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Newborn and fetal care

Research

Children's Wisconsin is a national leader in neonatology. We are always striving to provide even better care for medically fragile newborns, and research on the most effective treatments is key to accomplishing that goal.

Home to the most advanced Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, Children's is committed to researching the complex conditions that can affect newborns and evaluating new, potentially better treatment options for the babies that need them most. To ensure our patients' safety, the hospital’s Institutional Review Board carefully reviews all studies, and participation in clinical research is completely voluntary. Recent and current clinical trials have included:

  • Whether variations in a specific gene called PTGS-1 are associated with an increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns who were exposed to over-the-counter pain medicines (NSAIDS) in utero
  • Parent/nurse-controlled analgesia in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
  • Timing of inguinal hernia repair in premature infants
  • Whether variations in a type of receptor on cells called Toll-like receptors increase the risk of lung problems in premature infants
  • The predictors of long-term outcome in infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia
  • The most useful methods for counseling parents at risk for delivering a premature baby
  • The effect of inhaled nitric oxide on the prevention of lung disease in premature infants
  • The patterns of home oxygen use for babies discharged from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
  • The role of plant sterols in the development of liver disease in newborns who require prolonged intravenous nutrition
  • Evaluation of factors in breast milk that change the risk for intestinal problems in premature babies

Want to get involved? Find a list of all the current studies at Children's Research Institute or learn more about research at Children's Wisconsin: