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NCC Research

NCC is actively engaged in challenging and ground-breaking research. We have collaborated in many multicentre studies. In conjunction with the University of New South Wales, our areas of research include: epidemiological studies, clinical trials and research into the effects of drug-exposure during the neonatal period. 

Some of the current studies in NCC:

  1. The To2rpido trial - Targeted oxygenation in the resuscitation of premature infants and their developmental outcome (Principal site) ? This is an international multicentre study involving countries in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Japan and Korea. The aim of this study is to assess the short and long term outcomes of premature infants randomised to resuscitation with either 100% oxygen or blended oxygen. The study has the potential to affect more than 13 million newborn infants worldwide and to change the way we have been resuscitating infants for more than a century. The study is funded by the Thrasher Research Fund for Children, USA.

  2. Studies involving the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Study (NICUS) group. This is a collaborative effort between the ten neonatal intensive care units in NSW and the ACT. NICUS was established in 1992 and provides a rich and substantial prospectively collected database for research and benchmarking. We recently linked NICUS data for more than 18,000 babies to NSW health department databases to investigate outcomes of the children to 5 years of age. The linkage will be expanded to include the investigation of educational and teenage outcomes of high-risk infants.

  3. Collaborative research on the role of microflora and viruses in gut health of premature infants. Working with research scientists on the Randwick campus, a substantial amount of information has been gained and further works are in progress examining intestinal microflora of premature guts using the most advanced molecular technology and other biochemical assays. This project series is supported by the Madison Calpaldi Newborn Research Fund, Royal Hospital for Women Foundation.

  4. Epidemiological studies in hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and therapeutic hypothermia are in progress in collaboration with the NSW and ACT NICUS group as well as the Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network. This project series is being supported by a doctoral grant from the Cerebral Palsy Institute. International collaboration with the Canadian Neonatal Network is also gaining momentum.

  5. Population epidemiological studies examining the outcomes of NICU infants in Australia, New Zealand and Canada from 1995 to 2008. NICU outcomes of almost 100,000 infants will be examined in this PhD project series, which is supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award.????

  6. Role of aEEG in the management of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome

  7. Qtc prolongation in infants exposed to maternal drugs of dependency

 

Current Postgraduate Research Students

  1. Alison Loughran (PhD UNSW 2010) ? The role of CC10 in pulmonary inflammation in preterm infants ? Supervisor A/Prof Kei Lui
  2. Yvonne Belesis (PhD UNSW 2009) ? Pulmonary function and lung inflammation in young infants and children with cystic fibrosis. Joint supervisor ? A/Prof Kei Lui
  3. Maryam Sana (Masters of Public Health, UNSW 2010) - Influence of maternal drugs of dependency, neonatal withdrawal and type of neonatal feeding on infant growth. Co-supervisor ? Dr Julee Oei.
  4. Meredith Ward (PhD UNSW) - Supervisor Prof Anne Cunningham
  5. Sadia Housain (PhD student ? enrolled 2010) Antecedents and outcomes of very premature infants. Supervisor ? A/Prof Kei Lui
  6. Shailender Metha (PhD student ? enrolled 2010) Therapeutic hypothermia in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Supervisor ? A/Prof Kei Lui

 

Current Honours Research Students

  1. Julia Chen (completed 2009) ? Supervisors Dr Julee Oei, A/Prof Kei Lui
  2. Erica Spratt (enrolled 2011) ? Supervisors A/Prof Kei Lui, Dr Srinivas Bolisetty

 

Current Projects by advanced trainees from the RACP

  1. Kavita Bhola ?FRACP 2008-9. The use of oxygen in delivery room resuscitation in Level 2 hospitals in Australia and New Zealand ? 2009, 2010.
  2. Michael Yeong ? RACP Advanced trainee ? The outcomes of infants with Anterior Abdominal Wall Defects in NSW and the ACT, 1994-2006 ? term 1 2009
  3. Anjali Dhawan ? Amphetamine exposure in pregnancy ? a review. 2009/2010
  4. Anjali Dhawan ? Intraventricular Haemorrhage in Preterm infants and long term outcomes
  5. Shailender Mehta ? Use of AEEG in NICUs in Australia and New Zealand ? a survey ? 2009/2010
  6. Timothy Hong - A population study of respiratory rehospitalisation in very preterm infants in the first 3 years of life