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Facilitating safe transition to home for preterm infants (FAST home): Protocol for a retrospective observational study (2025)
Journal Article
Szatkowski, L., Abramson, J., Tao, S., Seaton, S. E., Dorling, J., Arellano-Meza, M., Harvey, J., Harvey, T., & Ojha, S. (2025). Facilitating safe transition to home for preterm infants (FAST home): Protocol for a retrospective observational study. PLoS ONE, 20(2), Article e0318309. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318309

Background
Preterm infants (i.e., those born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy) often require additional care and are admitted to neonatal units soon after birth. Readiness for discharge home typically requires a level of physiological maturity... Read More about Facilitating safe transition to home for preterm infants (FAST home): Protocol for a retrospective observational study.

Timing of Neonatal Discharge and Unplanned Readmission to PICUs Among Infants Born Preterm (2024)
Journal Article
van Hasselt, T. J., Wang, Y., Gale, C., Ojha, S., Battersby, C., Davis, P., Kanthimathinathan, H. K., Draper, E. S., Seaton, S. E., & United Kingdom Neonatal Collaborative and the Paediatric Critical Care Society Study Group (PCCS-SG). (2024). Timing of Neonatal Discharge and Unplanned Readmission to PICUs Among Infants Born Preterm. JAMA Network Open, 7(11), Article e2444909. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.44909

Importance: Children born very preterm (<32 weeks) are at risk of ongoing morbidity and admission to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in childhood. However, the influence of the timing of neonatal discharge on unplanned PICU admission has not b...

Exploring parents’ experiences, attitudes and understanding of gastro-oesophageal reflux in infants (2024)
Journal Article
McVicar, K., Szatkowski, L., Ojha, S., Tunster, S., & Bains, M. (2024). Exploring parents’ experiences, attitudes and understanding of gastro-oesophageal reflux in infants. PLoS ONE, 19(9), Article 0309081. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309081

Background
Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) affects nearly half of infants. Parents play a crucial role in management but more understanding of their attitudes and experiences is needed to inform future education, support and research. This study aim... Read More about Exploring parents’ experiences, attitudes and understanding of gastro-oesophageal reflux in infants.

Non-Invasive Ventilatory Support in Preterm Neonates in the Delivery Room and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Short Narrative Review of What We Know in 2024 (2024)
Journal Article
Roehr, C. C., Farley, H. J., Mahmoud, R. A., & Ojha, S. (2024). Non-Invasive Ventilatory Support in Preterm Neonates in the Delivery Room and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Short Narrative Review of What We Know in 2024. Neonatology, 121(5), 576-583. https://doi.org/10.1159/000540601

Background: Guidelines recommend non-invasive ventilatory (NIV) support as first-line respiratory support mode in preterm infants as NIV is superior to intubation and mechanical ventilation in preventing death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia. However,... Read More about Non-Invasive Ventilatory Support in Preterm Neonates in the Delivery Room and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Short Narrative Review of What We Know in 2024.

Identifying neonatal transport research priorities: a modified Delphi consensus (2024)
Journal Article
Mistry, A., Leslie, A., Ojha, S., & Sharkey, D. (2025). Identifying neonatal transport research priorities: a modified Delphi consensus. Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 110(1), 43-50. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2024-327213

Objectives: With increasing advances in neonatal transport, a focused research strategy is required to increase the evidence base towards providing optimal care. We aimed to identify the most important neonatal transport research questions as priorit... Read More about Identifying neonatal transport research priorities: a modified Delphi consensus.

Effects of implementation of a care bundle on rates of necrotising enterocolitis and own mother’s milk feeding in the East Midlands: protocol for a mixed methods impact and process evaluation study (2024)
Journal Article
Abramson, J., Szatkowski, L., Bains, M., Orton, E., Budge, H., Spruce, M., & Ojha, S. (2024). Effects of implementation of a care bundle on rates of necrotising enterocolitis and own mother’s milk feeding in the East Midlands: protocol for a mixed methods impact and process evaluation study. BMJ Open, 14(5), Article e078633. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078633

Introduction: Prevention of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is vital for improving neonatal outcomes. Feeding own mother’s milk helps prevent NEC. Rates of own mother’s milk feeding in the East Midlands are lower than the national average and the inc... Read More about Effects of implementation of a care bundle on rates of necrotising enterocolitis and own mother’s milk feeding in the East Midlands: protocol for a mixed methods impact and process evaluation study.

Impact of NICE clinical guidelines for prevention and treatment of neonatal infections on antibiotic use in very preterm infants in England and Wales: an interrupted time series analysis (2024)
Journal Article
Saunders, M., Ojha, S., & Szatkowski, L. (2024). Impact of NICE clinical guidelines for prevention and treatment of neonatal infections on antibiotic use in very preterm infants in England and Wales: an interrupted time series analysis. Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 110(1), F30–F36. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2024-326983

Objective: To assess the impact of publication of UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on the prevention and treatment of early-onset infections (EOIs) in neonates (clinical guideline 149 (CG149), published in 2012,... Read More about Impact of NICE clinical guidelines for prevention and treatment of neonatal infections on antibiotic use in very preterm infants in England and Wales: an interrupted time series analysis.

A mixed-methods study to investigate feasibility and acceptability of an early warning score for preterm infants in neonatal units in Kenya: results of the NEWS-K study (2024)
Journal Article
Mitchell, E. J., Aluvaala, J., Bradshaw, L., Daniels, J. P., Emadau, C., Muthumbi, B., Nabwera, H., Ojee, E., Opira, J., Pallotti, P., Qureshi, Z., Sigei, M., Su, Y., Swinden, R., Were, F., & Ojha, S. (2024). A mixed-methods study to investigate feasibility and acceptability of an early warning score for preterm infants in neonatal units in Kenya: results of the NEWS-K study. BMC Pediatrics, 24, Article 326. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-024-04778-z

Preterm birth (< 37 weeks gestation) complications are the leading cause of neonatal mortality. Early-warning scores (EWS) are charts where vital signs (e.g., temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate) are recorded, triggering action. To evaluate whe... Read More about A mixed-methods study to investigate feasibility and acceptability of an early warning score for preterm infants in neonatal units in Kenya: results of the NEWS-K study.

Association between opioid use during mechanical ventilation in preterm infants and evidence of brain injury: a propensity score-matched cohort study (2023)
Journal Article
Szatkowski, L., Sharkey, D., Budge, H., & Ojha, S. (2023). Association between opioid use during mechanical ventilation in preterm infants and evidence of brain injury: a propensity score-matched cohort study. eClinicalMedicine, 65, Article 102296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102296

Background: Preterm infants often require mechanical ventilation (MV), which can be a painful experience. Opioids (such as morphine) are used to provide analgesia, despite conflicting evidence about their impact on the developing brain. We aimed to q... Read More about Association between opioid use during mechanical ventilation in preterm infants and evidence of brain injury: a propensity score-matched cohort study.

Breastfeeding in infants diagnosed with Phenylketonuria (PKU): a scoping review (2023)
Journal Article
Kalvala, J., Chong, L., Chadborn, N., & Ojha, S. (2023). Breastfeeding in infants diagnosed with Phenylketonuria (PKU): a scoping review. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 7(1), Article e002066. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2023-002066

Background: Phenylketonuria (PKU) is the most common inherited disease of amino acid metabolism, characterised by elevated levels of phenylalanine (Phe). There is a lack of infant feeding guidance for those with PKU. From birth to 6 months of age, br... Read More about Breastfeeding in infants diagnosed with Phenylketonuria (PKU): a scoping review.

Childhood bone tumours in primary care: helping GPs to identify ‘the needle in the haystack’ (2023)
Journal Article
Shanmugavadivel, D., Liu, J.-F., Ball-Gamble, A., Polanco, A., Vedhara, K., Nathan, P., Walker, D., & Ojha, S. (2023). Childhood bone tumours in primary care: helping GPs to identify ‘the needle in the haystack’. British Journal of General Practice, 73(733), 377-379. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp23x734673

In 2018, the World Health Organization declared childhood cancer as a global disease burden, launching a Global Initiative to improve survival to 60% worldwide by 2030. If achieved, it is estimated that an extra 1 million children’s lives will be sav... Read More about Childhood bone tumours in primary care: helping GPs to identify ‘the needle in the haystack’.

How frequent is routine use of probiotics in UK neonatal units? (2023)
Journal Article
Patel, N., Evans, K., Berrington, J., Szatkowski, L., Costeloe, K., Ojha, S., Fleming, P., Battersby, C., & NeoTRIPS Collaborative Group. (2023). How frequent is routine use of probiotics in UK neonatal units?. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 7(1), Article e002012. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2023-002012

Objective There is a lack of UK guidance regarding routine use of probiotics in preterm infants to prevent necrotising enterocolitis, late-onset sepsis and death. As practices can vary, we aimed to determine the current usage of probiotics within neo... Read More about How frequent is routine use of probiotics in UK neonatal units?.

Parents and healthcare professionals' attitudes to Kangaroo Care for preterm infants in the United Kingdom (2023)
Journal Article
Walker, S., Ojha, S., & Mitchell, E. J. (2023). Parents and healthcare professionals' attitudes to Kangaroo Care for preterm infants in the United Kingdom. Acta Paediatrica, https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.16795

Aim: To explore the attitudes of parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs), and facilitators and barrier to implementation of Kangaroo Care (KC) in the United Kingdom. Methods: Online cross-sectional survey; distributed via the British Association... Read More about Parents and healthcare professionals' attitudes to Kangaroo Care for preterm infants in the United Kingdom.

Assessing and investigating children with suspected bone and abdominal tumours: an e-Delphi consensus process (2023)
Journal Article
Shanmugavadivel, D., Liu, J. F., Gamble, A., Polanco, A., Vedhara, K., Walker, D., & Ojha, S. (2023). Assessing and investigating children with suspected bone and abdominal tumours: an e-Delphi consensus process. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 7, Article e001771. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2022-001771

Background The incidence of childhood cancer has risen by 15% since the 1990s. Early diagnosis is key to optimising outcomes, however diagnostic delays are widely reported. Presenting symptoms are often non-specific causing a diagnostic dilemma for c... Read More about Assessing and investigating children with suspected bone and abdominal tumours: an e-Delphi consensus process.

Observational cohort study of use of caffeine in preterm infants and association between early caffeine use and neonatal outcomes (2023)
Journal Article
Szatkowski, L., Fateh, S., Abramson, J., Kwok, T. C., Sharkey, D., Budge, H., & Ojha, S. (2023). Observational cohort study of use of caffeine in preterm infants and association between early caffeine use and neonatal outcomes. Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 108(5), 505-510. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2022-324919

Objective: To quantify trends in caffeine use in infants born at <32 weeks' gestational age (GA), and to investigate the effects of early vs late caffeine on neonatal outcomes. Study design: Retrospective propensity score matched cohort study using r...

Breastfeeding in infants diagnosed with phenylketonuria (2022)
Journal Article
Chong, L., Kalvala, J., Chadborn, N., & Ojha, S. (2022). Breastfeeding in infants diagnosed with phenylketonuria. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2022(8), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD015243

Objectives: This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows:. To assess the effects of breastfeeding (exclusive or partial) compared to low-Phe formula feeding in the first six months after birth in infants diag... Read More about Breastfeeding in infants diagnosed with phenylketonuria.

Sedation and analgesia from prolonged pain and stress during mechanical ventilation in preterm infants: is dexmedetomidine an alternative to current practice? (2022)
Journal Article
Ojha, S., Abramson, J., & Dorling, J. (2022). Sedation and analgesia from prolonged pain and stress during mechanical ventilation in preterm infants: is dexmedetomidine an alternative to current practice?. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 6(1), Article e001460. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2022-001460

Mechanical ventilation is an uncomfortable and potentially painful intervention. Opioids, such as morphine and fentanyl, are used for analgesia and sedation but there is uncertainty whether they reduce pain in mechanically ventilated infants. Moreove... Read More about Sedation and analgesia from prolonged pain and stress during mechanical ventilation in preterm infants: is dexmedetomidine an alternative to current practice?.

Availability of active therapeutic hypothermia at birth for neonatal hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy: a UK population study from 2011 to 2018 (2022)
Journal Article
Mistry, A., Shipley, L., Ojha, S., & Sharkey, D. (2022). Availability of active therapeutic hypothermia at birth for neonatal hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy: a UK population study from 2011 to 2018. Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 107(6), 597-602. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2021-322906

Objective: Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) commenced soon after birth for neonatal hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) improves survival and reduces neurodisability. Availability of active TH at the place of birth (Immediate-TH) in the UK is unknown.... Read More about Availability of active therapeutic hypothermia at birth for neonatal hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy: a UK population study from 2011 to 2018.