NICHD Cooperative Multicenter Neonatal Research Network

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Division of Neonatology of the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine submits this application to become a participating center in the NICHD Cooperative Multicenter Neonatal Research Network (RFAHD-04-010). Our NICU admits between 750 and 800 infants per year, including 350 to 500 inborn infants. The number of admissions has been increasing in the past 3 years, and in fiscal year 2004, we had 808 admissions, including 447 inborn infants. The University of Iowa, Division of Neonatology offers four special strengths to the Network. 1. Our clinical excellence with outcomes among the best in the world. Our standardized mortality ratio for very-low-birth-weight infants is perennially among the lowest (best) 15% in the Vermont Oxford Network. 2. Our strong tradition and track record of important contributions in clinical research in neonates and infants. We have a robust infrastructure for the conduct and support of clinical research and a strong track record of productivity. 3. Our capabilities in the area of genetics and our existing Iowa Perinatal Research DNA Bank. Founded in 1999, this bank contains nearly 3000 DNA samples and corresponding epidemiological data. These samples and data are being used in research examining the genetic factors that influence the occurrence and evolution of disease. Our DNA bank was one of the first examples of a comprehensive attempt to collect DNA from all infants born in a hospital. We believe this innovative resource has tremendous potential for unraveling the basis of many health problems faced in infancy, many with lifelong implications. 4. As the only academic medical center in a largely rural state with an economy based in agriculture, we represent a population that is currently not well represented in the NICHD Network. Moreover, lowans have an unusually sophisticated appreciation for the importance of maternal and child health, derived from their economic and personal interest in animal husbandry, lowans also have a sophisticated appreciation for the power and importance of genetics, derived from their agricultural interests. The applicant investigators and institution are firmly committed to the concept of multicenter clinical trials as the most powerful tool for evaluating new therapies, and we will fully subscribe to the Network's vision.