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Antenatal Late Preterm Steroids (ALPS): A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

This study is currently recruiting participants.
Verified September 2012 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Sponsor:
Collaborator:
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT01222247
First received: October 14, 2010
Last updated: November 10, 2012
Last verified: September 2012
History of Changes
  Purpose

Infants born between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation, known as 'late preterm', are more likely to be admitted to a special care nursery, and more likely to suffer respiratory complications than infants born at term. The use of antenatal corticosteroids has been shown to improve lung function in very premature infants, but has not been evaluated in those likely to deliver in the late preterm period.

This research study will attempt to answer the following primary research question: Do steroids, compared to no steroids, decrease babies' need for oxygen support when given to pregnant women at least 12 to 24 hours before they deliver at 34 weeks to 36 weeks gestation? The research study will also collect information on whether steroids improve the chances that the baby will not get sick from other causes.


Condition Intervention Phase
Pregnancy
Respiratory Distress
Pregnancy Outcome
 Drug: Corticosteroid
 Phase 3

Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator)
Primary Purpose: Prevention
Official Title: Antenatal Late Preterm Steroids (ALPS): A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

Resource links provided by NLM:

MedlinePlus related topics: Steroids
U.S. FDA Resources

Further study details as provided by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD):

Primary Outcome Measures:
  • Composite Outcome [ Time Frame: 72 hours of life ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    Need for respiratory support: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or humidified high-flow nasal cannula (HHFNC) for greater than or equal to 2 hours or more in the first 72 hours, or FiO2 greater than or equal to 0.30 for 4 hours or more in the first 72 hours, or mechanical ventilation in the first 72 hours, or Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) Stillbirth, or neonatal death less than 72 hours of age


Secondary Outcome Measures:
  • Maternal outcomes [ Time Frame: Delivery ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    Chorioamnionitis, Postpartum endomyometritis, delivery prior to steroids completion, time in hours from initial dose to delivery, length of labor, mode of delivery, indication for delivery, length of stay

  • Neonatal morbidity / mortality [ Time Frame: 72 hours of life ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    Major respiratory morbidity: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or humidified high-flow nasal cannula (HHFNC) for greater than or equal to 12 hours or more in the first 72 hours, or FiO2 greater than or equal to 0.30 for 24 hours or more in the first 72 hours, or mechanical ventilation in the first 72 hours, or Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) Stillbirth or neonatal death less than 72 hours of age

  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome [ Time Frame: Delivery ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    Respiratory distress with an oxygen requirement and a chest x-ray that shows hypoaeration and reticulogranular infiltrates

  • Neonatal composite [ Time Frame: 72 hours of life ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    Transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN), RDS, and apnea

  • Need for immediate resuscitation after birth [ Time Frame: Delivery ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • Surfactant use [ Time Frame: Delivery ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • Chronic lung disease (BPD) [ Time Frame: 28 days of life ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    Infants requiring oxygen at 28 days of life

  • Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) [ Time Frame: Delivery ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    Defined as modified Bell Stage 2 or 3. Stage 2: Clinical signs and symptoms with pneumatosis intestinalis on radiographs. Stage 3: Advanced clinical signs and symptoms, pneumatosis, impending or proven intestinal perforation.

  • Morbidity composite [ Time Frame: Delivery ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    A composite endpoint of morbidities known to be affected by steroid administration will also be evaluated. Specifically, this composite will include RDS, IVH, and NEC

  • Birth weight [ Time Frame: Delivery ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • Hypoglycemia [ Time Frame: Delivery ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    Glucose < 40 mg%

  • Hyperbilirubinemia [ Time Frame: Delivery ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    Peak total bilirubin of at least 15 mg% or the use of phototherapy.

  • Feeding difficulty [ Time Frame: Delivery ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    Inability to take all feeds (po), i.e. requiring gavage feeds or IV supplementation. In addition, time to first feed (po) will be recorded.

  • Hypothermia [ Time Frame: Delivery ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    Rectal temperature < 36 C

  • Neonatal infectious morbidity [ Time Frame: Delivery ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    • Sepsis (within 72hrs and > 72 hrs after birth) OR
    • Suspected sepsis OR
    • Pneumonia

  • Seizures / encephalopathy [ Time Frame: Delivery ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • Length of hospital stay [ Time Frame: Discharge from hospital ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    Includes need for NICU or intermediate care admission and length of stay if admitted

  • Number of and reason for infant re-hospitalizations, ER visits or unanticipated visits to the primary care pediatrician / specialist [ Time Frame: 3 and 6 months of age ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Estimated Enrollment: 2800
Study Start Date: October 2010
Estimated Study Completion Date: July 2013
Estimated Primary Completion Date: January 2013 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Arms Assigned Interventions
Active Comparator: Corticosteroid Drug: Corticosteroid

The active study drug, betamethasone, trade name Celestone Soluspan® manufactured by Schering Plough.

3 mg per ml betamethasone sodium phosphate 3 mg per milliliter betamethasone acetate The first dose of study drug medication will be administered at randomization as 2 ml injection; the next dose of 2 ml will be administered 24 hours later.

Other Name: Celestone Soluspan
Placebo Comparator: Placebo Drug: Corticosteroid

The active study drug, betamethasone, trade name Celestone Soluspan® manufactured by Schering Plough.

3 mg per ml betamethasone sodium phosphate 3 mg per milliliter betamethasone acetate The first dose of study drug medication will be administered at randomization as 2 ml injection; the next dose of 2 ml will be administered 24 hours later.

Other Name: Celestone Soluspan

Detailed Description:

Antenatal Late Preterm Steroids (ALPS): A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial:

The rate of preterm birth has steadily increased in the United States over the past 10 years. This increase is driven in part by the rising rate of late preterm birth, defined as those births occurring between 34 and 36 weeks. Late preterm infants experience a higher rate of readmission than their term counterparts, and these infants are more likely to suffer complications such as respiratory distress, kernicterus, feeding difficulties, and hypoglycemia. Late preterm infants also have a higher mortality for all causes when compared to term infants. The use of antenatal corticosteroids has been shown to be beneficial in women at risk for preterm delivery prior to 34 weeks but has not been evaluated in those likely to deliver in the late preterm period. If shown to reduce the need for respiratory support and thus to decrease the rate of special care nursery admissions and improve short-term outcomes, the public health and economic impact will be considerate.

This protocol describes a randomized placebo controlled trial to evaluate whether antenatal corticosteroids can decrease the rate of neonatal respiratory support, thus decreasing the rate of NICU admissions and improving short-term outcomes in the late preterm infant.

  Eligibility

Genders Eligible for Study:   Female
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   Yes
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Singleton Pregnancy. A twin pregnancy reduced to singleton (either spontaneously or therapeutically) before 14,0 weeks by project gestational age is acceptable

Gestational age at randomization between 34,0weeks and 36,5 weeks confirmed by study criteria

High probability of delivery in the late preterm period (any one of the following):

  • Membrane rupture as defined by the study criteria.

or

  • Preterm labor with intact membranes. Preterm labor is defined as at least 6 regular uterine contractions in an observation period of no more than 60 minutes and at least one of the following: cervix greater than or equal to 3cm dilated or 80% effaced

or

  • Planned delivery by induction of labor or cesarean section in no less than 24 hours and no more than 7 days, as deemed necessary by the provider. An induction must be scheduled to start by 36,5 weeks at the latest, whereas a cesarean delivery must be scheduled by 36,6 weeks at the latest. Therefore the latest gestational age for randomization is 36,4 weeks for a planned induction. The planned delivery may be for any indication, such as the following: prior myomectomy, prior classical cesarean, IUGR, oligohydramnios, preeclampsia, nonreassuring fetal heart rate tracing warranting delivery, abruption, placenta previa

Exclusion Criteria:

  • ROM does not satisfy protocol criteria - exclude if the patient being evaluated for pPROM does not have preterm labor or planned delivery and does not satisfy the spontaneous membrane rupture criteria (any 2 of: positive Nitrazine test, pooling of fluid in the vaginal vault test or ferning of vaginal fluid; or indigo carmine pooling in the vagina after amnioinfusion; or visible leakage of amniotic fluid from the cervix)
  • Preterm labor does not satisfy protocol criteria - exclude if patient has intact membranes with no delivery planned and contractions are more than 10 minutes apart or if the cervix is both less than 3cm dilated and less than 80% effaced
  • Fetal death / major fetal anomaly / fetus non-viable - exclude if the patient has a major fetal anomaly or the fetus is not viable
  • Delivery expected < 12 hours after randomization - this includes 1) ruptured membranes with cervical dilation ≥ 3cm or more than 6 contractions per hour unless pitocin is deferred for at least 12 hours 2) evidence of non-reassuring fetal status requiring immediate delivery 3) chorio-amnionitis 4) Cervical dilation ≥ 8 cm
  • Prior corticosteroids for fetal lung maturity - exclude if patient was given corticosteroids for fetal lung maturity before 34 weeks
  • Systemic corticosteroids for other indications - exclude if patient was given systemic corticosteroids for indication other than fetal lung maturity
  • No ultrasound < 20 weeks for unsure LMP. If the patient has an unsure LMP but she had no dating ultrasound before 20 weeks by ultrasound parameters, she is excluded.
  • No ultrasound < 24 weeks for sure LMP. If the patient has an sure LMP but she had no dating ultrasound before 24 weeks by ultrasound parameters, she is excluded
  • Cervical dilation ≥ 8 cm
  • Project gestational age < 34,0 weeks or ≥ 36,6 weeks
  • Delivery planned at project gestational age ≥ 36,6 weeks
  • Known congenital malformation
  • Fetal reduction/loss ≥ 14 weeks - exclude if the singleton pregnancy is due to reduction or fetal loss from a twin pregnancy at greater or equal to 14 weeks
  • Gestational diabetes
  • Pre-gestational diabetes - exclude if the patient was on medication (insulin, glyburide) prior to pregnancy
  • Maternal contraindication to betamethasone - exclude if the patient has a known contraindication to betamethasone
  • Chorioamnionitis - exclude if patient is diagnosed with chorioamnionitis
  • Physician planning to give steroids - exclude if patient's physician is planning to give her steroids
  • Physician refusal for other reasons - exclude if patient's physician refuses to allow the patient to participate in the study
  • Refusal to sign medical record release
  • Participation in conflicting study / this study before - exclude if the patient is participating in an antenatal study in which the clinical status or intervention may influence neonatal respiratory outcome, or if she was previously enrolled in this study
  • Multifetal gestation. Exclude if current multifetal gestation or a single gestation resulting from a reduction of a multiple of higher order than twins
  • Delivery at a non-participating hospital
  • Gestational age 36,0 or more and quota already reached.
  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01222247

Contacts
Contact: Uma Reddy, MD, MPH 301-496-1074 uma.reddy@nih.gov
Contact: Elizabeth A Thom, PhD 301-881-9260

Locations
United States, Alabama
University of Alabama - Birmingham Recruiting
Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35233
Contact: Stacy Harris, RN MSN     205-934-1322     stacylharris@uab.edu    
Principal Investigator: Alan TN Tita, MD            
United States, California
Stanford University Recruiting
Stanford, California, United States, 94305
Contact: Karin Kushniruk, RN PhD     650-724-0395     karink1@stanford.edu    
Principal Investigator: Mary E Norton, MD            
United States, Colorado
University of Colorado Recruiting
Denver, Colorado, United States, 80045
Contact: Kathy Hale, RN BSN     303-724-6685     kathy.a.hale@ucdenver.edu    
Principal Investigator: Ronald Gibbs, MD            
United States, Illinois
Northwestern University Recruiting
Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611
Contact: Gail Mallett, BSN     312-926-2475     g-mallett@northwestern.edu    
Principal Investigator: Alan M Peaceman, MD            
United States, Michigan
Wayne State University Active, not recruiting
Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48201
United States, New York
Columbia University Recruiting
New York, New York, United States, 10032
Contact: Sabine Bousleiman     212-305-4348     sb1080@columbia.edu    
Principal Investigator: Ronald Wapner, MD            
United States, North Carolina
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Recruiting
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27599
Contact: Kelly Clark, RN BSN     919-350-6117     kelly_clark@med.unc.edu    
Principal Investigator: John M Thorp, Jr., MD            
Duke University Recruiting
Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27710
Contact: Tammy Sinclair Bishop, RN     919-668-7475     sincl008@mc.duke.edu    
Principal Investigator: Geeta Swamy, MD            
United States, Ohio
Case Western University Recruiting
Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44109
Contact: Cynthia Milluzzi, BFA BSN     216-778-8094     cmilluzzi@metrohealth.org    
Principal Investigator: Brian Mercer, MD            
Ohio State University Recruiting
Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43210
Contact: Francee Johnson, RN     614-293-5632     johnson.126@osu.edu    
Principal Investigator: Jay Iams, MD            
United States, Oregon
Oregon Health & Science University Recruiting
Portland, Oregon, United States, 97239
Contact: Monica Rincon, MD     503-494-8748     rincon@ohsu.edu    
Principal Investigator: Jorge Tolosa, MD            
United States, Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh Magee Womens Hospital Active, not recruiting
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
United States, Rhode Island
Brown University Recruiting
Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 02905
Contact: Catherine Mansell, MSN     401-274-1122 ext 8514     cmansell@wihri.org    
Principal Investigator: Dwight Rouse, MD            
United States, Texas
University of Texas - Southwest Recruiting
Dallas, Texas, United States, 75235
Contact: Lisa Moseley, RN     214-590-8041     lisa.moseley@utsouthwestern.edu    
Principal Investigator: Brian Casey, MD            
University of Texas - Galveston Recruiting
Galveston, Texas, United States, 77555
Contact: Joan Moss, RN     409-747-1733     jemoss@utmb.edu    
Principal Investigator: George Saade, MD            
University of Texas - Houston Recruiting
Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
Contact: Felecia Ortiz, RN     713-500-6467     Felecia.Ortiz@uth.tmc.edu    
Principal Investigator: Baha Sibai, MD            
United States, Utah
University of Utah Medical Center Recruiting
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84132
Contact: Kim Hill, RN BSN     801-585-5586     Kim.Hill@hsc.utah.edu    
Principal Investigator: Michael W Varner, MD            
Sponsors and Collaborators
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Investigators
Study Director: Uma Reddy, MD, MPH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Thom, PhD George Washington University
Study Chair: Cynthia Gyamfi Bannerman, MD Columbia University
  More Information

Additional Information:
(The public website of the NICHD Maternal Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network)  This link exits the ClinicalTrials.gov site

Publications:

Responsible Party: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01222247     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers: HL98354-HD36801-ALPS, U10HD021410, U10HD027869, U10HD027917, U10HD053118, U10HD027915, U10HD034116, U10HD034208, U10HD053097, U10HD040500, U10HD040485, U10HD040544, U10HD040545, U10HD040560, U10HD040512, U01HD036801, U01HL098354, U01HL098554
Study First Received: October 14, 2010
Last Updated: November 10, 2012
Health Authority: United States: Federal Government

Keywords provided by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD):
Betamethasone
Celestone
Steroids
Perinatology

Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Betamethasone-17,21-dipropionate
Betamethasone
Betamethasone acetate phosphate
Betamethasone sodium phosphate
Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Therapeutic Uses
Pharmacologic Actions
Anti-Asthmatic Agents
 Respiratory System Agents
Glucocorticoids
Hormones
Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Bronchodilator Agents
Autonomic Agents
Peripheral Nervous System Agents

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 23, 2013