Could a common painkiller help preterm Babies' hearts?

NCT ID NCT04459117

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether giving acetaminophen (a common pain and fever medicine) to extremely preterm babies within the first 12 hours after birth can help close a blood vessel in the heart that normally closes on its own. The trial involved 804 babies born between 23 and 28 weeks of pregnancy across Europe. Researchers checked if the medicine improved survival without severe health problems like lung, gut, or brain damage.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

acetaminophen

What this could lead to

If it works, this could offer a safer way to treat a common heart problem in preterm infants, potentially reducing severe lung, gut, or brain complications.

What could go wrong

This is an early-to-mid-stage trial, so results may not confirm benefit. Acetaminophen may not close the duct effectively in all babies, and side effects like liver strain are possible.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

paracetamol poisoning patent ductus arteriosus

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Azienda Ospedaliero - Universitaria delle Marche

    Ancona, 60126, Italy

  • Bács Kiskun COUNTY HOSPITAL

    Kecskemét, H6000, Hungary

  • CENTRE hospitalier intercommunal de Creteil

    Paris, France

  • CHRU de Tours

    Tours, France

  • CHU Angers

    Angers, France

  • CHU Nantes, Hopital mére Enfant

    Nantes, France

  • CHU Rennes, Hopital Sud

    Rennes, France

  • CHU Strasbourg, Hôpital de Hautepierre

    Strasbourg, France

  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège

    Liège, Belgium

  • Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Toulouse

    Toulouse, 31059, France

  • Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, EPE -Hospital Santa Maria

    Lisbon, Portugal

  • Centro Hospitalar e Universitário do Porto, EPE - Centro Materno Infantil do Norte

    Porto, Portugal

  • Cork University Hospital

    Cork, T12 DC4A, Ireland

  • East Tallinn Central Hospital

    Tallinn, Estonia

  • Helsinki University Hospital, Department of Children and Adolecents, Neonatology

    Helsinki, Finland

  • Hopital Cochin, Service de Médecine et Réanimation néonatales de Port-Royal

    Paris, France

  • Hopital Jeanne de Flandre

    Lille, 59037, France

  • Hopital Robert Debré, Néonatologie

    Paris, France

  • Hopital Universitaire de Geneve (HUG) - Hopital des enfants

    Geneva, Switzerland

  • Hospice civils de Lyon, Hopital Femme Enfant

    Lyon, France

  • Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, Département de Pédiatrie Néonatale et Réanimation Pédiatrique

    Montpellier, France

  • Hôpital Croix-Rousse

    Lyon, 69317, France

  • Hôpital Marseille Nord

    Marseille, 13015, France

  • Hôpital Necker - Enfants malades

    Paris, 75015, France

  • Hôpital de la conception

    Marseille, France

  • Karolinska University Hospital

    Solna, 171 64, Sweden

  • Kuopio University Hospital, Department of Pediatrics

    Kuopio, Finland

  • Oslo University Hospital

    Oslo, 0424, Norway

  • Oulu University Hospital, Department of Pediatrics

    Oulu, Finland

  • Tallinn Children's Hospital

    Tallinn, Estonia

  • Tampere University Hospital, Department of Pediatrics

    Tampere, Finland

  • Tartu University Hospital, Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit

    Tartu, Estonia

  • The Juliane Marie Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University hospital

    Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark

  • Turku University Hospital, Department of Peadiatrics

    Turku, Finland

  • University Children's Hospital Lausanne

    Lausanne, Switzerland

  • University Hospital of Zürich

    Zurich, Switzerland