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Durham researcher leads major preterm baby study
Our Department of Engineering is one of the top ranked in the UK and at the forefront of global technological advancement.
Professor Samir Gupta, Honorary Professor of Pediatrics & Neonatology in our Engineering Department, has led a major new study looking at treatments for preterm babies born with a heart condition called Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA).
Baby-OSCAR trial
The study, known as Baby-OSCAR, was coordinated by Oxford Population Health’s National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit Clinical Trials Unit, and conducted in 32 neonatal intensive care units across the UK.
Over 650 extremely premature babies at these neonatal intensive care units were enrolled in the study.
The goal was to see if giving the drug ibuprofen soon after birth could reduce death and lung disease in these vulnerable infants.
No benefits found for ibuprofen
The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found no benefits of early ibuprofen treatment.
Around 70% of babies treated with ibuprofen died or developed chronic lung disease, similar to 64% of babies given a placebo.
According to Professor Gupta, the findings of their study suggest ibuprofen is not an effective treatment for improving outcomes in extremely preterm babies with PDA.
The Baby-OSCAR trial provides important evidence to help guide medical care for these tiny new-borns with heart conditions.
The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research and Care Research Health Technology Assessment programme and sponsored by the University of Oxford.
Find out more
- Learn more about Professor Samir Gupta.
- Read the full paper published in New England Journal of Medicine.
- Learn more about the Baby-OSCAR study.
- Interested in studying at Durham? Explore our undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
Our Department of Engineering offers a wide range of Engineering pathways, is recognised as ones of the leading centres of research in Engineering in the world and is ranked 5th in The Complete University Guide 2023. Students benefit from excellent employment opportunities as well as interdisciplinary research and national and international cooperation.
Feeling inspired? Visit our Engineering webpages to learn more about our postgraduate and undergraduate programmes.