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Neonatal Abstinence SyndromeNCT03549936

Role of Low Lactose Infant Formula In The Management of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

A study testing Low lactose or regular formula in people with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, run by MetroHealth Medical Center at 1 site in United States.

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

Currently Morphine and or Methadone are the most commonly used drugs in the treatment for NAS along with supportive care. Many care providers offer tolerance "low lactose" formula to these infants to alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 1 minute to 7 daysHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
What is being tested?
Low lactose or regular formula
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
74 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
9 Jul 2014to 30 Jun 2018
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 1 minute to 7 days
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Intrauterine exposure of opiate and related drugs-morphine
  • Late preterm or full term (36-42 weeks of gestation)

Who cannot join

  • Major congenital anomalies
  • Post-surgical cases
  • Major respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological or metabolic disorders
  • Less than 36 completed weeks of gestation

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • MetroHealth Medical Center

    Cleveland, Ohio, 44019

Other trials in United States

About this study

Currently Morphine and or Methadone are the most commonly used drugs in the treatment for NAS along with supportive care. Many care providers offer tolerance "low lactose" formula to these infants to alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms. There are no clinical studies to support this practice and it is currently unknown that low lactose formula really helps or not in management of NAS.

This is a Randomized Double Blind Clinical Trial to assess the role of low lactose formula versus standard (regular) formula in managing NAS.

Read the detailed description

At birth, and after written informed consent, investigators will encourage opiate dependent mothers to breast feed if appropriate in accordance with hospital NAS management guidelines (sober for at least 4-6 months, enrolled in a drug treatment program, HIV negative). If mother is unable to breast feed and or chooses formula feeding for the infant or the infant needs supplemental formula due to inadequate lactation or poor weight gain, then the infant will be randomized to either receive blinded "low lactose formula Similac Sensitive" or "regular cow mild based formula Similac Advance". These will be simply labelled as Formula A and formula B. The randomization will be done using computer generated random number coupled with stratified balanced blocked methodology. Recent reformulations by Abbott Nutrition in the US market nation wide has resulted in "low lactose formula Similac Sensitive" being made 19 cal/oz or 20 cal/oz or "regular cow mild based formula Similac Advance" which is now only available as 19 cal/oz instead of 20 cal/oz. This change in calorie density has occured to reflect newer data suggested that human breast milk has 19 cal/oz instead of 20 cal/oz as believed previously. Abbott has continued to make 20 cal/oz Similac sensitive because many many providers across the country are using this for NAS babies. There are some differences in other carbohydrates other than lactose (both have <1% lactose) in the two Similac Sensitive 19 and 20 cal/oz. The calorie difference is of no clinical significance in term infants because they modulate their volume of milk consumed.

After recruitment and randomization at birth, infants will be fed every 2-3 hrs or on demand and will also be observed for NAS score every 2-3 hours starting soon after birth. Infants will receive their "medical provider directed" standard pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment.

Those who do not demonstrate NAS, will be discharged after 5-7 days of observation. Study formula will be discontinued or may be continued if they or their provider chose to do so.

Infants who develop NAS will continue to receive blinded formula as part of non-pharmacological treatment and will also receive pharmacological treatment (morphine/methadone) as per hospital guidelines directed by their medical care providers. Pharmacological treatment will be optimized and weaned as per standard hospital guidelines. Use of blinded formula A or B will be continued until 2 weeks of age at which point its use as study intervention will be completed. After this point, parents and medical care providers may use formula of their preference. However investigators will offer a choice of continuing the blinded formula until the infant is discharged at which point standard formula will have to be initiated. General clinical data will be collected at discharge including length of stay and weight.

Being tested
Low lactose or regular formula
Keywords
NAS, low lactose formula
Medical subject headings
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

What participants receive

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

  • Low lactose or regular formulaOther

    If infant is not breast feeding and parents plan to formula feed, following written informed consent, infant is randomized to receive "low lactose formula" or "regular formula" which arrives from milk lab blinded and labeled as formula "A" or formula "B".

Study groups in NCT03549936
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Low lactose formulaActive comparatorIf infant is not breast feeding and parents plan to formula feed, following written informed consent, infant is randomized to receive "low lactose formula" which arrives from milk lab labeled as formula "A" or formula "B".
Receives: Other: Low lactose or regular formula
Regular formulaActive comparatorIf infant is not breast feeding and parents plan to formula feed, following written informed consent, infant is randomized to receive "regular formula" which arrives from milk lab labeled as formula "A" or formula "B"
Receives: Other: Low lactose or regular formula

What is being measured

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

  1. Cumulative dose of morphine required to treat NAS.

    Every dose of morphine required to treat NAS over first 14 days of life will be noted and total cumulative dose administered will be observed. We expect infants on low lactose formula versus regular formula will require lower cumulative dose of morphine during first 2 weeks of life.

    Measured: 14 days of age

  2. Highest dose of morphine required to treat NAS.

    Every dose of morphine required to treat NAS over first 14 days of life will be noted. We expect infants on low lactose formula versus regular formula will require lower maximal dose of morphine.

    Measured: 14 days of age

Timeline

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

  1. First posted8 Jun 2018
  2. Study start9 Jul 2014
  3. Primary completion30 Jun 2018
  4. Study completion30 Jun 2018

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
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Randomized Double Blind Clinical trial on Role of Low Lactose Formula In the Management of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
74 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03549936
Sponsor's protocol ID
IRB14-00005
Status last verified
Dec 2018
First submitted
6 May 2017
Last updated
4 Dec 2018
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Pahl A, Young L, Buus-Frank ME, Marcellus L, Soll R. Non-pharmacological care for opioid withdrawal in newborns. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Dec 21;12(12):CD013217. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013217.pub2.

    PubMed 33348423

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Low lactose or regular formula in people with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, run by MetroHealth Medical Center at 1 site in United States.

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 2 inclusion and 4 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 4 Dec 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

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?

Cumulative dose of morphine required to treat NAS. (time frame: 14 days of age). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT03549936, 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 4 Dec 2018.

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