Our News

The Research and Development Team at Peterborough City Hospital has successfully recruited their first patient to a new neonatal study and become the first in the East of England to do so. 

SurfsUp is an international study which compares 2 ways of administering surfactant to babies born prematurely (less than 37 weeks gestation).

Babies who are born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) have immature lungs and may need breathing support for a condition called respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Some babies will require treatment with surfactant, a liquid medicine that helps the lungs to function more effectively. The research project is comparing two different ways to administer surfactant to babies that need it.

The hospital is working with the Children’s Hospital, Glasgow, and Monash Hospital, Australia to compare these two ways to find which is best for the baby.

Maria Lazinska said of the trial: “When our son Anthony was born at just 31+2 weeks, we were terrified he might not be able to breathe on his own. We were full of fear and uncertainty. But thanks to the SurfsUp study and the incredible care he received, we saw improvement day by day. Anthony responded so well to the treatment — he grew stronger and more stable with each passing day. As a mother, seeing my baby get better filled me with so much joy and hope. I will never forget the relief I felt watching him breathe more easily and fight so bravely. We are forever grateful for this opportunity that gave our little boy a stronger start in life.”

Dr Nikhil Ganjoo, Consultant Paediatrician and Principal Investigator for the study added: “ It is very exciting for our unit to be engaged with Neonatal research with the hard work and dedication of our Research nurses and the Neonatal Nurses. We currently recruit for 4 international studies on our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with one of the studies being the highest recruiting non-commercial trail for our Trust.”