Implementation of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project in Oman

Area of Science:

• Maternal and Child Health
• Pediatric Research
• Global Health Initiatives

Background:

• The INTERGROWTH-21st Project aims to establish international standards for fetal and newborn growth.
• Oman, specifically Muscat, served as the Middle Eastern site for this significant global research initiative.
• The project involved complex data collection for both fetal and newborn studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the methodology and challenges of establishing the INTERGROWTH-21st Project site in Muscat, Oman.
• To assess the feasibility of recruiting participants and collecting data according to the INTERGROWTH-21st protocol in a Middle Eastern population.
• To highlight the collaborative efforts required for successful implementation of large-scale international health studies.

Main Methods:

• The Newborn Cross-Sectional Study (NCSS) sample was drawn from two hospitals, covering 96% of regional births.
• The Fetal Growth Longitudinal Study (FGLS) sample was recruited from four primary health facilities near Khoula Hospital.
• Local advocacy campaigns promoted early antenatal booking and ultrasound dating to enhance participation.

Main Results:

• The Muscat site successfully implemented the INTERGROWTH-21st protocol, drawing samples from major regional healthcare facilities.
• Challenges included recruiting women at early gestational ages and ensuring timely newborn measurements within 12 hours of birth.
• Effective collaboration among individuals and institutions over several years was crucial for study execution.

Conclusions:

• The Muscat site's experience demonstrates the complexities of implementing global growth studies in diverse settings.
• Successful execution required careful planning, close monitoring, and overcoming specific recruitment and data collection hurdles.
• The study underscores the importance of local engagement and institutional collaboration in achieving research objectives.