Calmer Brains in Very Preterm Infants

Very preterm infants (< 32 weeks gestational age [GA]) experience developmentally unexpected, repeated stress as part of lifesaving care in the NICU during a period of considerable brain maturation and growth. Exposure to early-life stress alters brain maturation resulting in long-term changes in neurodevelopment. Parental skin-to-skin care (SSC) can mitigate stress; however, parents are not always available. Calmer, a patented, therapeutic medical device, was invented to simulate aspects of SSC (skin-like surface, breathing motion, heartbeat sounds) with rates of the latter two individualized for each infant. In a randomized trial, Calmer has been shown to stabilize brain blood flow during a single, routine blood test. Most recently, we found that very preterm infants who received Calmer treatment for 3 continuous weeks had 25% greater head growth compared to controls. However, we do not know if/how Calmer treatment affects brain development in very preterm infants.

Objectives: We will gather pilot data for a larger trial to examine differences in brain structural and functional development in very preterm infants who receive Calmer treatment for 2-3 consecutive weeks compared to controls.

Methods: 22 infants born 26-30 weeks GA admitted to BC Women's Hospital NICU will be randomized to either control (n=11) or treatment groups (n=11; Calmer for 2-3 continuous weeks, 3 hours/day minimum treatment). Infants from both groups will undergo feed and bundle MRI scans at term-equivalent age using high resolution volumetric, diffusion and resting-state functional MRI to explore group differences in whole-brain volumes and structural and functional connectivity. Images will be processed using existing quantitative neonatal imaging analysis pipelines in the Selvanathan and Weber labs at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute. Analyses will include: measures of trial feasibility and description of brain differences between groups.

Significance: Ultimately, Calmer may support healthy brain maturation optimizing the neurodevelopment of vulnerable infants in Canada and beyond.

Inclusion criteria

• Very preterm infants admitted to the NICU at the BC Women's Hospital

Exclusion criteria

Infants who have

• Congenital anomalies;
• Born small for GA (per medical admission history);
• History of birthing parent substance use in pregnancy;
• Ongoing infection at the time of enrollment;
• Pre-existing cardiovascular instability defined by shock/hypotension/need for cardiovascular drugs;
• Receiving paralytic drugs;
• Major neurological injury (e.g. hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, hemorrhage/stroke; VP shunt);
• Beyond the 30th completed week GA (30 weeks + 6 days) at enrollment.