Feeding outcomes following HIE: NNRD analysis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Feeding outcomes and influencing factors in infants with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE): Retrospective analysis of data held on the National Neonatal Research Database (NNRD)
IRAS ID
317863
Contact name
Sarah Edney
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle University
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 30 days
Research summary
Hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the most common form of neonatal brain injury in term-born infants. HIE is associated with feeding disorders that can affect child health, development, and quality of life, and lead to high use of health services.
At present we do not have sufficient information about how many children with HIE develop feeding disorders, how HIE affects feeding and swallowing, how HIE-related feeding disorders develop and change over time, or how HIE-related feeding disorders impact the child and family. This means that parents of infants with HIE cannot access reliable information about whether their child is likely to have difficulty feeding or how their child’s feeding abilities may change, and reduces their ability to access proactive support and feeding interventions. Additionally, not having this information prevents researchers from being able to design effective feeding interventions for HIE or to design robust studies to determine the best ways to manage HIE-related feeding disorders.
This study is one part of a mixed methods PhD project that aims to understand HIE-related feeding disorders and identify factors are associated with positive and negative feeding outcomes. The study will use the National Neonatal Research Database (NNRD), controlled by the Neonatal Data Analysis Unit at Imperial College London, to analyse feeding outcomes among infants admitted to neonatal units in England and Wales with HIE in the past 10 years to determine how many infants with HIE have feeding disorders at the point of discharge from the neonatal unit, and identify infant and environmental factors that might be able to prevent or reduce HIE-related feeding disorders.
These findings will be used to provide parent-friendly information about HIE and feeding, plus will be used to help develop feeding interventions that are specifically aimed at helping improve feeding and support families who are affected by HIE.
REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0562
Date of REC Opinion
19 Jun 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion