UMPIRE Protocol: A Urologic Plan to Protect Kidneys in Young Children with Spina Bifida
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-11616595 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A coordinated urologic plan is being tested to preserve kidney health in young children with spina bifida by standardizing care and collecting data across multiple sites.
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, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $42,000 |
| NIH project number | 6U01DD001273-05M004 |
| Project ID | NIH-11616595 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Young children diagnosed with spina bifida and neurogenic bladder who are receiving urologic care.
✕Less likely to help
Children without spina bifida or those not requiring urologic management may not benefit from this protocol.
What this research studies
This project aims to implement the UMPIRE Protocol for young children with spina bifida and measure its impact on kidney health over time. It focuses on standardizing how urologic tests and documentation are done and on conducting high-quality, collaborative research with other sites. By guiding care early in life, it seeks to reduce urinary tract complications and protect kidney function as children grow. The effort is centered at CHLA with broader collaboration to improve outcomes for SB patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this protocol could lead to better preservation of kidney function and fewer urinary complications for children with spina bifida.
How similar studies have gone: Prior efforts have shown that standardized urologic management can improve outcomes; this protocol builds on those concepts with a multi-site implementation.
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.