Maternal OXygen Immediately before birth: The MOXIE feasibility study

Premature and near-term babies can sometimes need extra support with breathing and oxygen levels in the minutes immediately after birth — a critical window when medical teams need to act quickly. This feasibility study, called MOXIE, is exploring whether giving the mother extra oxygen through a high-flow nasal cannula just before delivery can improve the baby's oxygen levels at birth and reduce the need for resuscitation. This is a small feasibility study, meaning its primary goal is to test whether the approach is safe and practical to use during both caesarean sections and vaginal births before a larger trial is designed. Researchers will track how well mothers tolerate the oxygen delivery method and observe the oxygen levels of newborns in the minutes after birth. You may be eligible if you are pregnant and due to give birth between 32 and 41 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. Women with certain nasal or sinus conditions, severe COPD exacerbation, or whose baby has specific congenital heart conditions are not eligible. The study is led by Dr Douglas Blank.