# Pedi-Sync: A Clinical Decision Support Tool to Improve Oral Feeding Outcomes in Preterm Infants

> **NIH NIH R41** · NEOCARE INNOVATIONS, INC. · 2024 · $295,897

## Abstract

At present, in the US, one out of every ten infants is born prematurely and many of these babies are admitted to
a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in order to help them survive and thrive. Successful oral feeding is a
requirement for discharging infants home from the NICU. However, an estimated 80% of infants born
prematurely struggle with their oral feeding skills and inadequate oral feeding is the most common barrier to
hospital discharge. The current practice for infants who cannot successfully feed is to remain longer in the
NICU at an average cost of $7000 per day and a national cost of more than $26 billion a year. To address this
problem, NeoCare Innovations, Inc. invented Pedi-Sync, a novel clinical decision support tool for improving
care in the NICU. Pedi-Sync addresses the economic burdens of health care for preterm infants in NICUs
across the US by lowering expenses through cost effective technology. Pedi-Sync optimizes feeding of the
preterm infant as it quantifies an infant’s oral feeding performance, or more specifically a baby’s ability to
coordinate swallowing and breathing while feeding. Pedi-Sync consists of (1) a portable, stand-alone
unit able to measure physiological data (heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and respiratory
waveform variability of transthoracic impedance), (2) a software application housed within the unit that
runs the device’s clinical algorithm, and (3) a mobile app used by clinicians to input oral feeding
assessment data. The algorithm combines the recorded physiological data with the infant’s
demographic information and feeding performance data to generate an oral feeding adaptability score.
The oral feeding adaptability score is a quantitative measure of how well an infant can coordinate their
breathing and swallowing. Specific Aims under this Phase 1 effort will include prototype hardware and
software development, data aggregation, proof of product, and feasibility testing. A cloud-based hardware/
software co-designed platform will be developed and tested. A data collection program that extracts,
compiles, and combines relevant electronic health record data with the infant’s respiratory variability
values and feeding outcome measures will be created. Pedi-Sync will demonstrate feasibility for
clinical use on 30 preterm infants. Completion of the Phase I project will then support a Phase II
program that is focused on prototype testing addressing standard FDA required assessments and
human subjects testing. Pedi-Sync will significantly improve health care by introducing novel and
medically precise technology for NICU care. This innovative device will inform clinical decisions with the
ultimate goal of improving patient care outcomes at a lower cost while enhancing the infant, family and
staff experience. Providing objective data for clinicians to accurately assess and progress oral feeding
skills will result in earlier discharge from the NICU substantially reducing healthcare costs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10915089
- **Project number:** 1R41HD113429-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** NEOCARE INNOVATIONS, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Caryn Bradley
- **Activity code:** R41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $295,897
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-06-12 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10915089

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10915089, Pedi-Sync: A Clinical Decision Support Tool to Improve Oral Feeding Outcomes in Preterm Infants (1R41HD113429-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10915089. Licensed CC0.

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