A healthy nest is best (NEST): The effects of bedding, insulation and heating on infant respiratory health

A multi arm, parallel, randomised, active-controlled primary prevention study examining how improving home insulation and heating, and use of different types of bedding (feather, wool, synthetic), might prevent wheezing in the first 2 years of life.

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ANZCTR

Registry ID

ACTRN12615001039572

Enrollment

460

Registered

2015-10-07

Start date

2016-01-31

Completion date

2018-04-10

Last updated

2021-01-05

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

Cold and damp housing have been shown in many studies to be linked to asthma in children. We have shown recently that dampness is also related to the onset of wheezing in New Zealand children. In this study we are looking at how improving insulation and heating, and how using different types of infant bedding, might help prevent wheezing and asthma in young children. This research is part of He Kainga Oranga Housing and Health Research Programme conducted by the University of Otago Wellington, funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.

Interventions

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three bedding intervention groups; receiving either feather, wool or synthetic sleepsacks for their infant to use to sleep in during their first 2 years of life. All participants will receive a heating voucher of $200 to their power accounts to use during their infants first winter. Parents will be given advice about what temperature to heat infant bedrooms to, based on WHO guidelines (18-22°C). Participants will be contacted every 6 months to rem

Study design

Allocation

Randomised controlled trial

Intervention model

Parallel

Primary purpose

Prevention

Masking

Open (masking not used)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

Pregnant mothers in their second or third trimester of pregnancy from the Wellington region. All infants will be included.

Exclusion criteria

Families who plan to move out of the Wellington region in the next 18 months. Pregnant mothers under 18 years of age.

Outcome results