Optimising positioning for infants born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a condition requiring immediate medical and multidisciplinary management, including physiotherapy. Positioning is a commonly used physiotherapy technique supported by the literature. However, the extent of its improvement on the respiratory system is unknown due to the limitations of the measuring equipment. Current measuring tools lack the ability to detect regional changes in the lungs. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) has shown to be safe and effective in other areas of the healthcare system but has not been used for infants with CDH. This study will use EIT to assess the effectiveness of positioning in infants with CDH.

Category
Mother and Baby
Trial status
Recruiting
Trial phase
Other
Other
ERM Project ID
103705

Trial contact details

Contact person
Dr Judith Hough
Email
judith.hough@acu.edu.au
Phone
0422 404 369

What you need to know

Who can take part?

The inclusion criteria allow for the largest number of participants available to be involved. The exclusion criteria, ensure that co-morbidities will interfere with the accuracy of the data and that infant care will remain the priority.

Inclusion Criteria

Infant's age less than or equal to 12 months
CDH diagnosis
Parents/guardians given informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria

Infants with associated anomalies that would directly affect postnatal outcome.
Infants with associated diseases or conditions compromising the cardiorespiratory system other than CDH.
Infants with fragile skin conditions at risk of skin breakdown from the EIT belt.

Parents will be given up to 24 hours to consider inclusion into the study.

What is involved for you?

The research project will use different pieces of equipment to see how the air moves to different parts of the lungs when babies with CDH breath, and how this pattern is changed when placed in different positions.

Participating babies will be placed in different positions including on their stomach, on their back or on their side during the study period.

Regular position changes are part of usual care for a baby with CDH and the baby's medical and nursing care will not be affected or changed by being involved in this research.

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