News & Updates
Quarterly Newsletter May 2022 Edition: PREVENT Study Issue 9
The PREVENT study aims to prevent epilepsy caused by neonatal
encephalopathy in India by implementation of a pragmatic intrapartum care bundle. The first phase of our study has been completed and we have now moved on to the second phase on 1st of March 2022. The site investigators met face to face at Bengaluru in February 2022 for discussing the potential site specific challenges with respect to the implementation of care bundle and came up with the optimum approach. As the second phase began, we organized a formal dissemination event and the care bundle is now actively implemented across all the sites. So far, we have enrolled more than 45,000 mothers for the study. We also diligently continue with our academic sessions for team such as multi country journal clubs, weekly EEG training sessions and also the PhD programmes.
Quarterly Newsletter January 2022 Edition: PREVENT Study Issue 8
The PREVENT study aims to prevent epilepsy caused by neonatal encephalopathy in India by implementation of a pragmatic intrapartum care bundle. The first phase of the study has been completed effectively, and we are now moving on to the second phase. During the transition period, we arranged a virtual meeting to examine the challenges of implementing the care bundle and come up with the best approach to combat them.
Simultaneously, we conducted Basic Neonatal Resuscitation Programme and dignity games across all sites. Following that, we held a virtual symposium on "Saving Babies Brains," which was a crucial milestone during the transition period.
So far, we have enrolled 40,453 moms and 797 infants for the study. The The PREVENT study encourages its employees to enhance professional skills; as a result, we are pleased to inform that one of our teammate (GHR SPARC awardee) got the opportunity to present her career journey at an NIHR webinar.
Throughout the transition phase, we also had new team members joining the PREVENT team.
Quarterly Newsletter November 2021 Edition: PREVENT Study Issue 7
We are excited to share our stories across the three sites-Bangalore, Calicut and Hubli, towards achieving the nearly impossible 30,000 plus recruitment milestone, despite all the hardships and challenges. This is an occasion for thanksgiving to NIHR and our collaborators who constantly support the execution of our project and our team members for their consistent efforts and dedication towards this achievement. With this momentum, we are ready to kickstart the second phase, through adopting wide of range optimised strategies in consultation with global experts in order to achieve our goals and priorities and to drive for a world class impact on saving babies.
Quarterly Newsletter July 2021 Edition: PREVENT Study Issue 6
We are delighted to have achieved yet another important milestone in our journey. Our team has successfully recruited 20,000 mothers to the PREVENT study from our sites in Bangalore, Calicut and Hubli. We are extremely grateful to each and everyone who has been part of our journey so far. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our collaborators and NIHR who have been instrumental in supporting us and in the achievement of this milestone. We are now only 8 months away from our first 18-month follow-up of one of our first babies recruited to the study.
Quarterly Newsletter April 2021 Edition: PREVENT Study Issue 5
We are delighted to have achieved yet another important milestone in our journey. Our team has successfully recruited 20,000 mothers to the PREVENT study from our sites in Bangalore, Calicut and Hubli. We are extremely grateful to each and everyone who has been part of our journey so far. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our collaborators and NIHR who have been instrumental in supporting us and in the achievement of this milestone. We are now only 8 months away from our first 18-month follow-up of one of our first babies recruited to the study.
Quarterly Newsletter Jan 2021 Edition: PREVENT Study Issue 4
PREVENT study was launched in November 2019 and recruitment commenced on 1 March 2020. However, the study had to be suspended temporarily because of the ongoing pandemic. Despite the various challenges pertaining to this situation, our team was able to restart the recruitment in a phased manner across study sites. Recruitment at the Calicut site started in July 2020, Bangalore in August 2020 and Hubli in September 2020. The team achieved a milestone of 10,000 women recruited to the study on December 8. We are immensely grateful to our collaborators and NIHR for supporting us through these challenging times.
The month of December was filled with festivities at PREVENT in all the three centres as we reflected on memories of the year 2020, be it good or bad given how the whole world faced the pandemic bravely. It was not an easy journey for PREVENT team across the three sites as well but everyone put up a brave and cheerful face and gave it their all, thus achieving the nearly impossible 10,000 plus recruitment milestone despite all the hardships and challenges.
Quarterly Newsletter Oct 2020 Edition: PREVENT Study Issue 3
PREVENT Study Back in Action!
After a hiatus of 6-8 months due to the pandemic, PREVENT study started in each of the centres in a phased manner mindful of the several challenges posed by the pandemic.
The programme restarted full-swing in Calicut in July and in Bengaluru in August.
Kickstart of Hubbali
The study kickstarted in Hubbali in August with preparations to set up the office space, and online training sessions to sensitise the faculty and PG students about PREVENT study in a short time; one major induction session was conducted with Prof Kasturi Donimath, head of OBG department, clinical OBG faculty, Dr Fattepur, head of neonatology, and PG students to break the ice and build rapport.
A Message from Sudhin Thayyil
The COVID-19 pandemic is changing our lives as never before. The stress it exerts on our personal and professional lives is unprecedented. This pandemic is yet another reminder that diseases don’t have boundaries, and neither does science.
PREVENT Study So Far
On 21st and 22nd November 2019, the PREVENT study team convened in Chennai, India for the inaugural meeting, followed by discussions of various elements of the study.
Partnering with PBSF
Dr Gabriel Variane, founder of PBSF (Protecting Brains and Saving Futures), talks about his collaboration with the PREVENT (epilepsy) Study team.
A birth companion to prevent epilepsy in children
An NIHR-funded global health study called PREVENT Epilepsy is investigating whether a ‘care bundle’ can help stop brain injury during childbirth and reduce the incidence of epilepsy. Jyothy Karat describes how birth companions, one element of this bundle, can support medical teams during the labour process but also empower mothers.
Press Conference
The world's largest study on babies with brain injuries kick started in India on 21 November, 2019, to help prevent epilepsy. The press conference was held at 7.30 pm on Thursday, Nov 21 at Taj Clubhouse, Royapettah, Chennai.