Source：The Insides Company Limited
On：27th August 2024
Organisation：The Insides Company, CureKids
27 August 2024, Auckland, New Zealand. Cure Kids and The Insides Company announce breakthrough results from a clinical study that investigated a new therapy for pre-term babies suffering from intestinal failure. Intestinal failure is a severe condition that occurs when a baby develops a discontinuity in their intestine secondary to a surgical procedure, congenital defect, or disease. It has a devastating morbidity and mortality rate as high as 50-70% in pre-term babies, or neonates.
The clinical study was sponsored by Cure Kids to investigate the impact of a treatment called chyme reinfusion therapy, that was performed using a novel medical device called The Insides Neo. The device works by temporarily bridging the two discontinuous ends of the neonate’s intestines together, to enable the food to progress through the entire length of the intestinal tract. This increases nutrient absorption and maintains microbiome and immune function development.
The clinical study was conducted at Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) at Waikato Hospital, Christchurch Hospital, and Auckland City Hospital, and the results are published in the September 2024 edition of Clinical Nutrition, a prestigious European medical journal. Key clinical outcomes were
1) Significant weight gain. The neonates on the chyme reinfusion device gained weight at more than double the rate of the babies that were not on the device (average gain of 197 grams/week on the device versus 69 without).
2) Reduction in intravenous nutrition. Four out of the seven (57%) neonates that were on intravenous feeding prior to starting on the device, weaned off intravenous nutrition and on to breast milk or enteral nutrition.
3) Saved nurse’s time. Once nurses learned how to use the device they reported significant workflow efficiencies.
Dr Steve Evans, a paediatric surgeon from Starship Children's Hospital said “because the neonates' intestines had received nutrition and fluid directly prior to reconstructive surgery, their bowel looked to have been better prepared for suturing. This, together with the fact that they were in good physical condition going into surgery and that the bowel downstream of the suturing was already being used, may mean that their recovery from surgery and restoration of good bowel function was quicker and smoother."
Taylor Harrington, a Neonatal Nurse from Auckland Hospital NICU said "The 'Insides Neo' features a closed-circuit chyme reinfusion system, which streamlines refeeding making it easier, cleaner, and more user-friendly. This system not only ensures that neonatal patients meet their nutritional needs and improves nutrient absorption, but it also supports the maturation and functionality of the distal neonatal gut in preparation for the eventual reconstructive surgery. Additionally, by reducing the need for unnecessary stoma bag changes, it minimizes skin complications, protects delicate neonatal skin from injury, and enhances nursing workflows, leading to improved efficiency and safety in care delivery."
Frances Soutter, CEO of Cure Kids, said, "Cure Kids is incredibly proud to support a diverse range of research aimed at improving the lives of our tamariki. The life-saving potential of this advanced therapy for our precious and vulnerable pre-term babies is a fantastic outcome and truly demonstrates the real impact that can be achieved with the generous donations given by New Zealanders."
Emma Ludlow, lead author of the paper and Global Clinical Coordinator at The Insides Company said “chyme reinfusion is an important treatment option that is already in the clinical guidelines. We are committed to making it available and easy to use for clinicians, patients, and their caregivers.”
About CureKids
Cure Kids is New Zealand’s largest charitable funder of child health research committed to finding better treatments and preventative strategies for a wide range of serious child health conditions. Cure Kids has invested more than $65 million in New Zealand research since it formed over 50 years ago, which has helped to shape and vastly improve the way children who live with serious diseases and health conditions are diagnosed and treated. Cure Kids is currently funding around $8 million in child health research across 60+ projects. Red Nose Day is their biggest annual fundraising campaign and makes a significant contribution to this work. For more information visit：www.curekids.org.nz
About The Insides Company
The Insides Company is a provider of life-saving medical devices that are purpose-designed to perform chyme reinfusion therapy for the treatment of patients with severe intestinal failure. The Insides Company’s vision is ‘a world that refeeds’.
Contacts
CureKids
Frances Benge
frances@curekids.org.nz
The Insides Company
Emma Ludlow
sales@theinsides.co
Reference
Ludlow et al, Evaluating the efficacy and safety of neonatal chyme reinfusion therapy：A feasibility study using a novel medical device. Clin Nutr 2024; 43. 2253-2260. doi：10.1016/j.clnu.2024.08.016.
.png){kind=small}
