Cooling blankets tested to save newborn brains after oxygen loss
NCT ID NCT01192776
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested four different cooling treatments for newborns who suffered brain injury from lack of oxygen at birth. The treatments varied in how low the body temperature was lowered (33.5°C or 32.0°C) and how long cooling lasted (72 or 120 hours). The goal was to see which approach best reduced death or disability by 18-22 months of age. The trial enrolled 364 infants but was terminated early, so findings are limited.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Whole-body cooling (a procedure using a cooling blanket to lower body temperature)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could identify the best cooling method (temperature and duration) to reduce death or long-term disability in newborns with brain injury from oxygen deprivation.
- What could go wrong
- The trial was terminated early, so results may be incomplete. Cooling treatments can have side effects like heart rhythm problems or blood clotting issues, and the optimal approach remains uncertain.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Brown University, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island, 02905, United States
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Case Western Reserve University, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital
Cleveland, Ohio, 44106, United States
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Children's Mercy Hospital
Kansas City, Missouri, 64108, United States
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Cincinnati Children's Medical Center
Cincinnati, Ohio, 45267, United States
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Duke University
Durham, North Carolina, 27710, United States
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Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, United States
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Indiana University
Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States
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RTI International
Durham, North Carolina, 27705, United States
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Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Columbus, Ohio, 43205, United States
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Stanford University
Palo Alto, California, 94304, United States
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Univeristy of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama, 35233, United States
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University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, 90025, United States
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University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, United States
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University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, United States
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University of Rochester
Rochester, New York, 14642, United States
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University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
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University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Dallas, Texas, 75235, United States
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Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan, 48201, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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