PREM-IMPACT: Quantifying the Household Impact on Patient-Reported Outcomes and Costs associated with the Care of Preterm Babies with and without Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC): A Study alongside the Withholding Enteral Feeds Around Blood Transfusion (WHEAT) Trial. (PREM-IMPACT)

Research summary

This application is for a health economics analysis alongside the ongoing WHEAT Trial (IRAS 309894). Babies born prematurely are at risk of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a serious gut disease that causes over 200 deaths yearly in the UK – about 1 in 20 of all child deaths. Babies who survive NEC often face long-term gut and brain damage. Premature babies are fed milk every few hours and often need blood transfusions for anaemia (low red blood cells). Some doctors worry that feeding during transfusions may increase NEC risk, while others believe pausing feeds could be more harmful. To address this, the WHEAT Trial, a large, randomised study, is currently running in over 50 neonatal units across the UK and Canada. Babies in the trial are randomly assigned to have feeds either paused or continued during transfusions, helping doctors understand the safest approach. By the end of 2026, over 2,000 UK babies will have joined the WHEAT Trial. At the end of the trial, we will compare groups to see if those with paused feeds have lower NEC rates. Developed with a dedicated parent and patient advisory group, WHEAT has been designed with family input from the start. This health economics analysis builds on the existing, ongoing WHEAT Trial described above, to better understand how prematurity and NEC affect families after discharge. We will assess quality of life, wellbeing, and the economic impact on families involved in WHEAT. We plan to survey 75 families with premature babies who have or haven’t developed NEC, asking about their quality of life, wellbeing, and financial implications (e.g., hospital visits, job changes). This analysis will provide insights into the financial and quality of life impacts of premature birth and NEC on families and also to evaluate whether WHEAT’s intervention could lead to cost savings for NHS neonatal care.

Principal Investigator

Catherine Bailey

Contact us

Email: neonatal.research@ouh.nhs.uk

IRAS number

351166