Protecting kidney health in young children with spina bifida through standardized urology care
Official title: Component C. Urologic Management to Preserve Initial Renal Function Protocol for Young Children with Spina Bifida (UMPIRE Protocol)
Funded at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles · NIH-11400842 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will use a standard urology care plan for young children with spina bifida to help keep their kidneys healthy and reduce urinary problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hospital of Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2019 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $25,000 |
| NIH project number | 6U01DD001273-05M002 |
| Project ID | NIH-11400842 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Young children born with spina bifida, especially those with neurogenic bladder or early urologic issues, are the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
Adults, people without spina bifida, or children whose kidneys are already severely damaged are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
What this research studies
Younger children with spina bifida will follow the UMPIRE urology protocol so care and testing are done the same way across visits. Teams will collect and standardize urology test results, track infections, reflux, and kidney function over time, and share data with other centers. The program supports collaborative research projects and uses those findings to improve clinical care at the hospital. Families can expect regular monitoring and coordinated urologic management aimed at preventing long-term kidney damage.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower the risk of kidney damage, reduce urinary tract infections, and improve continence and long-term renal outcomes for children with spina bifida.
How similar studies have gone: Standardized urology programs for children with neurogenic bladder have shown promise in reducing infections and protecting kidney function, though broader implementation of the UMPIRE protocol is ongoing.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smith, Kathryn a. Navarette — Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Smith, Kathryn a. Navarette
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.