Feasibility of Aerodigestive Stimulation Therapy Trial

Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age1-8
SponsorSudarshan Jadcherla

About this trial

The goal of this study is to demonstrate safety, feasibility, and efficacy of a novel pharyngo-esophageal stimulation technique in restoring aerodigestive and swallowing functions in select infants at-risk for chronic gavage tube feeding or gastrostomy. The main aims are:

* To provide consistent activation of deglutition (the process of swallowing), swallowing-airway interactions, and peristalsis in order to decrease the risk of home tube feeding. * To examine whether physical and manometric evidence-guided interventions and biofeedback will improve compliance, minimize parental stress, and increase satisfaction and perceived self-confidence with infant feeding.

Participants will have weekly pharyngo-esophageal stimulation guided by High Resolution Impedance Manometry (HRIM) for 4 weeks or until discharge, oral nutritive stimulation of at least 5 mL of prescribed milk with each feed, and weekly parental education and feedback regarding feeding progress.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

NICU infant ≥37 weeks postmenstrual age not taking full oral feeds

Consult to Neonatal & Infant Feeding Disorder Program for oral feeding difficulty with diagnostic manometry ordered

Presence of peristaltic and sphincteric reflexes at initial manometry

Disqualifiers

Potentially lethal chromosomal anomalies

Craniofacial malformations

Foregut malformations

Trial design

Design model

Single group

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Esophageal stimulation with high resolution esophageal manometry and nutritive oral feeding therapy

    Procedure/Surgery

    Subjects will be given weekly pharyngo-esophageal stimulation guided by high resolution impedance manometry for 4 weeks. During this time of study intervention, every feed will start with nutritive oral stimulation with at least 5 mL of the infant's prescribed diet.

Treatment groups

40 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment group
Group A: Infants with Complex Feeding DifficultiesExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Oral feeding volumes prior to and at the completion of the study

Oral feeding volume will be compared prior to the initial manometry study and after the completion of the final manometry study after 4 weeks or prior to discharge, whichever is earliest

Time frame
Collected at 4 weeks or prior to discharge
2

Parent surveys

Parental questionnaires will be compared from prior to initial esophageal manometry study and after completion of final esophageal manometry study.

Time frame
4 weeks or prior to discharge

Secondary outcomes

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

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Sudarshan Jadcherla

Lead sponsor

Nationwide Children's Hospital

Sponsor institution