Fetal anesthesia mystery: tiny study aims to make surgery safer for unborn babies
NCT ID NCT07571811
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study will measure how three common anesthesia drugs—fentanyl, rocuronium, and atropine—behave in fetuses during maternal-fetal surgery. Researchers will analyze discarded fetal blood samples and track heart rate and movement to understand drug effects. The goal is to create safer, evidence-based dosing guidelines for fetal anesthesia. The study involves 10 pregnant women and does not change standard care.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- fentanyl, rocuronium, and atropine
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to safer, more precise anesthesia dosing for fetuses during surgery, tailored to their age and size.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small observational study (10 participants) that does not test a new treatment. It only measures drug levels in discarded blood samples, so it may not directly change care.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 10 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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May 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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May 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Pregnant women undergoing maternal-fetal surgery
- Ages
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13 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Pregnant and undergoing maternal-fetal surgery requiring clinically indicated fetal anesthesia and planned fetal blood sampling as part of usual fetal care * Fetus is with or without congenital heart disease Exclusion Criteria: * Patient or fetus have any known liver or kidney disease * Patient or fetus has any known allergy to fentanyl, rocuronium, or atropine * Patient has taken inhibitors, inducers or substrates of CYP3A4 other than midazolam (including erythromycin, ranitidine, verapamil, antihistamines, and dextromethorphan) within 24 hours of surgery.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States