Skin conductance monitoring for premature infants on ventilators.
Official title: Pain Assessment Using Skin Conductance Measurement During Different Types of Invasive Ventilation in Newborn Infants
Run by Uppsala University Hospital · NCT07568418 · Data updated 2026-11-12
We will try tiny electrodes on a premature baby's foot to see if changes in skin conductance reflect pain from different ventilator settings and whether skin-to-skin care lowers that stress.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 22 Weeks and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 50 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Uppsala University Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Uppsala, Uppland) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | August 8, 2025 |
| Main results expected | May 30, 2028 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | May 5, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07568418 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Premature infants who require mechanical ventilation and do not have other painful conditions or facial/neuromuscular abnormalities are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Infants with additional painful conditions, facial or neuromuscular disorders that prevent visual pain assessment, or those not on mechanical ventilation are unlikely to benefit from this measurement approach.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This observational study enrolls mechanically ventilated premature newborns and adds noninvasive electrodes on the infant's foot to record skin conductance signals. Researchers will compare skin conductance during different ventilator settings and around episodes of skin-to-skin (kangaroo) care while infants are managed per routine clinical protocols. No changes to standard respiratory support are made for the measurements, and data are collected alongside regular clinical monitoring. Infants with other distracting painful conditions or facial/neuromuscular abnormalities that prevent visual pain assessment are excluded.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, skin conductance could provide a simple, continuous way to detect and reduce stress in ventilated preterm infants, for example by guiding ventilator adjustments or prompting skin-to-skin care.
How similar studies have gone: Prior neonatal studies have shown skin conductance can reflect acute pain responses, but its use specifically during mechanical ventilation and to guide skin-to-skin interventions is still being studied.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Need for mechanical ventilation Exclusion Criteria: * Other distracting painful conditions * Facial malformation or neuromuscular disease, not allowing regular visual pain assessment
Where it's running
-
Uppsala University Children's Hospital
Uppsala, Uppland, Sweden Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Johanna T Walan, Student Researcher
- Email: johanna.walan@uu.se
- Phone: +46704184255
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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.