An interventional study of Intervention Group (APP) and Treatment as usual-Group (TAU) in Preterm Birth, sponsored by University Hospital Tuebingen. Recruiting at 1 site in Germany. Open to participants aged 28 Weeks to 34 Weeks, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-09.
Sponsored by University Hospital Tuebingen · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
The app-based diagnostic and support approach with a focus on mental and somatic symptoms is intended to strengthen the resilience of premature born children and families and to identify risk and resilience factors.The overall objective of the study is to improve the post-inpatient care of families with premature born children. The procedure is evaluated by a two-arm design with an experimental group and a TAU group.
The project aims to conduct a longitudinal study of premature babies and their parents from the time of hospital discharge in order to identify predictive factors for their psychological and physical outcomes and to provide individualized interdisciplinary diagnostic and treatment. The project helps to identify risk and protective factors and also takes a closer look at the interplay between the mind and body. This care approach is supported by an app that records symptoms and needs and also allows contact with the study team. The app also provides psychoeducational materials. The study was developed in collaboration with affected families and experts from the aftercare team. The concept will be evaluated by comparing the treatment group with a TAU group and by conducting measurements after hospital discharge, after 4 months after estimated date of birth, and again after 2 months, as well as through focus groups with study participants.
2,557 studies on the registry are indexed under Premature Birth; 500 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 120 is above the median of 84 across 1,691 interventional studies indexed under Premature Birth.
Browse Premature Birth studies →University Hospital Tuebingen is the lead sponsor of 476 studies on the registry; 104 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
The participants in the intervention group will be equipped with an app after inclusion in the study. The app contains specific information for parents with premature babies, a contact form for experts and questions about the child's development every 14 days.
Other: Intervention Group (APP)
Participants in the treatment as usual group do not receive an app after inclusion in the study. They can contact their pediatrician if they have any questions.
Other: Treatment as usual-Group (TAU)
Combination of app-based information and diagnostic screening for parents of premature babies.
No intervention. Treatment in the form of usual aftercare service is possible.
Questionnaire on satisfaction, feasibility, needs (FB-NB)
After completion of the main study phase, the self-constructed questionnaire assesses satisfaction with the study concept and evaluates the feasibility of the study approach. Patients are asked to indicate their satisfaction using a Likert scale and can also note down any additional or modification requests in free text fields.
Time frame: At month 4 (post-teatment, T1) and month 7 (follow-up, T2)
Parent Stress Inventory (EBI)
The EBI measures the extent of parental stress and contains 48 items that are assigned to 12 subscales. Answering on a Likert scale.
Time frame: At baseline (before treatment, T0), at month 4 (post-teatment, T1) and month 7 (follow-up, T2).
Crying, Feeding and Sleeping Questionnaire (SFS)
The questionnaire on regulatory disorders in childhood uses 54 questions to assess early childhood regulatory disorders in relation to crying, eating or sleeping. The response format is generally a 4-point scale from not at all to very much.
Time frame: At baseline (before treatment, T0), at month 4 (post-teatment, T1) and month 7 (follow-up, T2).
Demographic data
The questionnaire includes, among other things, the age, gender, ethnicity and socio-demographic data of the test subjects.
Time frame: At baseline (before treatment, T0).
Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI)
The questionnaire is a short form of the SCL-90-R and measures the subjectively perceived impairment of a person through physical and psychological symptoms on nine scales (somatization, compulsiveness, insecurity in social contact, depressiveness, anxiety, aggressiveness / hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid thinking, psychoticism) with 53 items, within a period of 7 days. Answering the questions on a Likert scale from 0 to 4.
Time frame: At baseline (before treatment, T0), at month 4 (post-teatment, T1) and month 7 (follow-up, T2).
Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ)
The BISQ is a short and simple questionnaire about the child's sleep duration, nocturnal awakenings and methods of falling asleep.
Time frame: At baseline (before treatment, T0), at month 4 (post-teatment, T1) and month 7 (follow-up, T2).
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
The EPDS measures depression in the last 7 days with 10 items.
Time frame: At baseline (before treatment, T0), at month 4 (post-teatment, T1) and month 7 (follow-up, T2).
Couple Conflict Questionnaire (PFB-K)
The partnership questionnaire measures the quality of the partnership with only 9 items in 3 subcategories (argumentative behavior, tenderness, communication), answered on a Likert scale.
Time frame: At baseline (before treatment, T0), at month 4 (post-teatment, T1) and month 7 (follow-up, T2).
Parent-Child Relationship Questionnaire (PBQ)
The PBQ is an instrument for assessing the quality of the postpartum relationship between mother and child. The questionnaire comprises 25 items and is answered on a Likert scale from 1 to 6.
Time frame: At baseline (before treatment, T0), at month 4 (post-teatment, T1) and month 7 (follow-up, T2).
Ulm Quality of Life Inventory for Parents (ULQIE)
The questionnaire comprises a total of 29 items on the well-being and quality of life of the parent, covering a period of one week, answered on a five-point Likert scale from 0 (never) to 5 (always).
Time frame: At baseline (before treatment, T0), at month 4 (post-teatment, T1) and month 7 (follow-up, T2).
Ages & Stages Questionnaire®: Third Edition (ASQ-3)
The questionnaire is a developmental screening tool that measures developmental progress in children aged 1 month to 5 ½ years. It comprises a total of 30 questions, 6 for each developmental area on child communication, fine and gross motor skills, problem solving and social behavior.
Time frame: At month 4 (post-teatment, T1) and month 7 (follow-up, T2).
Focus groups
Conducting several focus groups with parents and professionals on the needs of post-inpatient care for parents with a premature baby. Survey of needs and feedback from the app group.
Time frame: At baseline (before treatment, T0), after month 7 (follow-up, T1).
App-questions
Questions about the child's and parents' state of health, well-being and perception of stress
Time frame: Every 14 days over a period of 4 months (baseline, T0 - post-treatment, T1).
Questionnaire on health economics (HCU-Q)
The translated questionnaire for measuring the use of healthcare services was developed based on the Health Care Utilization Questionnaire. Due to the young age of the children, some items were replaced. The questionnaire is intended to assess the families' respective use and utilization of medical and non-medical health care services.
Time frame: At month 4 (post-teatment, T1) and month 7 (follow-up, T2).
Self-efficacy questionnaire (SWE)
10 items on dealing with difficult situations and one's own perceived self-efficacy, answered on a scale from 1 (not true) to 4 (true).
Time frame: At baseline (before treatment, T0), at month 4 (post-teatment, T1).
On-site clinical examination: Assessment of height in cm
Assessment of height in cm assessed by a neonatologist.
Time frame: At baseline (before treatment, T0), at month 4 (post-teatment, T1).
On-site clinical examination: Assessment of weight in g
Assessment of weight in g by neonatgologist
Time frame: At baseline (before treatment, T0), at month 4 (post-teatment, T1).
On-site clinical examination: Assessment of self-reported illnesses of the child
Assessment of partents' reports of illnesses of the child. Open answer format, no scale.
Time frame: At baseline (before treatment, T0), at month 4 (post-teatment, T1).
Plan to share: Yes — We share study material and statistical outputs.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Sap, Icf, Csr, Analytic code
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