Comparison of Sucking in Premature Infants and Infants With Pierre Robin Sequence (NUTROBIN)

May 18, 2026 updated by: Hospices Civils de Lyon

Comparison of Sucking in Premature Infants and Infants With Pierre Robin Syndrome

The NUTROBIN study aims to analyze sucking in two populations of vulnerable children who require intensive and prolonged care, and whose treatment has an impact on the subsequent development of oral function. This development has a significant impact on the overall psychomotor development.

  • Prematurity and oral function Very premature birth, before 29 weeks is associated with significant neonatal morbiditywhich interferes with the development of oral competencies. The coordination of sucking, swallowing, and breathing, which is necessary for oral feeding, commonly matures after 34 weeks postconceptional age (Quetin 2015). During the first weeks of life, the oral sphere of these babies is both under-stimulated due to the enteral feeding via a fed via a gastric tube, and negatively stimulated due to fixation of the tube on the perioral area together with regular necessary tube changes. The more premature an infant is, the more significant these disturbances are, delaying the acquisition of feeding autonomy (Lau 2020), which is essential for discharge from the hospital. Positive oral stimulation, such as non-nutritive sucking (pacifier), and perioral stimulation can support the development of oral feeding in these vulnerable infants. Many questions remain regarding the development of sucking in premature infants, as there are few tools available to analyse it accurately.
  • NUTRIO study in premature infants This is a prospective, single-centre, RIPH 3 non-health product study. It was set up in the Croix Rousse neonatal unit, in collaboration with Prof. Luc Marlier, CNRS Strasbourg, who developed a succiometre. The objective is to measure sucking parameters and describe their evolution in a population of extremely premature infants whose daily care includes an oral stimulation program. Enrolment in the NUTRIO study began in January 2025 and is currently ongoing. Ten infants have been enrolled, and a total of 30 are expected to be included.
  • The DYSROBIN study in infants with Pierre Robin sequence This is a prospective, multicentre study that aimed to evaluate the involvement of brainstem dysfunction in the pathophysiology of Pierre Robin sequence. To assess brainstem dysfunction, several tests were performed to collect the various elements that make up the spectrum of dysautonomia: central sleep apnoea (nighttime polysomnography), cardiac variability abnormalities (24-hour Holter ECG), gastroesophageal reflux (pH monitoring, impedance measurement), sucking difficulties (sucking measurement). A group of infants with Pierre Robin sequence (upper airway obstruction, suspected brainstem involvement) was compared to a group of infants with isolated airway obstruction (laryngomalacia, choanal atresia, etc.) and healthy infants. Inclusions were completed in 2022 and included 53 infants with Pierre Robin sequence. Two ancillary publications have been produced, one submission is imminent, and the main study is currently being written.

Justification for the NUTROBIN study:

This study will help to better define the sucking profile of infants with Pierre Robin sequence in order to determine the actions to be taken to support oral function in these infants from the first weeks of life and limit the neurodevelopmental consequences and the impact on the quality of life of the infant and their family caused by oral function disorders.

The public interest of the study lies in the fact that it will clarify the specificities of the sucking and swallowing profile of infants with Pierre Robin sequence, enable families to be better informed about these children's oral disorders, and thus offer targeted, personalized multidisciplinary care (paediatrician, speech therapist, dietitian).

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

26

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • France
    • Rhone
      • Lyon, Rhone, France, 69004
        • Hôpital Croix Rousse

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients included in the NUTRIO or DYSROBIN studies with succiometry measurements.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients included in the DYSROBIN study who underwent succiometry or
  • Patients included in the NUTRIO study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Opposition by legal representatives

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Children with Pierre Robin syndrome
Children with Pierre Robin syndrome included in the DYSROBIN study who underwent succiometry as part of the study.
Other: Succiometry
Comparison of data measured by succiometry between children with Pierre Robin syndrome (DYSROBIN; closed) and very premature infants (NUTRIO; ongoing).
Extremely premature infants
Extremely pemature infants included in the NUTRIO study who underwent succiometry as part of the study.
Other: Succiometry
Comparison of data measured by succiometry between children with Pierre Robin syndrome (DYSROBIN; closed) and very premature infants (NUTRIO; ongoing).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of suction and crushing peaks
Time Frame: between 33 and 36 weeks postconceptional age
The primary endpoint is the number of suction and crushing peaks
between 33 and 36 weeks postconceptional age

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Hospices Civils de Lyon

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 9, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 31, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

March 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 18, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 18, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 22, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 18, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 25-5295

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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