Premature babies in Lincolnshire to take part in sodium bicarbonate study

Premature babies will take part in a study looking into the use of sodium bicarbonate to treat metabolic acidosis

Premature babies in Lincolnshire are taking part in a national clinical research study.

The BASE study will examine the use of sodium bicarbonate in treating metabolic acidosis.

The condition, common in premature babies, arises when there is a build-up of acid in the blood.

The study, taking place at Lincoln County Hospital and Boston's Pilgrim Hospital, will examine the use of sodium bicarbonate in treatment.

Lincoln County Hospital and Boston's Pilgrim Hospital are taking part in the clinical study

According to United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, some clinicians believe giving sodium bicarbonate lowers acid levels in the blood and helps the working of the heart.

However, the trust states some doctors believe the chemical compound raises acid levels inside the body's cells which can affect blood flow to the brain and other organs.

The use of sodium bicarbonate when a baby has metabolic acidosis varies between different hospitals around the UK, the trust said.

The trust said the reason practice differs widely is because the use of sodium bicarbonate to treat metabolic acidosis in preterm babies has "never been properly studied".

Babies taking part in the study will be put into one of two groups. One group will be given sodium bicarbonate. The other will not.

Paediatrics consultant Dr Michael Jiki, the trust's principal investigator for the study, said: "Research is so important to better understand medical conditions and we are proud to be taking part in this study which will determine future treatments for our youngest patients.

"Parents of babies who are eligible to participate in the BASE study will be asked whether or not they would like their baby to be included in the study and their decision recorded in their baby's medical record and through the research process."