Table 4.
For the prioritisation workshop: final ranking for the 29 research questions (two questions were merged due to overlap) and ranking overall ranking from the public vote
| Ranking following the prioritisation workshop | Ranking from public vote | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Which treatments (including diagnostic tests) are most effective to predict or prevent preterm birth? | 1 |
| 2 | How can infection in preterm infants be better prevented? | 8 |
| 3 | Which interventions are most effective to prevent necrotising enterocolitis in preterm infants? | 9 |
| 4 | What is the best treatment for life-threatening lung damage in preterm infants? | 20 |
| 5 | What should be included in packages of care to support parents and families / carers when a premature baby is discharged from hospital? | 6 |
| 6 | What is the optimum milk feeding strategy and guidance (including quantity and speed of feeding and use of donor and formula milk) for the best long-term outcomes of premature babies? | 2 |
| 7 | What is the best way to judge whether a baby is feeling pain (for example, by their face, behaviours or brain activities)? | 14 |
| 8 | Which treatments are most effective to prevent early onset pre-eclampsia? | 5 |
| 9a | What emotional and practical support improves attachment and bonding, and does the provision of such support improve outcomes for premature babies and their families? | 25 / 28a |
| 10 | Which treatments are most effective for premature rupture of membranes? | 16 |
| 11 | What is the best time to clamp the umbilical cord for preterm babies? | 19 |
| 12 | What type of support is most effective at improving breastfeeding in NICU/SCBU/feeding clinics? | 12 |
| 13 | Which treatments are most effective to treat necrotising entercolitis in preterm infants? | 22 |
| 14 | Does specialist antenatal care for women at risk of preterm birth improve outcomes for mother and baby? | 11 |
| 15 | What are the best ways to optimise the environment (such as light and noise) in order to improve outcomes for premature babies? | 26 |
| 16 | Is screening in the first trimester effective to help prevent preterm birth? | 7 |
| 17 | Which treatments are effective in preventing spontaneous preterm birth in women with twin and triplet pregnancies, especially in those at high risk of preterm birth? | 10 |
| 18 | How do stress, trauma and physical workload contribute to the risk of preterm birth, are there effective ways to reduce those risks and does modifying those risks alter outcome? | 3 |
| 19 | Is routine transvaginal scanning during pregnancy to detect short cervical length, and treatment, cost effective? | 18 |
| 20 | What guidance and information is most useful for parents at risk of having preterm infants? | 21 |
| 21 | Does screening and treatment for Group B Streptococcus help to prevent preterm birth and neonatal morbidity and mortality? | 15 |
| 22 | What is the impact of length of orogastric / nasogastric feeding and reflux on early feeding development in preterm infants? | 24 |
| 23 | What methods are most effective to predict risk of preterm birth in order to allocate service provision? | 17 |
| 24 | Can screening of the placenta be effective to detect placenta abnormalities associated with preterm birth? | 13 |
| 25 | What is the best way to encourage Kangaroo Mother Care more by staff in NICU for parents? | 23 |
| 26 | What treatments can predict reliably the likelihood of subsequent infants being preterm? | 4 |
| 27 | Do parents of preterm infants benefit from an open approach to notes and ward rounds? | 27 |
| 28 | Do preterm babies have better outcomes if their parents have roomed in? | 29 |
| 29 | Which lifestyle changes including gym, bed rest, posture and sexual intercourse are effective to minimise the risk of preterm birth? | 30 |
atwo original questions merged