Protecting newborn brains in babies born with transposition of the great arteries
The Risk of Acquired Neonatal Significant brain Injury during perinatal Transition in Congenital Heart Disease: TRANSIT CHD study
Doctors will follow babies with transposition of the great arteries from pregnancy through birth to find early signs and ways to protect their brains during the newborn transition.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11306049 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your fetus is diagnosed with transposition of the great arteries (TGA), the team will follow you from late pregnancy through the newborn period using fetal imaging and neonatal brain monitoring. They will measure how blood flow and oxygen delivery change during the transition from fetal to newborn circulation, perform brain MRIs and neuromonitoring before surgery, and collect clinical data and samples to look for early markers of white matter injury. The goal is to link specific perinatal physiologic changes to brain injury risk and to identify care practices that might reduce that risk, such as timing of cord clamping. Participation would be coordinated with your clinical care and requires consent for imaging and monitoring procedures that are standard or low-risk in this setting.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Pregnant people whose fetus has been diagnosed with TGA or a similar critical congenital heart defect and who can receive prenatal care and deliver at the participating hospitals are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without congenital heart disease, newborns beyond the immediate perinatal period, or families who cannot receive care at a participating center are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify early markers and practical care changes that reduce newborn white matter injury and improve long-term brain development for children with TGA.
How similar studies have performed: Some prior work (for example on delayed cord clamping) has shown neuroprotective effects in newborns, but following fetuses with TGA from pregnancy through birth to find prenatal biomarkers of brain injury is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Peyvandi, Shabnam — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Peyvandi, Shabnam
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 below.