For some families, the joy of welcoming a newborn is quickly overshadowed by fear when their baby is born with a congenital condition requiring urgent surgery.
These major abdominal or chest surgeries, though rare, account for 17% of all Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admissions in Australia. For these tiny patients, recovery is a delicate and challenging process.
Feeding after surgery is one of the biggest hurdles. Instead of breastmilk or formula, these newborns often rely on intravenous nutrition made up of carbohydrates, fats, and amino acids. Until now, the standard practice has been to provide all these components immediately. However, emerging evidence suggests that delaying amino acids in critically ill children may significantly improve recovery, reducing time in intensive care by nearly one-third and time on breathing support by almost half. The youngest and most vulnerable patients may benefit the most.
Despite this promising evidence, no large-scale study has ever tested whether this approach works for surgical newborns. Without robust data, doctors cannot confidently change practice, leaving families to endure long, stressful, and costly hospital stays.
That’s where the DELA3Y Trial comes in.
Supported through the WCH Foundation’s Bloom Research Program, Professor Michael Stark and his team are leading a world-first clinical trial to investigate whether a simple change in nutritional timing can transform outcomes for babies recovering from major surgery. This groundbreaking study will compare early versus delayed provision of amino acids in newborns and measure the impact on their recovery.
“Because it’s a simple intervention, there’s every chance that it will be rapidly translated into clinical practice and change the approach to neonatal care for these babies worldwide” – Professor Michael Stark
If successful, the DELA3Y Trial could shorten intensive care stays, reduce reliance on breathing support, improve long-term health outcomes, and revolutionize global medical practice with a simple, cost-effective intervention for NICUs. Prof. Stark’s work has the potential to make a lasting impact on the lives of the youngest and most vulnerable members of our community.
Find out more about the research we support, here.
