Acceptability and Feasibility of a New Postural Management Night-time Intervention to Improve Respiratory Health of Children With Complex Neuro-disability

This research concerns children with complex neuro-disability. Damage to the developing brain leads to lifelong disturbances in motor control, seizures, cognition, communication, eating and drinking, and behaviour. Children with complex neuro-disability are dependent upon others to move and position them. Children commonly experience chronic lung disease, leading to frequent hospitalisation, medical interventions and premature death. Respiratory illness may be triggered by "aspiration", i.e. when saliva, food, liquid or stomach contents enter the lungs. Aspiration risks increase at night-time when supervision is limited and children are positioned on their backs. Some children experience repeated breathing complications requiring prolonged hospital stays including respiratory support in intensive care.

Consultant Respiratory Paediatrician Akshat Kapur and Physiotherapist Hilda Perry developed a new night-time intervention to improve respiratory health of children with complex neuro-disability. Dr Kapur and his team have found that this intervention can help reduce respiratory illness and time spent in hospital for some children. This is an acceptability and feasibility study which means the investigators want to find out if this new intervention is something that children with complex neuro-disability and their families are happy (i.e. it is acceptable) and able (i.e. it is feasible) to do. If so, a larger future research study can be designed to find out if the intervention works to improve the respiratory health of children with complex neuro-disability.

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Key information

Conditions

Respiratory Aspiration Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Respiration Disorders Respiratory Tract Diseases

Age range

2 year–19 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Chailey Clinical Services

Brighton, East Sussex, BN8 4JN, United Kingdom

About this study

The intervention involves positioning children safely on their fronts using pillows to support the body under the shoulder and hip, and with the head slightly lowered so that gravity can help drain secretions from the mouth. This is different to current night-time positioning recommendations of either lying children on their backs or side. The new intervention also involves, where possible, the draining of children's stomach contents overnight via an existing feeding tube to prevent aspiration of stomach contents.

The investigators will work closely with 10 children with complex neuro-disability and their families, and health professionals as investigators introduce this new night-time intervention. The investigators will make observations about children's respiratory and sleep outcomes before and after making changes. The investigators will make comparisons using questionnaires, sleep diaries, records of antibiotic use and hospital admissions. The investigators will collect this information before making any changes, at 3 months after the intervention has been established and after 6 months when the study ends. The investigators will talk to children, parents, carers and relevant health professionals to find out what they think and feel about the new intervention, including any issues/challenges that occurred.

The investigators will record how many children and families were approached to take part in the study. The investigators will record how many agreed to take part, how many chose to leave half way through and how many said they did not want to take part in the study. Families who discontinued or who declined the intervention will be given opportunity to provide feedback confidentially.

The investigators will use the findings to decide whether it is feasible and acceptable to children and families to run a research trial of this new night-time intervention. The data will help us to design a future research trial.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

dependent upon others to position/move their bodies
high risk of aspiration linked to swallowing difficulties
aged 2-18yrs
have gastrostomy/jejunostomy
receiving care from Consultant Respiratory Paediatrician from Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital (Dr Kapur or colleague) because of recent history of chest infections.

Exclusion criteria

Children with complex neuro-disability who cannot be positioned in such a way that promotes upper airway drainage
Children using a naso-gastric tube
Children who do not have a gastrostomy or jejunostomy

Treatment and study plan

Novel Postural Management Night-time Intervention

Other

Essential elements and components of PMN-TI:

Safe and comfortable position to enable sleep
Positioning to enable UAD overnight
Quiet breathing unobstructed by base of tongue (i.e. stertor), vocal cords (i.e. stridor) or pooled secretions
Postural support in lying to achieve comfort, promote symmetry of posture and maximum loadbearing
Stomach contents reduced or emptied overnight to minimize reflux and associated aspiration risk.

Primary outcomes

Liverpool Respiratory Symptom Questionnaire

Time frame: 2 years

Questionnaire Outcome Measure

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Breathe-Easy: a Pilot Study to Examine the Acceptability and Feasibility of a Novel Postural Management Night-time Intervention to Improve Respiratory Health of Children With Complex Neuro-disability.

Acronym: Breathe-Easy

Important dates

Study start: 2021
Primary completion: 2023
Study completion: 2023
First posted: Sep 15, 2023
Registry last updated: Mar 25, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed