CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT04942106Updated Jul 12, 2024

Biobehavioral Efficacy of the Semi-Elevated Side-Lying Position

An interventional study of Arm 1 - Side-lying position followed by Supine position and Arm 2 - Supine position followed by Side-lying position in Feeding, Bottle, Infant, Premature, Diseases and Behavior, Infant, sponsored by Boston College. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged Up to 2 Months. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-07-12.

Sponsored by Boston College · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
Up to 2 Months
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The objective of the proposed research is to conduct a within-subject cross-over trial that will compare the efficacy of the two bottle-feeding positions on physiologic and behavioral responses of preterm infants prior to, during, and after feeding. As an exploratory aim, the investigators will also identify potential infant characteristics associated with the intervention response by evaluating infant sex, maturity level, and/or comorbidity. The two bottle-feeding positions will be the semi-elevated side-lying position (hereafter referred to as side-lying position) and the semi-elevated supine position (hereafter referred to as supine position), which is the traditional feeding position when preterm infants are bottle-fed. The investigators hypothesize that compared to the supine position, the side-lying position will be associated with greater physiologic stability in heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and/or autonomic nervous system regulation during and after feeding. The investigators also hypothesize that compared to the supine position, the side-lying position will be associated with more mature patterns of suck-breathe coordination and/or greater feeding skills.

02

Conditions studied

  • Feeding, Bottle
  • Infant, Premature, Diseases
  • Behavior, Infant
03

In context

Infant, Premature, Diseases

100 studies on the registry are indexed under Infant, Premature, Diseases; 16 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 60 is close to the median of 62 across 64 interventional studies indexed under Infant, Premature, Diseases.

Browse Infant, Premature, Diseases studies →

Lead sponsor

Boston College is the lead sponsor of 36 studies on the registry; 6 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Up to 2 Months
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Preterm infants who are born at ≤ 35 weeks of GA

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Congenital anomaly that may interfere with feeding (e.g., cleft palate or tracheoesophageal fistula)
  • Grade IV intraventricular hemorrhage
  • Ventilator-dependence beyond 60 days of life
  • Inability to orally feed prior to discharge
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
60 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Other
    Side-lying position followed by Supine position

    In this arm, infants will be bottle-fed in the side-lying position first followed by the supine position.

    Other: Arm 1 - Side-lying position followed by Supine position

  • Other
    Supine position followed by Side-lying position

    In this arm, infants will be bottle-fed in the supine position first followed by the side-lying position.

    Other: Arm 2 - Supine position followed by Side-lying position

Interventions

  • OtherArm 1 - Side-lying position followed by Supine position

    Infants will be observed for two bottle feedings within a 24-hour period when they reach approximately 30-50% oral feeding. In this arm, infants will be bottle-fed in the side-lying position first followed by the supine position. In the side-lying feeding position, the infant will be placed on the caregiver's lap with one ear and hip facing the ceiling at a 45 to 60 degree angle. In the supine feeding position, the infant will be placed facing the caregiver in a reclining position at a 45 to 60 degree angle. In both feeding positions, the infant's head, neck, and upper body will be supported by the caregiver to maintain a neutral straight alignment with the chin tilted down slightly without the neck being extended or in excessive flexion. The infant will also be loosely swaddled with a single blanket so their legs, shoulders, and elbows are supported in a flexed position but with the lower arms free to move.

  • OtherArm 2 - Supine position followed by Side-lying position

    Infants will be observed for two bottle feedings within a 24-hour period when they reach approximately 30-50% oral feeding. In this arm, infants will be bottle-fed in the supine position first followed by the side-lying position. In the side-lying feeding position, the infant will be placed on the caregiver's lap with one ear and hip facing the ceiling at a 45 to 60 degree angle. In the supine feeding position, the infant will be placed facing the caregiver in a reclining position at a 45 to 60 degree angle. In both feeding positions, the infant's head, neck, and upper body will be supported by the caregiver to maintain a neutral straight alignment with the chin tilted down slightly without the neck being extended or in excessive flexion. The infant will also be loosely swaddled with a single blanket so their legs, shoulders, and elbows are supported in a flexed position but with the lower arms free to move.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Infant physiologic responses to the feeding position - Heart rate (HR)

    HR will be measured for 30 minutes pre-feeding (baseline), feeding, and 30 minutes post-feeding (recovery).

    Time frame: Up to 30 minutes post-feeding

  2. Infant physiologic responses to the feeding position - Respiratory rate (RR)

    RR will be measured for 30 minutes pre-feeding (baseline), feeding, and 30 minutes post-feeding (recovery).

    Time frame: Up to 30 minutes post-feeding

  3. Infant physiologic responses to the feeding position - Oxygen saturation (SaO2)

    SaO2 will be measured for 30 minutes pre-feeding (baseline), feeding, and 30 minutes post-feeding (recovery).

    Time frame: Up to 30 minutes post-feeding

  4. Infant physiologic responses to the feeding position - Heart rate variability (HRV)

    HRV will be measured for 30 minutes pre-feeding (baseline), feeding, and 30 minutes post-feeding (recovery).

    Time frame: Up to 30 minutes post-feeding

  5. Infant physiologic responses to the feeding position - Splanchnic-cerebral oxygen ratio (SCOR)

    SCOR will be measured for 30 minutes pre-feeding (baseline), feeding, and 30 minutes post-feeding (recovery).

    Time frame: Up to 30 minutes post-feeding

  6. Infant behavioral responses to the feeding position - Suck-breathe coordination

    Infant behavioral responses will be assessed by the behavioral observation of suck-breathe coordination patterns using Suck-Breath Coordination coding scheme.

    Time frame: 5-30 minutes post-baseline

  7. Infant behavioral responses to the feeding position - Infant feeding skill

    Infant behavioral responses will be assessed by the behavioral observation of infant feeding skill using the Early Feeding Skills (EFS) assessment tool.

    Time frame: 5-30 minutes post-baseline

Secondary outcomes

  1. Infant characteristics associated with the intervention response - Infant's sex

    Infant's sex (female vs. male)

    Time frame: At enrollment

  2. Infant characteristics associated with the intervention response - Maturity level

    Maturity level will be assessed by gestational age at birth

    Time frame: At enrollment

  3. Infant characteristics associated with the intervention response - Maturity level

    Maturity level will be assessed by postmenstrual age at the time of study

    Time frame: At the end of the feeding observation, up to 30 minutes post-feeding

  4. Infant characteristics associated with the intervention response - Overall severity of illness

    Overall severity illness score will be calculated using the Neonatal Medical Index (range of 1 \[least severe\] to 5 \[most severe\])

    Time frame: At discharge, up to 150 days

  5. Infant characteristics associated with the intervention response - Severity of lung disease

    Severity of lung disease will be assessed using diagnostic criteria of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (none, mild, moderate, or severe)

    Time frame: At discharge, up to 150 days

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
    Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — A database will be established to store project data. This data will be free of identifiers that would permit linkages to individual research participants and variables that could lead to deductive disclosure of the identity of individual subjects. Presentations, abstracts, and manuscripts related to the work will also be centrally stored. Once the project is finished and all analyses are complete, it is our intention to make the study dataset available upon request.

Supporting information: Study protocol, Sap, Icf, Csr, Analytic code

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 12, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04942106
Lead sponsor
Boston College
Collaborators
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jun 28, 2021
Start date
Mar 10, 2022
Primary completion
May 31, 2024
Completion
May 31, 2024
Last update
Jul 12, 2024

Study contacts

Jinhee Park, PhD, RN
principal investigator · Boston College

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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