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Optimizing Nutrition and Milk (Opti-NuM) Project

Improving Growth and Neurodevelopment of Very Low Birth Weight Infants Through Precision Nutrition: The Optimizing Nutrition and Milk (Opti-NuM) Project

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06870981
Acronym
Opti-NuM
Enrollment
1100
Registered
2025-03-11
Start date
2010-10-01
Completion date
2027-12-31
Last updated
2025-03-11

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

Conditions

Early Nutrition and the Preterm Infant, Growth &Amp; Development, Human Milk Feeding, Human Milk Fortification, Human Milk Microbiome, Human Milk Nutrition, Nutritional Requirements, Very Low Birth Weight Baby

Keywords

Very Low Birth Weight Infants, Early nutrition and the preterm infant, Human milk feeding

Brief summary

Early nutrition critically influences growth, neurodevelopment and morbidity among infants born of very low birth weight (VLBW), but current one-size-fits-all feeding regimes do not optimally support these vulnerable infants. There is increasing interest in precision nutrition approaches, but it is unclear which Human Milk (HM) components require personalized adjustment of doses. Previous efforts have focused on macronutrients, but HM also contains essential micronutrients as well as non-nutrient bioactive components that shape the gut microbiome. Further, it is unclear if or how parental factors (e.g. body mass index, diet) and infant factors (e.g. genetics, gut microbiota, sex, acuity) influence relationships between early nutrition and growth, neurodevelopment and morbidity. Understanding these complex relationships is paramount to developing effective personalized HM feeding strategies for VLBW infants. This is the overarching goal of the proposed Optimizing Nutrition and Milk (Opti-NuM) Project. The Opti-NuM Project brings together two established research platforms with complementary expertise and resources: 1) the MaxiMoM Program\* with its clinically embedded translational neonatal feeding trial network in Toronto (Dr. Deborah O'Connor, Dr. Sharon Unger) and 2) the International Milk Composition (IMiC) Consortium, a world-renowned multidisciplinary network of HM researchers and data scientists collaborating to understand how the myriad of HM components contribute as a whole to infant growth and development, using systems biology and machine learning approaches. Members of the IMiC Corsortium that will work with on this study are located at the University of Manitoba (Dr. Meghan Azad), University of California (Dr. Lars Bode) and Stanford (Dr. Nima Aghaeepour).

Detailed description

Observational study mode: The Opti-NuM Project is a retrospective secondary data/sample use study. Time perspective: Secondary use data and biospecimens accruing from the 2 completed studies DoMINO and OptiMOM (NCT02137473) and 1 ongoing RCT MaxiMoM (NCT05308134) are included in this project. Sampling method: This project is a secondary use of data/samples, from a cohort consisting of participants of the MaxiMoM Platform RCTs.

Interventions

OTHEROpti-NuM is an observational secondary use of data/samples study, the investigators will analyze information and specimens from the MaxiMoM platform RCTs. No interventions form part of this study.

Sponsors

Mount Sinai Hospital, Canada
CollaboratorOTHER
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
CollaboratorOTHER
University of Toronto
CollaboratorOTHER
University of Manitoba
CollaboratorOTHER
Stanford University
CollaboratorOTHER
University of California, San Diego
CollaboratorOTHER
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
CollaboratorNIH
The Hospital for Sick Children
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
RETROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
1 Hours to 21 Days
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

• Secondary data and biospecimens from participants of the MaxiMoM Platform RCTs

Exclusion criteria

• Data and biospecimens from infants who are not enrolled in the three trials are eligible for this project.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Cognitive composite score on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development.At 18-24 months CAOur primary outcome is the cognitive composite score on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development collected from the medical record or by home-visit by our research staff. The Bayley is the most widely used instrument globally by clinicians and researchers to assess developmental functioning of infants, toddlers and young children across cognitive, language (receptive, expressive) and motor (fine, gross) domains. Cognitive, language and motor composite scores will be standardized to a mean of 100 with a standard deviation of 15. The range on the composite Bayle Scores is from less than 0.1 to more than 99.9 percentile. A score lower than the 10th percentile indicates developmental delay.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Motor composite score from the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler DevelopmentAt 18-24 months CAMotor composite score from the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. The range on the composite Bayle Scores is from less than 0.1 to more than 99.9 percentile. A score lower than the 10th percentile indicates developmental delay.
Weight (g)Initial hospitalization, approximately 50 days; at 4 months and 18-24 months CA clinic visit.Weight gains serve as early indicators of the effectiveness of early nutrition and are on the causal pathway to neurodevelopment. Daily weights are prospectively extracted from medical records.
Language composite score from the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler DevelopmentAt 18-24 months CALanguage composite score from the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. The range on the composite Bayle Scores is from less than 0.1 to more than 99.9 percentile. A score lower than the 10th percentile indicates developmental delay.
Head circumference (cm)Initial hospitalization, approximately 50 days; at 4 months and 18-24 months CA clinic visit.Head circumference (HC) gains serve as early indicators of the effectiveness of early nutrition and are on the causal pathway to neurodevelopment. Weekly HC measurements are determined by research staff using non-stretchable tape measures and standardized procedures.
Serious morbiditiesDuring hospital stay, an average of 60 days.Serious morbidities including late-onset sepsis (\>day 5, positive blood or cerebrospinal fluid culture), NEC (Bell stage ≥II), chronic lung disease (respiratory support at 36 weeks) and retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment are collected prospectively from the medical chart.
Length (cm)Initial hospitalization, approximately 50 days; at 4 months and 18-24 months CA clinic visit.Length gains serve as early indicators of the effectiveness of early nutrition and are on the causal pathway to neurodevelopment. Weekly length is determined by research staff using length boards and standardized procedures.

Countries

Canada, United States

Contacts

Primary ContactDubraiicka Pichardo, MSc
dubraiicka.pichardo@sickkids.ca416-813-7654
Backup ContactAneta Plaga, BSc
aneta.plaga@utoronto.ca416-978-2422

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026