Flange Fitting for NICU Pumping Parents to Explore Improved Milk Production and Satisfaction

NCT ID: NCT07268105

Last Updated: 2025-12-30

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

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

124 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-12-01

Study Completion Date

2027-07-02

Brief Summary

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Increasing evidence for an effective method of flange fitting will allow lactation consultants to better advocate for the supplies and training needed to properly fit flanges for this population, hopefully leading to increased milk output and improved experience for parents. Flanges are the part of the pump that fits over the breast and through suction, pulls on the nipple to extract the milk. Recent research showed that a new method of breast pump flange fitting, the Flange FITS TM Guide sizing method, increased milk output and improved the breast milk pumping experience for parents of healthy, term babies.

We hypothesize that the Flange FITS TM Guide sizing method will be effective in NICU parents, a population that has not been explored in current research.

We are conducting a randomized control trial to explore whether the Flange FITS process is better than the standard (manufacturers instructions) for breastpump flange fitting for new parents who are pumping their milk for their newborns in the NICU. We will randomize (1:1) participants to either the new type of flange fitting (Flange FITS) or usual standard care. The study team will assist the pumping parent participant with flange fitting according to their group. This study will ask the pumping parent participants for information about their child and their experience with pumping, and requests that they record the weight of their breast milk after each pump while in the study. The participants already have the pumps and flanges as part of their standard of care. The researchers will provide participants with a scale to weight their breastmilk after each pump while int he study. The researchers will not go into the medical record to retrieve information for the purposes of the study; all information collected for the study will come from the pumping parent participant.

Detailed Description

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Recent research shows that a new method of breast pump flange fitting, the Flange FITS TM Guide sizing method, increased milk output and improved the breast milk pumping experience for parents of healthy, term babies. https://www.babiesincommon.com/flange-fits-guide Increasing evidence for an effective method of flange fitting will allow lactation consultants to better advocate for the supplies and training needed to properly fit flanges for this population, hopefully leading to increased milk output and improved experience for parents.

In this study we will 1:1 randomize lactating people with neonates in the NICU to the experimental group (Flange FITS Guide sizing method) or the control group (flange manufacturers sizing guide).

The investigators hypothesize that the Flange FITS TM Guide sizing method will be effective in NICU parents, a population that has not been explored in current research.

Aims:

1. Determine if there is an increase in breastmilk production with pumping using the Flange FITS TM Guide sizing method.
2. Determine in there is an increase in comfort with breastfeeding, breastfeeding satisfaction, length of pumping with the use of the Flange FITS TM Guide sizing method.

Conditions

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Human Milk/Breastfeeding Breast Pumping

Keywords

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breast pump human milk

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

The intervention is the type of fitting provided for using the pump. Usual fitting versus the FLANGEFITs protocol.
Primary Study Purpose

SCREENING

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Study Groups

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Control/usual care

Pumping people will be provided the usual education and flange fitting procedures.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

The intervention is an educational intervention using the FLANGEFits protocol in the NICU. This protocol has only been used previously in the community.

Intervention Type OTHER

The intervention is an educational intervention using the FLANGEFits protocol in the NICU. This protocol has only been used previously in the community.

Intervention group

This groups will receive the FLANGEFITS protocol.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention is an educational intervention using the FLANGEFits protocol in the NICU. This protocol has only been used previously in the community.

Intervention Type OTHER

The intervention is an educational intervention using the FLANGEFits protocol in the NICU. This protocol has only been used previously in the community.

Interventions

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The intervention is an educational intervention using the FLANGEFits protocol in the NICU. This protocol has only been used previously in the community.

The intervention is an educational intervention using the FLANGEFits protocol in the NICU. This protocol has only been used previously in the community.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Have newborn in NICU
* Using a breast pump Ability to pump 6-8 times a day

Exclusion Criteria

* Not using a breast pump No newborn in the NICU
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Maryland, Baltimore

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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University of Maryland Medical Center

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Rachel B Breman, PhD, MPH, RN

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 3015039433

Email: [email protected]

Hannah McGraw, MSN, RN

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 4103107667

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Rachel B Breman, PhD, MPH, RN

Role: primary

Hannah McGraw, MSN, RN

Role: backup

References

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Purdy IB, Singh N, Le C, Bell C, Whiteside C, Collins M. Biophysiologic and social stress relationships with breast milk feeding pre- and post-discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2012 May-Jun;41(3):347-57. doi: 10.1111/j.1552-6909.2012.01368.x.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 22834882 (View on PubMed)

Alves E, Rodrigues C, Fraga S, Barros H, Silva S. Parents' views on factors that help or hinder breast milk supply in neonatal care units: systematic review. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2013 Nov;98(6):F511-7. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2013-304029. Epub 2013 Jul 18.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 23867708 (View on PubMed)

Anders LA, Robinson K, Ohlendorf JM, Hanson L. Unseen, unheard: a qualitative analysis of women's experiences of exclusively expressing breast milk. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2022 Jan 21;22(1):58. doi: 10.1186/s12884-022-04388-6.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 35062895 (View on PubMed)

Meek JY, Noble L; Section on Breastfeeding. Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. Pediatrics. 2022 Jul 1;150(1):e2022057988. doi: 10.1542/peds.2022-057988.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 35921640 (View on PubMed)

Lau CYK, Lok KYW, Tarrant M. Breastfeeding Duration and the Theory of Planned Behavior and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Framework: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies. Matern Child Health J. 2018 Mar;22(3):327-342. doi: 10.1007/s10995-018-2453-x.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 29427014 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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HP-00114021

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

HP-00114021

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id