Contact

• workRoom 4117 Derby Medical School
  Royal Derby Hospital
  Uttoxeter Road
  Derby
  DE22 3DT
  UK
• Shalini.Ojha@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

Professor of Neonatal Medicine

Deputy-director of the Clinical Academic Training Programme (responsible for the NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow programme)

Honoaray Consultant Neonatologist, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Trust

Children's Lead (North), NIHR Clinical Research Network (East Midlands)

Academic Training Programme Director for Paediatrics (East Midlands)

Expertise Summary

Expertise in neonatal nutrition, enteral feeding, necrotising enterocolitis, growth, and early life development

Clinical trials and large database studies exploring interventions to improve outcomes in babies born preterm or sick

Research Summary

Chief Investigator projects:

1. Fluids Exclusively Enteral from Day 1 (FEED1) : An RCT of full milk feeds versus intravenous nutrition with gradual feeding for preterm infants (30-33 weeks gestational age). £2.06 million NIHR HTA grant
2. EMNODN-NEC study: an evaluation of the East Midlands NEC care bundle exploring the implementation of evidence based practice to reduce the risk of NEC in preterm babies in the East Midlands (funded by the NIHR RfPB programme, £242,000)
3. Optimising nutrition to save lives of "Born too soon": newborn care in Kenya and India. £249849 UoN GCRF grant
4. Childhood cancer diagnosis: quantifying national diagnostic intervals and developing professional and public decision support tools for earlier diagnosis. NIHR DRF for Dr Dhurgsharna Shanmugavadivel

Co-investigator projects:

• Natural History of Ataxia Telangiectasia.
• The clinical and cost effectiveness of screening for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in pregnancy. £2.8 million NIHR HTA grant
• Maternal Intrapartum Glycaemic Control. £222665 NIHR HTA grant
• The feasibility and acceptability of an early warning score system for preterm and low-birth weight infants in Kenya. MR/T039027/1 £90,000 MRC grant

Other research:

Use of large clinical database in research - the National Neonatal Reserach Database

- pharmacoepidemiological research of use of medicine in neonatal units in the UK

- management of gastro-oesophageal reflux in neonatal units in the UK

- use of High flow nasal cannula oxygen in preterm infants in the UK

Recent Publications

• SZATKOWSKI L, FATEH S, ABRAMSON J, KWOK TC, SHARKEY D, BUDGE H and OJHA S, 2023. Observational cohort study of use of caffeine in preterm infants and association between early caffeine use and neonatal outcomes Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 108(5), 505-510
• SHANMUGAVADIVEL D, LIU JF, GAMBLE A, POLANCO A, VEDHARA K, WALKER D and OJHA S, 2023. Assessing and investigating children with suspected bone and abdominal tumours: an e-Delphi consensus process BMJ Paediatr Open. 7(1), e001771
• WALKER S, OJHA S and MITCHELL EJ, 2023. Parents and healthcare professionals' attitudes to Kangaroo Care for preterm infants in the UK Acta Paediatr. 112(7), 1437-1442
• PATEL N, EVANS K, BERRINGTON J, SZATKOWSKI L, COSTELOE K, OJHA S, FLEMING P and BATTERSBY C, 2023. How frequent is routine use of probiotics in UK neonatal units? BMJ Paediatr Open. 7(1), e002012

• View all publications

Past Research

Saving lives "born too soon": a mixed methods study of essential newborn care: Funded by UoN GCRF grants

Women's empowerment and child health: exploring the impact of Microfinance. MRC-AHRC collaborative funding.

Rojiroti microfinance and child nutrition: a cluster randomised trial.Funded by the MRC.

• SZATKOWSKI L, FATEH S, ABRAMSON J, KWOK TC, SHARKEY D, BUDGE H and OJHA S, 2023. Observational cohort study of use of caffeine in preterm infants and association between early caffeine use and neonatal outcomes Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 108(5), 505-510
• SHANMUGAVADIVEL D, LIU JF, GAMBLE A, POLANCO A, VEDHARA K, WALKER D and OJHA S, 2023. Assessing and investigating children with suspected bone and abdominal tumours: an e-Delphi consensus process BMJ Paediatr Open. 7(1), e001771
• WALKER S, OJHA S and MITCHELL EJ, 2023. Parents and healthcare professionals' attitudes to Kangaroo Care for preterm infants in the UK Acta Paediatr. 112(7), 1437-1442
• PATEL N, EVANS K, BERRINGTON J, SZATKOWSKI L, COSTELOE K, OJHA S, FLEMING P and BATTERSBY C, 2023. How frequent is routine use of probiotics in UK neonatal units? BMJ Paediatr Open. 7(1), e002012
• SHANMUGAVADIVEL D, LIU JF, BALL-GAMBLE A, POLANCO A, VEDHARA K, NATHAN P, WALKER D and OJHA S, 2023. Childhood bone tumours in primary care: helping GPs to identify 'the needle in the haystack'. Br J Gen Pract. 73(733), 377-379
• AL-TURKAIT, ASMA, SZATKOWSKI, LISA, CHOONARA, IMTI and OJHA, SHALINI, 2022. Drug utilisation in neonatal units in England and Wales: a national cohort study EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY. 78(4), 669-677
• MITCHELL, ELEANOR J., MEAKIN, GARRY, ANDERSON, JOSIE, DORLING, JON, GALE, CHRIS, HAINES, RACHEL, KENYAN, CHARLOTTE, JOHNSON, MARK J., MCGUIRE, WILLIAM, MISTRY, HEMA, MONTGOMERY, ALAN, ODDIE, SAM, OGOLLAH, REUBEN, PALLOTTI, PHOEBE, PARTLETT, CHRISTOPHER, WALKER, KATE F. and OJHA, SHALINI, 2022. The FEED1 trial: protocol for a randomised controlled trial of full milk feeds versus intravenous fluids with gradual feeding for preterm infants (30-33 weeks gestational age) TRIALS. 23(1),
• SHANMUGAVADIVEL D, LIU J-F, GAMBLE A, POLANCO A, VEDHARA K, WALKER D and OJHA S, 2022. Childhood Cancer Diagnosis (CCD) Study: A UK Observational Study To Describe Referral Pathways And Quantify Diagnostic Intervals In Children And Young People With Cancer BMJ Open. 12(2), e058744
• BOTT E, OJHA S, MINI S, KAMAL KR, CHOUDHARY S, YARON G and SMYTH AR, 2022. Daily Bread: Women’s Self-Help Microfinance and the Social Meanings of Money Sociological Research Online.
• PETLEY E, YULE A, ALEXANDER S, OJHA S and WHITEHOUSE WP, 2022. The natural history of ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T): A systematic review PLoS One. 17(3), e0264177
• MISTRY A, SHIPLEY L, OJHA S and SHARKEY D, 2022. Availability of active therapeutic hypothermia at birth for neonatal hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy: a UK population study from 2011 to 2018 Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 107(6), 597-602
• AL-TURKAIT A, SZATKOWSKI L, CHOONARA I and OJHA S, 2022. Management of patent ductus arteriosus in very preterm infants in England and Wales: a retrospective cohort study BMJ Paediatrics Open. 6(1), e001424
• OJHA S, ABRAMSON J and DORLING J, 2022. Sedation and analgesia from prolonged pain and stress during mechanical ventilation in preterm infants: is dexmedetomidine an alternative to current practice? BMJ Paediatrics Open. 6(1), e001460
• CHONG L, KALVALA J, CHADBORN N and OJHA S, 2022. Breastfeeding in infants diagnosed with phenylketonuria Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. CD015243
• ABDUL HAMID HB, SZATKOWSKI L, BUDGE H and OJHA S, 2022. Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on breastfeeding during and at discharge from neonatal care: An observational cohort study Pediatr Investig. 6(3), 189-196
• GALE C, JEYAKUMARAN D, LONGFORD N, BATTERSBY C, OJHA S, OUGHHAM K and DORLING J, 2021. Administration of parenteral nutrition during therapeutic hypothermia: a population level observational study using routinely collected data held in the National Neonatal Research Database Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition. 106(6), F608-F613
• SAND L, SZATKOWSKI I, KWOK TC, SHARKEY D, TODD DA, BUDGE H and OJHA S, 2021. Observational cohort study of changing trends in non-invasive ventilation in very preterm infants and associations with clinical outcomes Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. fetalneonatal-2021-322390
• MITCHELL EJ, PALLOTTI P, QURESHI ZP, DANIELS JP, OLIVER M, WERE F, OSOTI A, GWAKO G, KIMANI V, OPIRA J and OJHA S, 2021. Parents, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders' experiences of caring for babies born too soon in a low-resource setting: a qualitative study of essential newborn care for preterm infants in Kenya BMJ Open. 11(6), e043802
• ABDUL HAMID H, SZATKOWSKI L, BUDGE H, CHEAH FC and OJHA S, 2021. Nutritional practices and growth of preterm infants in two neonatal units in the UK and Malaysia: a prospective exploratory study BMJ Paediatrics Open. 5(1), e001153
• YUE Y, CHEN L, CHOONARA I, XIONG T, OJHA S, TANG J, WANG Y, ZENG L, SHI J, WANG H and MU D, 2020. Cross-sectional study of drug utilisation in a Chinese neonatal unit. The Journal of international medical research. 48(5), 300060520914197
• AL-TURKAIT, ASMA, SZATKOWSKI, LISA, CHOONARA, IMTI and OJHA, SHALINI, 2020. Review of Drug Utilization Studies in Neonatal Units: A Global Perspective INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH. 17(16), E5669
• HE Y, TANG J, ZHANG M, XIONG T, OJHA S, CHOONARA I and MU D, 2020. Efficacy of antiepileptic drugs in neonatal seizures: a systematic review protocol BMJ Paediatr Open. 4(1), e000683
• GICHURU, WANJIKU, OJHA, SHALINI, SMITH, SHERIE, SMYTH, ALAN ROBERT and SZATKOWSKI, LISA, 2019. Is microfinance associated with changes in women’s well-being and children’s nutrition? A systematic review and meta-analysis: BMJ Open BMJ Open. 9(1), e023658
• ELFZZANI Z, KWOK TC, OJHA S and DORLING J, 2019. Education of family members to support weaning to solids and nutrition in infants born preterm. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2, CD012240 (In Press.)
• FUNG THM, OJHA S, ABRAMSON J and HOLDEN R, 2019. Reply. Ophthalmology. 126(3), e20-e21
• ROBINSON LJ, LAW J, ASTLE V, GUTIÉRREZ-GARCÍA M, OJHA S, SYMONDS ME, PITCHFORD N and BUDGE H, 2019. Sexual Dimorphism of Brown Adipose Tissue Function. The Journal of pediatrics. (In Press.)
• OJHA S, MITCHELL E, MONTGOMERY A and DORLING J, 2019. Full Milk Feeds from Day 1. Neonatology. 116(1), 67
• PETLEY E, PRASAD M, OJHA S and WHITEHOUSE WP, 2019. Investigating ataxia in childhood. Archives of disease in childhood. Education and practice edition. (In Press.)
• OJHA S, SZATKOWSKI L, SINHA R, YARON G, FOGARTY A, ALLEN SJ, CHOUDHARY S and SMYTH AR, 2019. Rojiroti microfinance and child nutrition: a cluster randomised trial. Archives of disease in childhood. 105(3), 229-235
• KWOK TC, OJHA S and DORLING J, 2018. Feed thickeners in gastro-oesophageal reflux in infants. BMJ paediatrics open. 2(1), e000262
• BATTERSBY C, LONGFORD N, PATEL M, SELBY E, OJHA S, DORLING J and GALE C, 2018. Study protocol: optimising newborn nutrition during and after neonatal therapeutic hypothermia in the United Kingdom: observational study of routinely collected data using propensity matching. BMJ open. 8(10), e026739
• OJHA S, DORLING J, BATTERSBY C, LONGFORD N and GALE C, 2018. Optimising nutrition during therapeutic hypothermia. Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition. (In Press.)
• FUNG THM, ABRAMSON J, OJHA S and HOLDEN R, 2018. Systemic Effects of Optos versus Indirect Ophthalmoscopy for Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening. Ophthalmology. 125(11), 1829-1832
• NASUF AWA, OJHA S and DORLING J, 2018. Oropharyngeal colostrum in preventing mortality and morbidity in preterm infants. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 9, CD011921
• OJHA S, SAND L, RATNAVEL N, KEMPLEY ST, SINHA AK, MOHINUDDIN S, BUDGE H and LESLIE A, 2017. Newborn infants with bilious vomiting: a national audit of neonatal transport services. Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition. (In Press.)
• SHALINI OJHA and HELEN BUDGE, 2017. Early Origins of Obesity and Developmental Regulation of Adiposity. In: MICHAEL E. SYMONDS, ed., Adipose Tissue Biology 2. Springer Science+ Business Media. 427
• SYMONDS, M.E., BLOOR, I., OJHA, S. and BUDGE, H., 2017. The Placenta, Maternal Diet and Adipose Tissue Development in the Newborn Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 70, 232-235
• T'NG KWOK CHANG, JON DORLING and SHALINI OJHA, 2017. Multicentre prospective observational study of feeding practices in 30-33 weeks preterm infants BMJ Paediatrics Open. 1, e000040
• OJHA S and CHOONARA I, 2017. Medication errors in infants at home. Arch Dis Child. 313007
• KWOK TC, OJHA S and DORLING J, 2017. Feed thickener for infants up to six months of age with gastro-oesophageal reflux. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 12, CD003211 (In Press.)
• SYMONDS ME, BLOOR I, OJHA S and BUDGE H, 2017. The Placenta, Maternal Diet and Adipose Tissue Development in the Newborn. Annals of nutrition & metabolism. 70(3), 232-235
• ELFAZZANI Z, OJHA S and DORLING J, 2016. Protocol: Education of family members to support weaning to solids and nutrition in later infancy in infants born preterm. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. CD012240
• ELFAZZANI Z, OJHA S and DORLING J, 2016. Education of family members to support weaning to solids and nutrition in later infancy in term-born infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. CD012241
• OJHA, S., FAINBERG, H. P., WILSON, V., PELELLA, G., CASTELLANOS, M., MAY, S. T., LOTTO, A. A., SACKS, H., SYMONDS, M. E. and BUDGE, H., 2016. Gene pathway development in human epicardial adipose tissue during early life: JCI Insight JCI Insight. 1(13), e87460
• BUDGE H, OJHA S, FAINBERG HP, WILSON V, PELELLA G, CASTELLANOS M, MAY ST, LOTTO A and SYMONDS M, 2016. Brown adipose tissue characteristics of epicardial fat and its relationship with growth during ageing in early life. The FASEB Journal. 30(1), Supplement 1290
• OJHA S, FAINBERG HP, WILSON V, PELELLA G, CASTELLANOS M, MAY ST, LOTTO AA, SACKS H, SYMONDS ME and BUDGE H, 2016. Gene pathway development in human epicardial adipose tissue during early life. JCI insight. 1(13), e87460
• OJHA, S., FAINBERG, H.P., SEBERT, S., BUDGE, H. and SYMONDS, M.E., 2015. Maternal health and eating habits: Metabolic consequences and impact on child health Trends in Molecular Medicine. 21(2), 126-133
• OJHA, S., SYMONDS, M.E. and BUDGE, H., 2015. Suboptimal maternal nutrition during early-to-mid gestation in the sheep enhances pericardial adiposity in the near-term fetus Reproduction, Fertility and Development. 27(8), 1205-1212
• OJHA S, FAINBERG HP, SEBERT S, BUDGE H and SYMONDS ME, 2015. Maternal health and eating habits: metabolic consequences and impact on child health. Trends in molecular medicine. 21(2), 126-33
• OJHA S, SZATKOWSKI L, SINHA R, YARON G, FOGARTY A, ALLEN S, CHOUDHARY S and SMYTH AR, 2014. Feasibility and pilot study of the effects of microfinance on mortality and nutrition in children under five amongst the very poor in India: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial. Trials. 15(1), 298
• ROBINSON L, OJHA S, SYMONDS ME and BUDGE H, 2014. Body mass index as a determinant of brown adipose tissue function in healthy children. The Journal of Pediatrics. 164(2), 318-22.e1
• OJHA, S., SZATKOWSKI, L., SINHA, R., YARON, G., FOGARTY, A., ALLEN, S., CHOUDHARY, S. and SMYTH, A.R., 2014. Feasibility and pilot study of the effects of microfinance on mortality and nutrition in children under five amongst the very poor in india: Study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial Trials. 15(1),
• OJHA S, GRIDLEY E and DORLING J, 2013. Use of heated humidified high-flow nasal cannula oxygen in neonates: a UK wide survey. Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992). 102(3), 249-53
• OJHA S, SAROHA V, SYMONDS ME and BUDGE H, 2013. Excess nutrient supply in early life and its later metabolic consequences. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology & Physiology. 40(11), 817
• SHALINI OJHA, MARK BIRTWISTLE, HELEN BUDGE and MICHAEL E SYMONDS, 2013. Brown adipose tissue: a new human organ? Expert Reviews of Endocrinology and Metabolism. 8(2), 123-125
• SACKS HS, FAIN JN, BAHOUTH SW, OJHA S, FRONTINI A, BUDGE H, CINTI S and SYMONDS ME, 2013. Adult epicardial fat exhibits beige features. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 98(9), E1448-55
• OJHA S, ROBINSON L, YAZDANI M, SYMONDS ME and BUDGE H, 2013. Brown adipose tissue genes in pericardial adipose tissue of newborn sheep are downregulated by maternal nutrient restriction in late gestation. Pediatric research. 74(3), 246-51
• OJHA S, ROBINSON L, SYMONDS ME and BUDGE H, 2013. Suboptimal maternal nutrition affects offspring health in adult life. Early human development. 89(11), 909-13
• OJHA, S., GRIDLEY, E. and DORLING, J., 2013. Use of heated humidified high-flow nasal cannula oxygen in neonates: a UK wide survey: Acta Paediatr Acta Paediatr. 102(3), 249-53
• OJHA, S., ROBINSON, L., SYMONDS, M. E. and BUDGE, H., 2013. Suboptimal maternal nutrition affects offspring health in adult life: Early Hum Dev Early Hum Dev. 89(11), 909-13
• OJHA, S., SAROHA, V., SYMONDS, M. E. and BUDGE, H., 2013. Excess nutrient supply in early life and its later metabolic consequences: Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 40(11), 817-23
• SACKS, H. S., FAIN, J. N., BAHOUTH, S. W., OJHA, S., FRONTINI, A., BUDGE, H., CINTI, S. and SYMONDS, M. E., 2013. Adult epicardial fat exhibits beige features: J Clin Endocrinol Metab J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 98(9), E1448-55
• SCHOONAKKER B, SARNO SJ, ROWBOTHAM NJ, OJHA S and BUDGE H, 2011. Pre-feed intragastric pH measurements in healthy preterm inpatients. Pediatric Research. 70, 829
• MERCHANT N, OJHA S, BOLK J and MALLOY EJ, 2011. International Trends in Neuroimaging in Neonatal Encephalopathy. Pediatric Research. 70, 194
• OJHA S and CHOONARA I, Medication errors in infants at home. Archives of disease in childhood. (In Press.)