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CompletedNCT02596594port-IUGRUpdated Jan 26, 2018

Intraumbilical Amino Acids and Glucose Supplementation Via Port by Severe IUGR in Human Fetuses

An interventional study of fetal nutrition port system in Intrauterine Growth Restriction, sponsored by Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg. Completed. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2018-01-26.

Sponsored by Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
14
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Female
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Study summary

Placental insufficiency is responsible for fetal loss in about 40% of all stillbirths and long term neurological deficits. The mean interval from diagnosis of brain sparing of severe IUGR fetuses to delivery has been recently identified by only seven days (Flood K et al, Am J Obstetrics and Gynecology 2014).

The critical placental player in the active amino acids (AA) transport from the mother to the fetus is the trophoblast, which is irreversibly changed in severe IUGR fetuses caused by placental insufficiency. Thus, a logical partial solution of IUGR could be the direct supply of AAs and glucose to the fetus, in order to improve the fetal growth, normalize the fetal programming and to prolong the pregnancy.

The aim of this prospective pilot study is to further test the efficacy of the administration of AAs and glucose supplementation with hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO), via a subcutaneously implanted intraumbilical perinatal port system, as a treatment option for severe IUGR human fetuses with brain sparing.

Read the detailed description

Placental insufficiency is the main source of the development of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) caused by one of a variety of factors including chronic placental infections, many maternal diseases, abnormal genome and intravascular trophoblast invasion impairment. Placental insufficiency is responsible for fetal loss in about 40% of all stillbirths and long term neurological deficits. The reduction of blood flow resistance of cerebral arteries in severe IUGR conditions with reduced pulsatility index (PI) in the medial cerebral artery predicts the 11 fold increased risk of intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, sepsis, and death. The mean interval from diagnosis of brain sparing of severe IUGR fetuses to delivery has been recently identified by only seven days (ranging 2-15 days).

The amino acids (AA) concentration of fetal plasma is many times higher than in mother because of active transplacental transport of AA and additional AA synthesis in the placenta.

The critical placental player in the active AA transport from the mother to the fetus is the trophoblast, which is irreversibly changed in severe IUGR fetuses caused by placental insufficiency. Thus, a logical partial solution of IUGR could be the direct supply of AAs and glucose to the fetus, in order to improve the fetal growth, normalize the IUGR changed fetal programming and to prolong the pregnancy. Additional oxygen supply of fetal tissues could also be important in improving the uptake of injected nutritional supplements and may avoid the development of lactate acidosis in IUGR fetuses.

The aim of this prospective pilot study was to further test the efficacy of the administration of AAs and glucose supplementation with hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO), via a subcutaneously implanted intraumbilical perinatal port system, as a treatment option for severe IUGR human fetuses with brain sparing.

Study design - IUGR was defined in this study as an estimated fetal weight of \< 5%, combined with increased resistance in both uterine arteries with pulsatility index (PI) > 95%. Fetuses with morphological and/or chromosomal abnormalities were not included in the final analysis.

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Conditions studied

  • Intrauterine Growth Restriction

Keywords

  • IUGR
  • severe IUGR
  • brain sparing
  • fetal nutrition
  • Prolongation
  • pregnancy
  • neonatal outcome
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In context

Fetal Growth Retardation

264 studies on the registry are indexed under Fetal Growth Retardation; 66 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 14 is below the median of 101 across 117 interventional studies indexed under Fetal Growth Retardation.

Browse Fetal Growth Retardation studies →

Lead sponsor

Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg is the lead sponsor of 62 studies on the registry; 5 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. clinical diagnosis of severe intrauterine growth restricted fetuses with the cerebroplacental ratio less than 1 (CPR= PI middle cerebral artery / PI umbilical artery)
  2. gestational age between 24/0 and 30/0 weeks
  3. single pregnancy
  4. anterior or lateral location of the placenta

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. multiple pregnancy
  2. fetal genetic anomalities,
  3. fetal morphologic anomalities
  4. BMI > 35
  5. placenta praevia
  6. vaginal bleeding
  7. uterine contractions
  8. vasa praevia
  9. posterior location of the placenta
  10. severe maternal morbidities
  11. Infections
  12. preliminary rupture of the membranes
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Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
14 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Port intervention

    The subcutaneous intraumbilical port-system will be implanted in IUGR patients with the cerebroplacental ratio less than 1 (cerebroplacental ratio= PI in the middle cerebral artery / PI umbilical artery) between 24/0 and 30/0 weeks of gestation. The fetuses will receive AAs and glucose supplementation via a subcutaneously implanted intraumbilical perinatal port system till the delivery. Control by doppler and cardiotocogram

    Device: fetal nutrition port system

  • No intervention
    control

    IUGR patients with the cerebroplacental ratio less than 1 (CPR= PI middle cerebral artery / PI umbilical artery) between 24/0 and 30/0 weeks of gestation. Control by doppler and cardiotocogram

Interventions

  • Devicefetal nutrition port system

    Under local anesthesia a subcutaneous pouch for the port capsule was prepared using a pair of scissors. The umbilical vein was punctured with a 18 gauge needle under ultrasound control and the catheter was inserted into the umbilical vein. Note the amniotic cavity remained intact. A 25 gauge port needle was used to enter the port system. The treatment course included daily infusions of AA solution (Fresenius Kabi, Bad Homburg, Germany) with a 10% glucose solution. The investigators limited the volume of the intraumbilical infusion to 10% of the estimated feto-placental blood volume per day. On average, the AA/glucose-infusion was below 50 ml/kg.

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. The mean interval from diagnosis of brain sparing of severe IUGR fetuses to delivery

    The mean interval from diagnosis of brain sparing of severe IUGR fetuses to delivery will be documented (days). The timing of delivery by caesarean section will be decided by the lead clinician managing each case based on doppler and cardiotocogram clinical evaluations.

    Time frame: through study completion, up to 2 years

Secondary outcomes

  1. neonatal weight

    the neonates' weight will be estimated after the delivery

    Time frame: through study completion, up to 2 years

  2. fetal weight gain

    the difference (g) between estimated by ultrasound fetal weight and neonatal weight at delivery

    Time frame: through study completion, up to 2 years

  3. blood gas analysis in the umbilical artery

    the blood gas analysis in the umbilical artery will be performed after the delivery

    Time frame: through study completion, up to 2 years

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Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

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References and documents

Publications

  • Tchirikov M, Kharkevich O, Steetskamp J, Beluga M, Strohner M. Treatment of growth-restricted human fetuses with amino acids and glucose supplementation through a chronic fetal intravascular perinatal port system. Eur Surg Res. 2010;45(1):45-9. doi: 10.1159/000318859. Epub 2010 Aug 20. PubMed 20733317 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 26, 2018, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02596594
Lead sponsor
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Responsible party
Michael Tchirikov MD, PhD (MD PhD, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg) — Principal investigator
First posted
Nov 4, 2015
Start date
Jan 2010
Primary completion
Apr 2014
Completion
Apr 2014
Last update
Jan 26, 2018

Study contacts

Michael Tchirikov, MD, PhD
principal investigator · Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jan 2018. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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