Salivary Cortisol as Stress Marker in Newborns Subjected to Double Weighing With Physiological Body Weight

NCT ID: NCT03830437

Last Updated: 2019-07-30

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

56 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-09-21

Study Completion Date

2019-06-01

Brief Summary

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According to scientific revisions, salivary cortisol is a valid method for measuring adrenocortical activity in newborns because it is non-invasive in fact the measurement of salivary cortisol has been used as a stress marker in newborns since 1992. The mechanism by which cortisol induces stress, concerns the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The hypothalamus produces the corticotropin-releasing hormone, which stimulates the production of adrenocorticotropin by hypophysis. Adrenocorticotropin induces the secretion of glucocorticoids such as cortisol by stimulating the cortex of the adrenal gland. An appropriate release of cortisol due to stress factor is vital for surviving and the loss of this mechanism increase the risk of morbidity and mortality for newborns. However, prolonged exposure to a high level of cortisol may increase the risk of cognitive and behavioural disorders, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, insulin resistance, immune deficiency and hippocampal impairment. The separation from the mother, the exposure to painful procedures but also routine interventions such as physical examination, diaper changes and bathing increase the salivary cortisol level of the newborn compared to the basal state. The measurement of salivary cortisol in the newborn therefore has the aim of understanding and preventing those stressful conditions that may have long-term side effects. For this reason, the lose weight in the first days and double weighing should be a stress practice for the newborn.

Detailed Description

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After the phase of early adaptation, newborn must learn quickly to live out of the mother uterus. In this phase of life, physiological mechanisms are activated. Newborn loss body weight because loss liquid by respiration, feces, urine and not adequate feeding. Body weight loss after birth is physiological when is lower than 10% but is also important the evaluation of body weight daily trend that must be lower than 5%. If newborn shows physiological body weight loss, no treatment will be necessary and rooming-in can continue together with exclusively breastfeeding.

Furthermore, if newborn lose more than 10% of body weight during 48hr of life or more than 5% of body weight in a day, a dehydration state will occur that will influence negatively the physiological cardio-circulatory and kidney adaptation. In these cases, is important execute controls and a specific therapy. When body weight loss is between 7%-10%, usually in Neonatology wards it is used double weighing before and after breastfeeding. This practice evaluates colostrum quantity that is assumed from infant during feeding and the necessity of milk formula integration to prevent an excessive body weight loss. Diuresis is also monitored, and parents are informed on the benefits of breastfeeding.

If body weight loss is greater than 10%, diuresis is monitored weighing the diaper and haematological examinations are performed. In this case, it is counselled an artificial milk integration after breastfeeding. Discharge can be influenced from the results of the controls and must be executed for the security of the newborn.

Health care providers must not be underestimated the possible allergies to formula milk and the mothers that give up breastfeeding after the use of formula milk. The newborn should receive breastfeeding from the delivery room. It is good practice, when the milk secretion is enough, to attach the infant to a single breast for each feeding and let it suck for 15-20 minutes. Quantity of milk that newborn assume for each feeding is object of careful evaluation. Double weighing consists in weighing newborn before and after feeding: the body weight difference is the quantity of milk assumed. In the first day of life, newborn should suck 10 gr of colostrum or milk for each feeding. Then starting from the second day of life, the quantity of milk assumed must be increased of 10 gr/die for the first week.

According to scientific revisions, salivary cortisol is a valid method for measuring adrenocortical activity in newborns because it is non-invasive in fact the measurement of salivary cortisol has been used as a stress marker in newborns since 1992. The mechanism by which cortisol induces stress, concerns the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The hypothalamus produces the corticotropin-releasing hormone, which stimulates the production of adrenocorticotropin by hypophysis. Adrenocorticotropin induces the secretion of glucocorticoids such as cortisol by stimulating the cortex of the adrenal gland. An appropriate release of cortisol due to stress factor is vital for surviving and the loss of this mechanism increase the risk of morbidity and mortality for newborns. However, prolonged exposure to a high level of cortisol may increase the risk of cognitive and behavioural disorders, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, insulin resistance, immune deficiency and hippocampal impairment. The separation from the mother, the exposure to painful procedures but also routine interventions such as physical examination, diaper changes and bathing increase the salivary cortisol level of the newborn compared to the basal state. The measurement of salivary cortisol in the newborn therefore has the aim of understanding and preventing those stressful conditions that may have long-term side effects. For this reason, the lose weight in the first days and double weighing should be a stress practice for the newborn.

Conditions

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Cortisol Overproduction

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

CASE_CONTROL

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Case group

The group will be subjected to double weighing, before and after the next 6 breastfeeding. Breastfeeding will be carried out each 4 hr.

Evaluation of newborn stress

Intervention Type OTHER

Newborn stress will be evaluated by salivary cortisol levels at 48 hr of life. Saliva sample of the newborns will be collected in oral cavity at 48 hr of life. Samples collected will be storage at -80 C for up to 4 months and analysed by analysis laboratory of Poliambulanza Foundation.

Evaluation of body weight trend

Intervention Type OTHER

Body weight trend between newborns subjected to double weighing or to body weight control will be carried out at 36 hr and 48 hr of life

Control group

The group will be subjected to monitoring of body weight only at 24, 36 hr and 48 hr of life.

Evaluation of newborn stress

Intervention Type OTHER

Newborn stress will be evaluated by salivary cortisol levels at 48 hr of life. Saliva sample of the newborns will be collected in oral cavity at 48 hr of life. Samples collected will be storage at -80 C for up to 4 months and analysed by analysis laboratory of Poliambulanza Foundation.

Evaluation of body weight trend

Intervention Type OTHER

Body weight trend between newborns subjected to double weighing or to body weight control will be carried out at 36 hr and 48 hr of life

Interventions

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Evaluation of newborn stress

Newborn stress will be evaluated by salivary cortisol levels at 48 hr of life. Saliva sample of the newborns will be collected in oral cavity at 48 hr of life. Samples collected will be storage at -80 C for up to 4 months and analysed by analysis laboratory of Poliambulanza Foundation.

Intervention Type OTHER

Evaluation of body weight trend

Body weight trend between newborns subjected to double weighing or to body weight control will be carried out at 36 hr and 48 hr of life

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Gestational age: 37-42 wks
* Body Weight: \>2500 g
* Body weight loss \>3±1,5% at 24 hr from birth
* First-born
* Eutocic delivery
* Mother BMI:19-24
* Glycaemia \>50 mg/dl

Exclusion Criteria

* Mother disease
* Admission in NICU
* Neonatal pathologies
* Utilization of human milk
* Body weight loss \> 10%
Minimum Eligible Age

37 Weeks

Maximum Eligible Age

42 Weeks

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Giuseppe De Bernando

Chief of NICU

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Giuseppe De Bernardo, M.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero

Laura Linetti, Dott.

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero

Locations

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Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero

Brescia, , Italy

Site Status

Countries

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Italy

References

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Janet M. Rennie, "Textbook of Neonatology" Elsevier Health Sciences, London, 2012

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Horta, B.L.; Victora, C.G. Long-Term Effects of Breastfeeding: A Systematic Review; World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2013, pp. 1-68

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Rodriguez G, Ventura P, Samper MP, Moreno L, Sarria A, Perez-Gonzalez JM. Changes in body composition during the initial hours of life in breast-fed healthy term newborns. Biol Neonate. 2000;77(1):12-6. doi: 10.1159/000014189.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 10658825 (View on PubMed)

Thulier D. Weighing the Facts: A Systematic Review of Expected Patterns of Weight Loss in Full-Term, Breastfed Infants. J Hum Lact. 2016 Feb;32(1):28-34. doi: 10.1177/0890334415597681. Epub 2015 Aug 7.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 26253288 (View on PubMed)

Noel-Weiss J, Courant G, Woodend AK. Physiological weight loss in the breastfed neonate: a systematic review. Open Med. 2008;2(4):e99-e110. Epub 2008 Oct 28.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 21602959 (View on PubMed)

Victora CG, Bahl R, Barros AJ, Franca GV, Horton S, Krasevec J, Murch S, Sankar MJ, Walker N, Rollins NC; Lancet Breastfeeding Series Group. Breastfeeding in the 21st century: epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect. Lancet. 2016 Jan 30;387(10017):475-90. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01024-7.

Reference Type RESULT
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Flaherman VJ, Kuzniewicz MW, Li S, Walsh E, McCulloch CE, Newman TB. First-day weight loss predicts eventual weight nadir for breastfeeding newborns. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2013 Nov;98(6):F488-92. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2012-303076. Epub 2013 Jul 17.

Reference Type RESULT
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Bertini G, Breschi R, Dani C. Physiological weight loss chart helps to identify high-risk infants who need breastfeeding support. Acta Paediatr. 2015 Oct;104(10):1024-7. doi: 10.1111/apa.12820. Epub 2014 Oct 22.

Reference Type RESULT
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Ferrandez-Gonzalez M, Bosch-Gimenez V, Lopez-Lozano J, Moreno-Lopez N, Palazon-Bru A, Cortes-Castell E. Weight loss thresholds to detect early hypernatremia in newborns. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2019 Nov-Dec;95(6):689-695. doi: 10.1016/j.jped.2018.06.005. Epub 2018 Jul 18.

Reference Type RESULT
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Righard L, Alade MO. Effect of delivery room routines on success of first breast-feed. Lancet. 1990 Nov 3;336(8723):1105-7. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(90)92579-7.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 1977988 (View on PubMed)

Jang GJ, Kim SH, Jeong KS. [Effect of postpartum breast-feeding support by nurse on the breast-feeding prevalence]. Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi. 2008 Feb;38(1):172-9. doi: 10.4040/jkan.2008.38.1.172. Korean.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 18323730 (View on PubMed)

Woolridge MW, Baum JD, Drewett RF. Individual patterns of milk intake during breast-feeding. Early Hum Dev. 1982 Dec 6;7(3):265-72. doi: 10.1016/0378-3782(82)90089-5.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 7160336 (View on PubMed)

Cignacco E, Denhaerynck K, Nelle M, Buhrer C, Engberg S. Variability in pain response to a non-pharmacological intervention across repeated routine pain exposure in preterm infants: a feasibility study. Acta Paediatr. 2009 May;98(5):842-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.01203.x. Epub 2009 Jan 13.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 19183121 (View on PubMed)

De Bernardo G, Riccitelli M, Giordano M, Proietti F, Sordino D, Longini M, Buonocore G, Perrone S. Rooming-in Reduces Salivary Cortisol Level of Newborn. Mediators Inflamm. 2018 Mar 8;2018:2845352. doi: 10.1155/2018/2845352. eCollection 2018.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 29706798 (View on PubMed)

Levine S. Developmental determinants of sensitivity and resistance to stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2005 Nov;30(10):939-46. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2005.03.013.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 15958281 (View on PubMed)

Morelius E, Theodorsson E, Nelson N. Salivary cortisol and mood and pain profiles during skin-to-skin care for an unselected group of mothers and infants in neonatal intensive care. Pediatrics. 2005 Nov;116(5):1105-13. doi: 10.1542/peds.2004-2440.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 16263996 (View on PubMed)

Gunnar MR, Talge NM, Herrera A. Stressor paradigms in developmental studies: what does and does not work to produce mean increases in salivary cortisol. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Aug;34(7):953-67. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.02.010. Epub 2009 Mar 24.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 19321267 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

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3175

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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