 incidence rate. This is five times higher than older children and on par with adults aged between 40-44 years. This study aims to understand the mechanisms of arterial ischaemic stroke in newborns, and identify brain MRI patterns that predict neurodevelopment at 2 years.