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Neonatal MortalityPhase 3NCT02130856

Newborn Kit to Save Lives in Pakistan

A Phase 3 study testing Neonatal kit in people with Neonatal Mortality, run by The Hospital for Sick Children at 1 site in Pakistan.

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

There are over 3 million annual neonatal deaths. Approximately 2/3 of neonatal deaths are due to infection, low birth weight (LBW), and prematurity. Low tech but high impact interventions and commodities used in unconventional ways could save hundreds of thousands of newborn lives. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Any age, women only
Conditions the study is for
Neonatal Mortality
What is being tested?
Neonatal kit
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
8,518 participants
Where
1 sitePakistan
Study dates
Apr 2014to 26 Feb 2017
Phase
Phase 3
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 Any age
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • All pregnant women in parts of study clusters covered by Lady Health Worker program and their home- or facility-born live newborns
  • Mother intending to maintain residence in study area for first month of newborn's life

Who cannot join

  • Failure to provide consent to enroll in study (intervention or control clusters)

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Pakistan1 site
  • Aga Khan University

    Karachi, 74800

Other trials in Pakistan

About this study

Official title: An Integrated Toolkit to Save Newborn Lives in Pakistan

There are over 3 million annual neonatal deaths. Approximately 2/3 of neonatal deaths are due to infection, low birth weight (LBW), and prematurity. Low tech but high impact interventions and commodities used in unconventional ways could save hundreds of thousands of newborn lives. We propose an integrated evidence-based toolkit usable by community health workers (CHW) to reduce neonatal deaths. The kit will include: Chlorhexidine to be applied to the umbilical stump, sunflower oil emollient to be applied to the skin, ThermoSpot to identify hypo/hyperthermia, and a Mylar infant sleeve with non-electric warmer.

Read the detailed description

Over 3 million global neonatal deaths are reported annually. While significant progress has been made over the past decade towards reducing overall under 5 mortality, very little progress has been made towards the reduction of neonatal deaths, which represent about 40% of all deaths in children under the age of 5. The majority of neonatal deaths occur in rural areas of low-income countries and approximately two thirds are due to infection and complications relating to low birth weight (LBW) and prematurity.

In Pakistan, it is estimated that over 200,000 newborns die each year before they reach the end of their first month of life, representing nearly 58% of all deaths among children under the age of five. The risk of neonatal death in Pakistan is higher in rural areas than in urban areas; the neonatal mortality rate (NMR) in rural areas is 55 per 1,000 live births compared to 48 per 1,000 live births in urban areas. NMR in Pakistan is also associated with poverty; the NMR in highest wealth quintile is 38 compared to 63 per 1000 live births in lowest wealth quintile.

In resource poor settings, newborns are most often delivered at home and receive minimal specific medical care, measurement, or monitoring. In these areas, geography, infrastructure, and poverty often effectively prevent access to health centers and care. Home outreach with trained Community health workers (CHWs) is increasingly recognized as the mainstay for provision of maternal and newborn care in these settings. Many proven, cost-effective ways to save the lives of newborns exist, however, they are not always available to those who need them most nor have they been packaged into a single portable kit that can be easily used in the home-setting. Such a portable kit consisting of low cost, evidence-based interventions for use in the home has tremendous potential to improve health status and decrease NMR.

In this study, the investigators hypothesize that the implementation of an integrated evidence-based toolkit by CHWs will reduce neonatal deaths by at least 40% through a reduction in both infectious causes of death and those associated with prematurity and LBW. Furthermore, the investigators propose that there will be an additive effect from the mortality benefit of specific kit components. The portable kit will contain a clean birth kit to be used at the time of delivery either at home or in a facility, 4% chlorhexidine (CHX) lotion, sunflower oil emollient, ThermoSpot, a Mylar infant sleeve, and a reusable, non-electric, heating device. CHWs will be equipped with a hand held electric scale to identify LBW newborns.

Being tested
Neonatal kit
Keywords
Neonatal mortality, Neonatal kit, Pakistan, Randomized Control Trial, Chlorhexidine, ThermoSpot, Birth

What participants receive

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

  • Neonatal kitDevice

    Contents of the neonatal kit:

    1. Clean birth kit: sterile blade, a clean plastic square, plastic gloves, hand soap, and cord ties/clamp.
    2. 4% Chlorhexidine (CHX) lotion (15 mL) and a bag of cotton balls.
    3. Sunflower oil emollient (50 mL)
    4. ThermoSpot
    5. Mylar infant sleeve
    6. Click to heat warmer (http://www.heatinaclick.ca/products/pocket_size.html) in a fitted cloth pouch.
    7. Handheld electric scale with suspended cloth sling. The scale will not be included with the kit but rather one will be issued to each Lady Health Worker.
Study groups in NCT02130856
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Neonatal KitExperimentalThe neonatal kit will contain a clean birth kit to be used at the time of delivery either at home or in a facility, 4% chlorhexidine (CHX) lotion, sunflower oil emollient, ThermoSpot, a Mylar infant sleeve, and a reusable, non-electric, heating device. Lady Health Workers will be equipped with a hand held electric scale to identify low birth weight newborns.
Receives: Device: Neonatal kit
Control (Standard care)No interventionIn the control arm, Lady Health Workers will visit the home according to the regular schedule (same as in the intervention clusters) and will deliver the standard post-natal care consisting of: 1. be present at delivery (though not conduct the delivery) and thorough examination of newborn and mother post delivery 2. check mother for vaginal bleeding and abnormal blood pressure and make referral to nearest health facility as appropriate 3. refer any newborn with congenital anomaly or evidence of asphyxia 4. if unable to attend delivery for any reason, visit within first 24 hours post delivery 5. assess newborn in first month of life during visits and provide basic treatment for acute respiratory infections, pneumonia, and diarrhea in the home 6. encourage breastfeeding

What is being measured

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

  1. Neonatal mortality

    Death from any cause within the first 28 days of life

    Measured: During phase I of the study: Day 1 (or as soon as possible after notification of birth), 3, 7, 14, and 28 of life. During phase II of the study: Day 8 and day 28 of life.

Secondary outcomes (7)
  1. Incidence of omphalitis

    Incidence of omphalitis where omphalitis is defined as:

    1. None (no redness or swelling)
    2. Mild (inflammation limited to the cord stump)
    3. Moderate (inflammation extending less than 2cm to the skin at the base of the cord stump)
    4. Severe (inflammation extending more than 2cm from the cord stump)

    Measured: During phase I of the study: Day 1 (or as soon as possible after notification of birth), 3, 7, 14, and 28 of life. During phase II of the study: Day 8 and day 28 of life.

  2. Incidence of severe infection

    Incidence of severe infection is defined as:

    1. Convulsions OR fast breathing (60 breaths per minute or more) OR severe chest indrawing OR movement only when stimulated or no movement at all OR not feeding at all for at least 12 hours.

    Measured: During phase I of the study: Day 1 (or as soon as possible after notification of birth), 3, 7, 14, and 28 of life. During phase II of the study: Day 8 and day 28 of life.

  3. Cases of hypothermia identified

    Hypothermia defined using ThermoSpot as:

    1. Moderate hypothermia: pale green and red face (35C to 36C)
    2. Severe hypothermia: black face (<35C)

    Measured: During phase I of the study: Day 1 (or as soon as possible after notification of birth), 3, 7, 14, and 28 of life. During phase II of the study: Day 8 and day 28 of life.

  4. Cases of hyperthermia identified

    Hyperthermia defined using ThermoSpot as:

    1. Hyperthermia: blue face (>39C)

    Measured: During phase I of the study: Day 1 (or as soon as possible after notification of birth), 3, 7, 14, and 28 of life. During phase II of the study: Day 8 and day 28 of life.

  5. Number of low birth weight (LBW) newborns identified

    LBW is defined as:

    <2500 grams at first weighing

    Measured: During phase I of the study: Day 1 (or as soon as possible after notification of birth), 3, 7, 14, and 28 of life. During phase II of the study: Day 8 and day 28 of life.

  6. Health Facility Use

    Measured: During phase I of the study: Day 1 (or as soon as possible after notification of birth), 3, 7, 14, and 28 of life. During phase II of the study: Day 8 and day 28 of life.

  7. Neurodevelopmental score at 12 months of age

    Assessed by the Bayley Scale of Infant Development III (BSID III).

    Measured: Month 12 of life (only during phase I of the study)

Timeline

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

  1. First posted5 May 2014 (estimated)
  2. Study startApr 2014
  3. Primary completion26 Feb 2017
  4. Study completion26 Feb 2017

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 3
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
8,518 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02130856
Sponsor's protocol ID
1000042963
Status last verified
Apr 2017
First submitted
1 May 2014
Last updated
25 Apr 2017
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Liu L, Johnson HL, Cousens S, Perin J, Scott S, Lawn JE, Rudan I, Campbell H, Cibulskis R, Li M, Mathers C, Black RE; Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group of WHO and UNICEF. Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality: an updated systematic analysis for 2010 with time trends since 2000. Lancet. 2012 Jun 9;379(9832):2151-61. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60560-1. Epub 2012 May 11.

    PubMed 22579125
  • Khan A, Kinney MV, Hazir T, Hafeez A, Wall SN, Ali N, Lawn JE, Badar A, Khan AA, Uzma Q, Bhutta ZA; Pakistan Newborn Change and Future Analysis Group. Newborn survival in Pakistan: a decade of change and future implications. Health Policy Plan. 2012 Jul;27 Suppl 3:iii72-87. doi: 10.1093/heapol/czs047.

    PubMed 22692418
  • Bhutta ZA, Rehman S. Perinatal care in Pakistan: a situational analysis. J Perinatol. 1997 Jan-Feb;17(1):54-9.

    PubMed 9069067
  • Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Khatry SK, Katz J, LeClerq SC, Shrestha S, Adhikari R, Tielsch JM. Topical applications of chlorhexidine to the umbilical cord for prevention of omphalitis and neonatal mortality in southern Nepal: a community-based, cluster-randomised trial. Lancet. 2006 Mar 18;367(9514):910-8. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68381-5.

    PubMed 16546539
  • Soofi S, Cousens S, Imdad A, Bhutto N, Ali N, Bhutta ZA. Topical application of chlorhexidine to neonatal umbilical cords for prevention of omphalitis and neonatal mortality in a rural district of Pakistan: a community-based, cluster-randomised trial. Lancet. 2012 Mar 17;379(9820):1029-36. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61877-1. Epub 2012 Feb 8.

    PubMed 22322126
  • Arifeen SE, Mullany LC, Shah R, Mannan I, Rahman SM, Talukder MR, Begum N, Al-Kabir A, Darmstadt GL, Santosham M, Black RE, Baqui AH. The effect of cord cleansing with chlorhexidine on neonatal mortality in rural Bangladesh: a community-based, cluster-randomised trial. Lancet. 2012 Mar 17;379(9820):1022-8. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61848-5. Epub 2012 Feb 8.

    PubMed 22322124
  • Darmstadt GL, Saha SK, Ahmed AS, Ahmed S, Chowdhury MA, Law PA, Rosenberg RE, Black RE, Santosham M. Effect of skin barrier therapy on neonatal mortality rates in preterm infants in Bangladesh: a randomized, controlled, clinical trial. Pediatrics. 2008 Mar;121(3):522-9. doi: 10.1542/peds.2007-0213.

    PubMed 18310201
  • Green DA, Kumar A, Khanna R. Neonatal hypothermia detection by ThermoSpot in Indian urban slum dwellings. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2006 Mar;91(2):F96-8. doi: 10.1136/adc.2005.078410. Epub 2005 Sep 13.

    PubMed 16159955
  • Krautheim AB, Jermann TH, Bircher AJ. Chlorhexidine anaphylaxis: case report and review of the literature. Contact Dermatitis. 2004 Mar;50(3):113-6. doi: 10.1111/j.0105-1873.2004.00308.x.

    PubMed 15153122
  • Rosenberg A, Alatary SD, Peterson AF. Safety and efficacy of the antiseptic chlorhexidine gluconate. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1976 Nov;143(5):789-92.

    PubMed 982260
  • Garland JS, Alex CP, Mueller CD, Otten D, Shivpuri C, Harris MC, Naples M, Pellegrini J, Buck RK, McAuliffe TL, Goldmann DA, Maki DG. A randomized trial comparing povidone-iodine to a chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated dressing for prevention of central venous catheter infections in neonates. Pediatrics. 2001 Jun;107(6):1431-6. doi: 10.1542/peds.107.6.1431.

    PubMed 11389271
  • Darmstadt GL, Mao-Qiang M, Chi E, Saha SK, Ziboh VA, Black RE, Santosham M, Elias PM. Impact of topical oils on the skin barrier: possible implications for neonatal health in developing countries. Acta Paediatr. 2002;91(5):546-54. doi: 10.1080/080352502753711678.

    PubMed 12113324
  • Darmstadt GL, Saha SK, Ahmed AS, Chowdhury MA, Law PA, Ahmed S, Alam MA, Black RE, Santosham M. Effect of topical treatment with skin barrier-enhancing emollients on nosocomial infections in preterm infants in Bangladesh: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2005 Mar 19-25;365(9464):1039-45. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)71140-5.

    PubMed 15781099
  • Lawn JE, Kinney MV, Black RE, Pitt C, Cousens S, Kerber K, Corbett E, Moran AC, Morrissey CS, Oestergaard MZ. Newborn survival: a multi-country analysis of a decade of change. Health Policy Plan. 2012 Jul;27 Suppl 3:iii6-28. doi: 10.1093/heapol/czs053.

    PubMed 22692417
  • Duby J, Pell LG, Ariff S, Khan A, Bhutta A, Farrar DS, Bassani DG, Hussain M, Bhutta ZA, Soofi S, Morris SK. Effect of an integrated neonatal care kit on cause-specific neonatal mortality in rural Pakistan. Glob Health Action. 2020 Dec 31;13(1):1802952. doi: 10.1080/16549716.2020.1802952.

    PubMed 32838701

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 3 study testing Neonatal kit in people with Neonatal Mortality, run by The Hospital for Sick Children at 1 site in Pakistan.

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 1 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 25 Apr 2017. 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 Pakistan. 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.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

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?

Neonatal mortality (time frame: During phase I of the study: Day 1 (or as soon as possible after notification of birth), 3, 7, 14, and 28 of life. During phase II of the study: Day 8 and day 28 of life.). 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 NCT02130856, which also lists 16 linked publications.

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 25 Apr 2017; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 6 Nov 2026.

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