UMPIRE: Standardized Urologic Care for Babies with Spina Bifida
Official title: Comp C Spina Bifida Urologic Protocol at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11616596 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A child with spina bifida would receive a standardized set of bladder and kidney care to protect kidneys and help with continence as they grow.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2019 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $42,000 |
| NIH project number | 6U01DD001234-05M004 |
| Project ID | NIH-11616596 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Newborns diagnosed with spina bifida enrolled in the Vanderbilt Spina Bifida Program.
✕Less likely to help
Children not meeting enrollment criteria or those with unrelated health issues may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project follows babies with spina bifida from birth to age 10 to see how a uniform urologic care plan affects kidney health and bladder control. The team collects routine diagnostic tests and treatment data to understand which factors predict kidney problems or poor bladder outcomes. Doctors and a clinical research team monitor data quality and share findings to guide better, evidence-based care. The study aims to identify practical predictors so future patients get more reliable, personalized care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the protocol could lead to more consistent care that preserves kidney function and improves bladder control for children with spina bifida.
How similar studies have gone: Previous UMPIRE studies have shown valuable insights; this project builds on that foundation with standardized protocols and longer follow-up.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Clayton, Douglass Brooks — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Clayton, Douglass Brooks
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.
-
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.
-
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.