Table 3.

Research priority setting exercises which identified questions pertaining to the care of preterm or low birth weight (LBW) infants.

Reference	Title	Research questionsa
Bahl R, et al. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2009; 28 (1 Suppl):S43-8.	Research priorities to reduce global mortality from newborn infections by 2015.	•What is the feasibility and effectiveness of simpler, cheaper technology be developed to improve supportive care of neonates with infections in low resource settings (such as robust pulse oximeter, oxygen condensors, low-cost continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), warm mattress, transport bassinet etc.)?
Lawn JE, et al. PLoS Med. 2011; 8 (1):e1000389	Setting research priorities to reduce almost one million deaths from birth asphyxia by 2015	•What is the prevalence of babies requiring resuscitation in various settings? What is the prevalence for preterm and term babies? (ranked 19 of 61)
Bahl R, et al. J Glob Health. 2012; 2 (1):010403	Setting research priorities to reduce global mortality from preterm birth and low birth weight by 2015	Top ten research priorities •Identification of LBW infants within 24–48 h of birth for additional care among those born at home •Approaches to improve quality of care of LBW infants in health facilities •Identification of current behaviors, and barriers and supports for optimal home care practices, including care seeking for illness •Effective interventions for achieving early initiation of breastfeeding including feeding mode and techniques for those unable to suckle directly from the breast •Approaches to improve access to care for the subset of LBW infants who need hospital care •Improved criteria for identifying LBW infants who need to be cared for in a hospital •Effectiveness of improved cord care (eg, chlorhexidine application) •Comparison of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) and alternative methods of keeping the LBW infant warm in community settings
Yoshiha S, et al. Lancet 2014; 384 (9938):e27–e29	Newborn health research priorities beyond 2015	Top ten research priorities: Delivery •How can facility-based initiation of KMC or continuous skin-to-skin contact be scaled up? •Can community-based extra care for preterm/LBW babies delivered by community health workers (CHWs) reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality in settings with poor access to facility care? Top five research priorities: Development •Can community-based initiation of KMC reduce neonatal mortality of clinically stable preterm and LBW babies? Top five research priorities: Discovery •Can stable surfactant with simpler novel modes of administration increase the use and availability of surfactant for preterm babies at risk of respiratory distress syndrome? •Can strategies for prevention and treatment of intrauterine growth restriction be developed?
Souza JP, et al. Reprod Health 2014; 11:61	Maternal and perinatal health research priorities beyond 2015: an international survey and prioritization exercise	Top 20 research questions •Evaluate the effectiveness and cost of a package of community level interventions for preterm babies (e.g., implementing and providing guidelines for KMC, home visits by CHWs, infection prevention strategies)
Yoshida S, et al. J Glob Health 2016; 6 (1):010508	Setting research priorities to improve global newborn health and prevent stillbirths by 2025	Top ten research priorities •Can community–based initiation of KMC reduce neonatal mortality of clinically stable preterm and LBW babies? •How can facility-based initiation of KMC or continuous skin–to–skin contact be scaled up? •Can community based “extra care” for preterm/LBW babies delivered by CHWs reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality in settings with poor accessibility to facility care? Top ten development research priorities •Can community–based initiation of KMC reduce neonatal mortality of clinically stable preterm and LBW babies? •Can low–cost devices for facility care of newborns be developed and tested for the effectiveness at various levels of the health system (eg, CPAP devices, syringe drivers, IV giving sets, phototherapy units, oxygen concentrators, oxygen saturation monitors incubators, ventilators, therapeutic hypothermia technology)? •Can surfactant reduce preterm morbidity and mortality in low and middle income countries? Top ten discovery research priorities •Can stable surfactant with simpler novel modes of administration increase the use and availability of surfactant for preterm babies at risk of respiratory distress syndrome? •Can strategies for prevention and treatment of intrauterine growth restriction be developed? •Can the new method identify intrauterine growth restriction at the early stage (including biomarkers) and predict abnormal postnatal growth and body composition?
Arora N, et al. Indian J Med Res 2017; 145 (5):611-622	Research priorities in maternal, newborn, & child health & nutrition for India: An Indian Council of Medical Research-INCLEN initiative	Top 10 newborn health priorities •Engaging and empowering family members and community in the care of newborn (including family centred care): barriers, strategies to overcome, impact, cost-effectiveness •Low cost, feasible, portable technological innovations in equipment to improve capacity (diagnosis, identification and management) and outreach for foetal and neonatal care (especially, LBW, preterm: CPAP, surfactant therapy, etc.) at various levels of the health system and their impact evaluation
Kobeissi L, et al. Confl Health. 2021; 15 (1):16	Setting research priorities for sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in humanitarian settings	•In acute and protracted conflict-affected contexts (∗to specify), what are the most effective models to care for vulnerable newborns (small and sick)?
COVID-19 Research Prioritization Group on MNCAH. J Glob Health 2021; 11:04071	Global research priorities on COVID-19 for maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health	Top ten research priorities for newborn health •What is the most effective way to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to preterm newborns receiving KMC? •What are the major risk and/or protective factors (eg, breastfeeding, skin-to-skin care or KMC, LBW, Bacillus Calmette Guerin or other existing vaccinations, HIV-1 exposure, etc.) for the acquisition of SARS-CoV-2 infection or development of COVID-19 disease or severe disease in newborns of SARS-CoV-2 infected mothers? •What is the impact of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection on newborn health outcomes (eg, intrauterine growth restriction, prematurity, and birth asphyxia), and how can this be mitigated?

^aResearch questions were identified which focused directly on the care of preterm or LBW infants; questions pertaining to the prevention of preterm birth, or to broader aspects of care provision for newborn infants who are not necessarily preterm or LBW were not included.