BabyStrong II: gentle ear stimulation during bottle feeds to help babies learn to eat by mouth
Official title: BabyStrong II (Stimulating the Tragus for Neural Growth): A Randomized Controlled Trial of taVNS-Paired Bottle Feeding to Improve Oral Feeding
Funded at Frd Accel, LLC · NIH-11178706 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This tests whether gentle ear (tragus) vagus-nerve stimulation given during bottle feeds helps preterm and brain-injured infants reach full oral feeding sooner.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Frd Accel, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project start | June 7, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $969,472 |
| NIH project number | 5R42HD104409-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178706 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Preterm or term infants with brain injury who are hospitalized for feeding delays and are not yet reliably taking full oral feeds.
✕Less likely to help
Infants who are already feeding well, are medically unstable, or have contraindications to vagus nerve stimulation may not benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
This project pairs a non-invasive ear (tragus) vagus nerve stimulation device with regular bottle feeding in the neonatal unit. Babies are randomly assigned to receive the stimulation during feeds or to continue usual feeding care while teams track feeding progress and time to full oral feeds. The approach is non-invasive and was piloted in infants, where over half of babies discussed for G-tube placement reached full feeds within two weeks. The team aims to turn this method into a therapy that helps infants go home sooner and avoid gastrostomy tubes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help more infants reach full oral feeding faster and reduce the need for G-tube placement.
How similar studies have gone: Early open-label pilot work in infants showed promising results—54% of babies discussed for G-tube placement reached full feeds within two weeks—so randomized testing is now under way.
Where this research is happening
-
Frd Accel, LLC
Charleston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jenkins, Dorothea Denise — Frd Accel, LLC
- Study coordinator: Jenkins, Dorothea Denise
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.