Parents' pride at taking part in clinical research to help premature babies
Harry Murdoch was born to Stephanie George ( 27) and Lee Murdoch (30) at Lancashire Women and
Newborn Centre, in Burnley General Teaching Hospital, on November 16th, 2016.
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Hide AdHaving enjoyed a normal pregnancy, Stephanie was expecting to give birth around the typical due date of 40 weeks.
It was her first child and the couple had no family history of premature births.
However, with little warning, Harry was born at only 24 weeks and five days – putting him in the
category of “extremely pre-term”.
Most babies born following a standard pregnancy will weigh between 5lbs 8oz (2,500 grams) and
8lbs 13oz (4,000g). But Harry weighed only 1lb 14oz (870g).
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Hide AdFrom the outset, he was treated for a range of complications in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
(NICU).
These included bleeds on the brain, sepsis, meningitis and a disease of the eye called Retinopathy of
Prematurity (ROP).
Harry also required 10 blood transfusions and a platelet transfusion.
Stephanie and Lee were told their son had only a 50-50 chance of survival, while doctors also had to
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Hide Admake them aware most surviving 24-week pre-terms have lasting disabilities.
Stephanie, a student nurse, said: “We were terrified and didn’t know if he would live. We were given
the statistics and the doctors had to be completely honest with us.
“He had reams of medical problems and it was like every body system was encountering problems
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Hide Adbecause Harry’s body was effectively being used way too early.”
Shortly after the birth, one of NICU’s research nurses approached Stephanie and Lee about the
possibility of Harry taking part in a research study called Planet-2.
Planet-2 is an abbreviation for Platelets for Neonatal Transfusion 2. It is part of the National Institute
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constantly improve treatments and patient outcomes.
This particular study is helping medics to better understand when to give transfusions of platelets to
premature babies with low platelet counts.
After being given a comprehensive explanation and assurances over their son’s health, Stephanie
and Lee agreed to Harry taking part.
Stephanie said: “The medical team were fantastic at going through all the details and allowing us to
make the best possible informed decision.
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Hide Ad“We were given a lot of information and our research nurse assured us they would never put him at
any increased risk and that he would be really closely monitored.
“Ultimately, we kept thinking about all the children in the past who were born early; who took part
in studies and helped researchers learn more about treating premature babies.
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Hide Ad“Without those babies taking part in research, today’s amazing treatments wouldn’t exist and Harry
simply wouldn’t be with us.
"I get emotional just thinking about that.
“It’s nice for us to know that Harry taking part might help future families who find themselves in the
same position we were in.”
Harry’s condition stabilised under the care of the NICU team, who monitored his progress and recorded vital medical data that has fed into the overall findings of the study.
Despite a dip in his platelet count at two-months- old, Harry thankfully did not require another
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Hide Adtransfusion and his overall health improved little-by- little as the weeks ticked by.
His parents were finally able to take him back to their home in Haslingden on March 8th, 2017, exactly
16 weeks after he was born.
Though initially he still needed oxygen support at home to support his under-developed lungs, Harry
was taken off O2 in September 2017.
Now – 12 months after being discharged from hospital – he weighs a healthy 23lbs. He is making good progress and his doctors are delighted with his health.
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Hide AdStephanie said: “He has suffered a bit with colds, but in terms of his development, he just keeps
surprising us.
“With a birth as premature as Harry’s, it really was like a rollercoaster.
"At the beginning, everything was bad, but then he’d have a few good days. Then when we thought he was in the clear, something else would go wrong. But we couldn’t have been in better care and since he came home we have been really well supported by Harry’s consultant and the community teams from NICU and
paediatrics.
“To any parents in our position considering taking part in research, I would just give them an honest
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Hide Adaccount of our experience; that Harry was very well looked after, carefully monitored, and we felt supported by the staff every step of the way.
“We feel proud to have given something back.”
Dr Andrew Cox, consultant paediatrician at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and the site’s
Principal Investigator for the Planet-2 study, said: “I am extremely pleased with how well Harry has
done. He was extremely premature when he was born and babies like Harry are often extremely
unwell and unstable.
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Hide Ad“In cases Like Harry’s, we really appreciate the selflessness of parents who agree to enrol their
unwell babies into clinical trials such as the Planet-2 trial.
“It is through their courage and wish to help others that vital research and improved care can be
developed and so benefit the babies and their parents in the future.
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Hide Ad“We have an active research interest here at East Lancashire NICU and I would like to thank all of the
many parents who consent to their babies entering trials, and so contributing vital knowledge to the
future care of sick babies.”