Extremely Low Gestatonal Age Infants' Paracetamol Study

The purpose of this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, phase 2, one center clinical trial is to study the efficacy and safety of early (< 96 h) intravenous paracetamol in prophylactic closure of ductus arteriosus in extremely premature (gestational age <28+0 wk, ELGA) or low birth weight (<1000 g, ELBW) infants. The infants born extremely preterm or low birth weight are a focus of the study, since a small phase 2 study on paracetamol failed to demonstrate contraction of ductus arteriosus.

In the investigator's previous cohort of ELGA/ELBW infants, the numbers of patients who needed any therapies for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) were 29 (23%) in the paracetamol exposed group, and 90 (54%) in the control group. As demonstrated in a phase 2 study, the early paracetamol treatment induced the closure of ductus arteriosus: the mean (SD) ductal closure age was 177 (338) h in the whole paracetamol group. However, in the subgroup of ELGA infants born before 28 gestation weeks (n=14), the mean (SD) ductal closure ages in the paracetamol and placebo groups were 491 (504) h and 858 (719) h, respectively.

Inclusion criteria

• Premature infants born before 28+0 gestation weeks and/or birth weight less than 1000g

Exclusion criteria

• Severe malformation or suspected chromosomal defect or other very severe life-threatening disease (e.g. very severe birth asphyxia or persistent pulmonary hypertension, etc.)