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Intrauterine Growth Restrictionport-IUGRNCT02596594

Intraumbilical Amino Acids and Glucose Supplementation Via Port by Severe IUGR in Human Fetuses

A study testing fetal nutrition port system in people with Intrauterine Growth Restriction, run by Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Placental insufficiency is responsible for fetal loss in about 40% of all stillbirths and long term neurological deficits. The mean interval from diagnosis of brain sparing of severe IUGR fetuses to delivery has been recently identified by only seven days (Flood K et al, Am J Obstetrics and Gynecology 2014). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older, women only
Conditions the study is for
Intrauterine Growth Restriction
What is being tested?
fetal nutrition port system
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
14 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
Jan 2010to Apr 2014
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • clinical diagnosis of severe intrauterine growth restricted fetuses with the cerebroplacental ratio less than 1 (CPR= PI middle cerebral artery / PI umbilical artery)
  • gestational age between 24/0 and 30/0 weeks
  • single pregnancy
  • anterior or lateral location of the placenta

Who cannot join

  • multiple pregnancy
  • fetal genetic anomalities,
  • fetal morphologic anomalities
  • BMI > 35
  • placenta praevia
  • vaginal bleeding
Show all 12Show fewer
  • uterine contractions
  • vasa praevia
  • posterior location of the placenta
  • severe maternal morbidities
  • Infections
  • preliminary rupture of the membranes

About this study

Official title: Intraumbilical Amino Acids and Glucose Supplementation Via Subcutaneously Implanted Port System by Severe IUGR Human Fetuses

Placental insufficiency is responsible for fetal loss in about 40% of all stillbirths and long term neurological deficits. The mean interval from diagnosis of brain sparing of severe IUGR fetuses to delivery has been recently identified by only seven days (Flood K et al, Am J Obstetrics and Gynecology 2014).

The critical placental player in the active amino acids (AA) transport from the mother to the fetus is the trophoblast, which is irreversibly changed in severe IUGR fetuses caused by placental insufficiency. Thus, a logical partial solution of IUGR could be the direct supply of AAs and glucose to the fetus, in order to improve the fetal growth, normalize the fetal programming and to prolong the pregnancy.

The aim of this prospective pilot study is to further test the efficacy of the administration of AAs and glucose supplementation with hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO), via a subcutaneously implanted intraumbilical perinatal port system, as a treatment option for severe IUGR human fetuses with brain sparing.

Read the detailed description

Placental insufficiency is the main source of the development of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) caused by one of a variety of factors including chronic placental infections, many maternal diseases, abnormal genome and intravascular trophoblast invasion impairment. Placental insufficiency is responsible for fetal loss in about 40% of all stillbirths and long term neurological deficits. The reduction of blood flow resistance of cerebral arteries in severe IUGR conditions with reduced pulsatility index (PI) in the medial cerebral artery predicts the 11 fold increased risk of intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, sepsis, and death. The mean interval from diagnosis of brain sparing of severe IUGR fetuses to delivery has been recently identified by only seven days (ranging 2-15 days).

The amino acids (AA) concentration of fetal plasma is many times higher than in mother because of active transplacental transport of AA and additional AA synthesis in the placenta.

The critical placental player in the active AA transport from the mother to the fetus is the trophoblast, which is irreversibly changed in severe IUGR fetuses caused by placental insufficiency. Thus, a logical partial solution of IUGR could be the direct supply of AAs and glucose to the fetus, in order to improve the fetal growth, normalize the IUGR changed fetal programming and to prolong the pregnancy. Additional oxygen supply of fetal tissues could also be important in improving the uptake of injected nutritional supplements and may avoid the development of lactate acidosis in IUGR fetuses.

The aim of this prospective pilot study was to further test the efficacy of the administration of AAs and glucose supplementation with hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO), via a subcutaneously implanted intraumbilical perinatal port system, as a treatment option for severe IUGR human fetuses with brain sparing.

Study design - IUGR was defined in this study as an estimated fetal weight of < 5%, combined with increased resistance in both uterine arteries with pulsatility index (PI) > 95%. Fetuses with morphological and/or chromosomal abnormalities were not included in the final analysis.

Being tested
fetal nutrition port system
Keywords
IUGR, severe IUGR, brain sparing, fetal nutrition, Prolongation, pregnancy, neonatal outcome
Medical subject headings
Fetal Growth Retardation

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • fetal nutrition port systemDevice

    Under local anesthesia a subcutaneous pouch for the port capsule was prepared using a pair of scissors. The umbilical vein was punctured with a 18 gauge needle under ultrasound control and the catheter was inserted into the umbilical vein. Note the amniotic cavity remained intact. A 25 gauge port needle was used to enter the port system. The treatment course included daily infusions of AA solution (Fresenius Kabi, Bad Homburg, Germany) with a 10% glucose solution. The investigators limited the volume of the intraumbilical infusion to 10% of the estimated feto-placental blood volume per day. On average, the AA/glucose-infusion was below 50 ml/kg.

Study groups in NCT02596594
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Port interventionExperimentalThe subcutaneous intraumbilical port-system will be implanted in IUGR patients with the cerebroplacental ratio less than 1 (cerebroplacental ratio= PI in the middle cerebral artery / PI umbilical artery) between 24/0 and 30/0 weeks of gestation. The fetuses will receive AAs and glucose supplementation via a subcutaneously implanted intraumbilical perinatal port system till the delivery. Control by doppler and cardiotocogram
Receives: Device: fetal nutrition port system
controlNo interventionIUGR patients with the cerebroplacental ratio less than 1 (CPR= PI middle cerebral artery / PI umbilical artery) between 24/0 and 30/0 weeks of gestation. Control by doppler and cardiotocogram

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. The mean interval from diagnosis of brain sparing of severe IUGR fetuses to delivery

    The mean interval from diagnosis of brain sparing of severe IUGR fetuses to delivery will be documented (days). The timing of delivery by caesarean section will be decided by the lead clinician managing each case based on doppler and cardiotocogram clinical evaluations.

    Measured: through study completion, up to 2 years

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. neonatal weight

    the neonates' weight will be estimated after the delivery

    Measured: through study completion, up to 2 years

  2. fetal weight gain

    the difference (g) between estimated by ultrasound fetal weight and neonatal weight at delivery

    Measured: through study completion, up to 2 years

  3. blood gas analysis in the umbilical artery

    the blood gas analysis in the umbilical artery will be performed after the delivery

    Measured: through study completion, up to 2 years

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted4 Nov 2015 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 2010
  3. Primary completionApr 2014
  4. Study completionApr 2014

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Intraumbilical amino acid and glucose suplementation of human fetuses with a severe IUGR via a subcutaneously implanted port system
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Participant
Enrolment
14 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02596594
Sponsor's protocol ID
110; 3/15-08-2012
Acronym
port-IUGR
Status last verified
Jan 2018
First submitted
12 Oct 2015
Last updated
26 Jan 2018
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Tchirikov M, Kharkevich O, Steetskamp J, Beluga M, Strohner M. Treatment of growth-restricted human fetuses with amino acids and glucose supplementation through a chronic fetal intravascular perinatal port system. Eur Surg Res. 2010;45(1):45-9. doi: 10.1159/000318859. Epub 2010 Aug 20.

    PubMed 20733317

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing fetal nutrition port system in people with Intrauterine Growth Restriction, run by Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 12 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Jan 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

The mean interval from diagnosis of brain sparing of severe IUGR fetuses to delivery (time frame: through study completion, up to 2 years). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02596594, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Jan 2018.

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