Table 1.

Prioritised research questions to inform WHO recommendations for care of preterm or low birth weight (LBW) infants: top three tiers of questions.

Research implications	Total score
Tier 1
What strategies can be used to increase family participation in the care of their preterm or LBW infants in intensive and special care units, and in settings without dedicated newborn units?	7
How can exclusive breastfeeding be promoted, supported and scaled-up for preterm or LBW infants, especially those who are very preterm or very LBW?	7
What is the effectiveness of emollients on thermoprotection, growth, microbiome development, invasive infection/sepsis, mortality, and longer-term neurodevelopment in preterm or LBW infants, especially in low- and lower-middle-income settings, including Africa? •Which emollients (which oils, which composition) are most effective and safe? •What is the optimal regime (dose, frequency, duration) and mode of application (e.g., non-touch applications) for very or extremely preterm infants?	7
What is the effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) compared with humidified high-flow nasal cannulae and other forms of non-invasive ventilation in improving mortality and morbidity in preterm or LBW infants with respiratory distress syndrome?	7
Tier 2
What is the effectiveness of immediate Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) in improving mortality, morbidity, growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes for critically ill preterm or LBW infants, such as infants who are mechanically ventilated or on vasopressor support?	5
What is the effectiveness, safety, and feasibility of setting up human milk banks in low- and middle-income countries?	5
What is the effectiveness and safety of probiotics on mortality, morbidity, growth, immunological status, microbiome development, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in human milk fed preterm or LBW infants? •What are the most optimal probiotic compositions or combinations of genera, species and strains? •What is the optimal dosage and duration of probiotics? •What is the effectiveness of probiotics alone compared with a combination of probiotics and prebiotics? •What is the role of probiotics in prevention and management of postnatal growth restriction in preterm infants?	5
Tier 3
What is the effectiveness of KMC on longer-term (i.e., up to two years of age, school-age, adolescence) growth, neuro-cognitive development, behavior, mental health, and disability outcomes?	4
How can immediate KMC be scaled-up in routine health systems?	4
What are the most effective early feeding strategies for very preterm or very LBW infants, infants with illnesses (e.g., post surgery), and infants with other conditions (e.g., doppler abnormalities, severe growth restriction)?	4
What is the most effective type of family support (e.g., education, counselling, discharge preparation by health providers, peer support) for families of preterm or LBW infants?	4
What is the effectiveness on mortality, morbidity, growth, and neurodevelopment of “in-person” home visits compared with “digital” home visits (e.g., online video, mobile application [app], mHealth) for post-discharge follow-up of preterm or LBW infants?	4