Car seat breathing risk for preemies measured in new study
NCT ID NCT06724601
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked at 51 stable premature infants to see how their lung volume changes when placed in a car seat. Using a special imaging technique called electrical impedance tomography, researchers measured breathing patterns in three positions: lying flat, sitting in a car seat, and lying flat again. The goal was to understand if car seats designed for full-term babies might cause breathing problems for preemies.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help design safer car seats or positioning guidelines for preterm infants during transport.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small observational study with only 51 infants, so results may not apply to all preterm babies. It measures lung volume changes but does not test any intervention to improve safety.
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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51 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2025
- Finished
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Aug 2025
- 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
This study will take place at the Department of Neonatology of the University Hospital Zurich. Preterm infants ready for discharge will be screened for eligibility and parents will be approached by the treating physician or a clinician-researcher who is authorized to access the patient's clinical data.
- Ages
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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * Gestational age up to 36 6/7 weeks at birth and/or birthweight \< 2.5 kg * Preterm born infants fulfilling all criteria for discharge from the NICU * Discharge home planned within 48 hours * Written informed consent by one or both parents or legal guardians as documented by signature. Exclusion Criteria: * Severe malformation adversely affecting lung aeration or malformations limiting life expectancy. * Inability of the parents to understand the study procedures due to cognitive or linguistic reasons.
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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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University Hospital Zurich
Zurich, Canton of Zurich, 8091, Switzerland
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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