UMPIRE Protocol: Improving Kidney Health for 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-11616601 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A long-term plan to standardize how doctors care for babies and young kids with spina bifida to protect their kidney function.
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, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $42,000 |
| NIH project number | 6U01DD001236-05M004 |
| Project ID | NIH-11616601 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children with spina bifida, from birth to age 10, whose care would be guided by the UMPIRE protocol.
✕Less likely to help
Children outside the birth-10 year age range or not managed under the UMPIRE protocol may not experience these protocol-driven benefits.
What this research studies
This project uses a standardized care protocol, UMPIRE, to guide urologic management from birth to age 10 for children with spina bifida. Researchers will follow the same treatment pathway in real-world settings to determine how well it preserves kidney function and keeps care costs reasonable. Families affected by spina bifida can anticipate clearer care plans and potentially better long-term kidney health for their children.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the protocol could become a trusted standard that protects kidneys and reduces urinary complications for children with spina bifida.
How similar studies have gone: Previous funding cycles laid the groundwork; continuing follow-up will validate the protocol’s effectiveness.
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.
-
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.