Helping families in the NICU: supporting parents and infant health with CNH+
Official title: Connecting Families to Improve Parental Self-efficacy and Parent Psychosocial and Infant Health Outcomes in the NICU Using an eHealth Solution (The CONNECT Study)
Run by IWK Health Centre · NCT05853666 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests if the Chez NICU Home+ (CNH+) eHealth program helps parents feel more capable and improves mental health and infant health for babies in the NICU.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 600 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | IWK Health Centre Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Halifax, Nova Scotia) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 8, 2023 |
| Main results expected | May 31, 2027 |
| Study ends | June 2028 |
| Registry record updated | September 21, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT05853666 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Parents of infants admitted to the NICU who can consent within 7 days of birth and expect the baby to stay in the NICU for at least 14 days, and who can read English.
✕Probably not a fit
Parents whose infant care plan does not anticipate a NICU stay of at least 14 days or who cannot read English may not benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This multicenter implementation study will add the CNH+ platform—an online education hub with interactive tools, virtual family communication, and text support—to NICU care. It focuses on parents of preterm infants to see if CNH+ can boost parental self-efficacy and improve psychosocial well-being and infant health outcomes during a NICU stay. Outcomes include primary parental self-efficacy and secondary caregiver well-being and infant health measures, plus ease of use and adoption across sites. The study leverages existing infrastructure and will evaluate uptake at multiple centers led by IWK Health Centre with CIHR collaboration.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, CNH+ could make it easier for parents to manage NICU care and potentially improve outcomes for both parents and babies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior eHealth and parent-support tools in NICUs have shown potential benefits in parent engagement and psychosocial outcomes, but CNH+ represents an implementation approach across multiple sites.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Parents who have an infant admitted to the NICU * Parents who provide consent to participate within 7 days following birth * Infant (regardless of gestational age or diagnosis) is anticipated to have at least a 14-day NICU stay Exclusion Criteria: * Parents who are unable to read or write English * Parents whose infant is not anticipated to survive within the 7-day enrollment period after birth based on attending physician assessment
Where it's running
-
IWK Health
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Marsha Campbell-Yeo, RN NNP PhD — Dalhousie University
- Study coordinator: Marsha Campbell-Yeo, RN NNP PhD
- Email: marsha.campbell-yeo@dal.ca
- Phone: 902 430 6447
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.