PD-Professor Heike Rabe

Research

As lead for research, Prof Rabe has built up a research group for Neonatology and implemented links with local and international collaborators. She has conducted studies on the short and long term benefits of optimal umbilical cord management at the delivery of preterm infants and the impact on parents.

Prof Rabe has built up an international research consortium NEO-CIRC for studying age appropriate formulation of drugs to support the neonatal circulatory adaptation after birth in preterm infants which was funded by the European Commission in 2011. She is a collaborator in the H2020 MSCA funded RISEinFAMILY consortium which studies the implementation of Family Integrated Care in a variety of cultural settings. She has served as honorary officer and board member of several international societies. 

She collaborates with researchers from Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, School of Pharmacy, University of Brighton, School of Health Science, City University London, Kingston University, University of Nottingham and several Universities in Europe and the US. The collaborations cover studies on parents' perceptions of neonatal care, non-invasive diagnostic devices and age appropriate formulations of medicines for neonates.

Prof Rabe has produced a short film explaining the results of her recently-completed study investigating two ways of providing premature babies with extra blood from the placenta.

Watch the film here >

Selected publications

Midtbo K, Jones CJ, Kapasa M, Vwalika B, Rabe H. Barriers to implementation of placental transfusion of babies at birth in Zambia. Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26[2]: 58-67. DOI: 10.29063/ajrh2022/v26i2.6

Rabe H, Mercer JS, Erickson-Owens D. What does the evidence tell us? Revisiting optimal cord management at the time of birth. Eur J Pediatr 2022; e-pub 2 FebDOI : 10.1007/s00431-022-04395-x

Mercer J, Erickson-Owens D, Rabe H. Placental transfusion: may the “force” be with the baby. J Perinatol 2021; 2021, 41(6),1495–1504 [e-pub 13 April] https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-021-01055-0

Sundararajan, S., Rabe, H. Prevention of iron deficiency anemia in infants and toddlers. Pediatr Res  2021, 89(1), pp. 63–73

Dionne JM, Bremner SA, Baygani SK, Batton B, Ergenekon E, Bhatt-Mehta V, Dempsey E, Kluckow M, Pesco Koplowitz L, Apele-Freimane D, Iwami H, Klein A, Turner M, Rabe H on behalf of the International Neonatal Consortium. Method of Blood Pressure Measurement in Neonates and Infants: A Systematic Review and Analysis. J Pediatr 2020;221:23-31 

Seidler L, Gyte GM, Rabe H, Diaz-Rossello J, Duley L, Aziz K, Costa-Nobris D, Davis P, Schmoler G, Ovelman C, Askie L, Soll R. Umbilical Cord Management for Newborns < 34 weeks' Gestation: a meta-analysis. Pediatrics 2021; 147(3), e20200576

Seidler AL, Duley L, Katheria A, De Paco Matallana C, Dempsey E, Rabe H, Kattwinkel J, Mercer J, Josephsen J, Fairchild K, Andersson O, Hosono S, Sundaram V, Datta V, El-Naggar W, Tarnow-Mordi W, Debray T, Bagg M, Hooper S, Kluckow M, Polglase G, Davis P, Montgomery A, Hunter KE, Barba A, Simes J, Askie L on behalf of the iCOMP collaboration. Systematic review and network meta-analysis with individual participant data on Cord Management at Preterm Birth (iCOMP): study protocol. BMJ Open. 2020 Mar 29;10(3):e034595. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034595. PMID:32229522

Basu K, Inglis IS, Bremner SA, Ramsay R, Abd A, Rabe H, Seddon P, Tavendale R, Memon A, Palmer CNA, Fidler K, Mukhopadhyay S. Filaggrin gene defects are associated with eczema, wheeze and nasal disease during infancy: prospective study. JACI 2020; April 27, 2020 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2020.02.036 

Anton O, Fernandez R, Rendon-Morales E, Aviles-Espinosa R, Jones CJ, Rabe H. Functionality and acceptability of a novel non-invasive neonatal heart rate monitoring device: a qualitative study of healthcare professionals. BMJ Innov 2020;0:1–8. doi:10.1136/bmjinnov-2019-000378

Pellicer A, Fernández R, Jullien V, Gleeson C, Bravo MC, López Ortego P, Sánchez L, Ybarra M, Rojas-Anaya H, Cabañas F, Koch A, Smith A, Rabe H , on behalf of Neocirculation Consortium. Pharmacokinetic study (Phase I-II) of a new dobutamine  formulation in preterm infants immediately after birth. Pediatr Res 2020; (accepted 9 June) 

Fernandez Alvarez JR, Mahoney L, Gandhi R, Rabe H. OptiflowTM vs.Vapotherm® as extended weaning mode of ventilation from Nasal Continuous Airway Pressure in preterm infants aged less than 28 weeks gestational age Paediatric Pulmonology 2020; 01 July 2020https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.24936

Anton O, Jordan H, Rabe H. Strategies for implementing placental transfusion at birth: A systematic review. Birth 2019 Sep;46(3):411-427. doi: 10.1111/birt.12398. [Epub ahead of print] Review.

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