Protecting kidney health in children with spina bifida
Official title: Research Approaches to Improve the Care and Outcomes of People Living with Spina Bifida- Component C
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11422051 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is trying a standard urology care plan to protect kidneys in newborns and young children born with spina bifida.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2019 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $25,000 |
| NIH project number | 6U01DD001236-05M002 |
| Project ID | NIH-11422051 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Newborns and children with spina bifida who have a neurogenic bladder, especially those from birth up to age 10 and willing to follow a standardized urologic care plan, are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Adults with spina bifida, children older than 10, or patients who already have advanced kidney damage are unlikely to benefit from this early-life prevention protocol.
What this research studies
You and your child would follow the UMPIRE care protocol from birth through age 10 to try to prevent kidney damage from a neurogenic bladder. Care includes scheduled bladder monitoring, imaging and kidney function tests, and standard treatments such as catheterization and medications when needed. The team will track kidney health, bladder outcomes, and resource use to see if the protocol preserves normal kidney function while using resources efficiently. This work continues earlier follow-up through age 5 to confirm longer-term benefits up to age 10.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the UMPIRE protocol could keep more children’s kidneys healthy and reduce costly complications and surgeries.
How similar studies have gone: Prior funding established the UMPIRE protocol and early follow-up through age 5 showed promise, but effectiveness through age 10 is still being confirmed.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Joseph, David B — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Joseph, David B
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Improving care and outcomes for people living with spina bifida in Wisconsin
A patient-friendly project aims to improve everyday care and health outcomes for people with spina bifida in Wisconsin.
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The National Spina Bifida Patient Registry at University of Pittsburgh
A national registry project at the University of Pittsburgh aims to collect and organize information about people with spina bifida to improve care.
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Improving Care and Outcomes for People Living with Spina Bifida
A patient-friendly project aims to improve how people with spina bifida are cared for and how well they do over time.
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Scoliosis and neurosurgical factors in myelomeningocele: a clinic registry study
This project uses registry data from Penn State’s Spina Bifida Clinic to understand how brain and spine-related issues influence when and why scoliosis surgery is needed in people with myelomeningocele.
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UMPIRE: Better Urologic Care for Babies with Spina Bifida
This grant tests how to best protect kidney function in newborns with spina bifida by comparing and refining urologic care practices across multiple hospitals.
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Spina Bifida Collaborative Care Network to Improve Outcomes
A national program is expanding coordinated care networks and a patient registry to help people with Spina Bifida get better, more consistent care.
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.