Prof Jon Dorling
MBChB, DCH, MRCP, MD, FRCPCH
Consultant Neonatologist and Honorary Professor
Profile page(s)
Jon trained as a Paediatrician and Neonatologist in East Anglia and the East Midlands. He has been a Consultant Neonatologist since 2006, a Clinical Associate Professor in Nottingham from 2013 –2108 and a Full Professor and Division Head in Halifax, Canada from 2018-2021. In 2021 he joined Southampton as a Consultant and Honorary Professor.
His research interests are in Perinatal Clinical Trials and Perinatal Epidemiology and he is involved in numerous multi-centre research studies in the UK, Canada and Australia. He was the Chief Investigator for SIFT (Speed of Increasing milk Feeds Trial) which recruited 2804 infants in 25 months.
Landmark publications:
Mitchell EJ, Meakin G, Anderson J, Dorling J, et al. 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. 2022 Jan 20;23(1):64. doi: 10.1186/s13063-021-05994-z.
Chappell LC, et al. Ursodeoxycholic acid to reduce adverse perinatal outcomes for intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy: the PITCHES RCT. Southampton (UK): NIHR Journals Library; 2020 Dec.
Dorling J et al. Two speeds of increasing milk feeds for very preterm or very low-birthweight infants: the SIFT RCT. Health Technol Assess. 2020 Apr;24(18):1-94. doi: 10.3310/hta24180.
Dorling J et al. Controlled Trial of Two Incremental Milk-Feeding Rates in Preterm Infants. N Engl J Med. 2019 Oct 10;381(15):1434-1443. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1816654.
Duley L, Dorling J et al. Improving quality of care and outcome at very preterm birth: the Preterm Birth research programme, including the Cord pilot RCT. Southampton (UK): NIHR Journals Library; 2019 Sep.
Griffiths J et al. Enteral lactoferrin to prevent infection for very preterm infants: the ELFIN RCT. Health Technol Assess. 2018 Dec;22(74):1-60. doi: 10.3310/hta22740.
Major grants:
Research grants held in the last 5 years:
Fluids Exclusively Enteral from Day 1 (FEED1): A randomised controlled trial of full milk feeds versus intravenous nutrition with gradual feeding for preterm infants (30-33 weeks gestational age) - NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre - 04/2019 - 07/2023 - 1,590,178.00 GBP
Speed of Increasing milk Feeds Trial (SIFT) - NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre - 02/2013 - 07/2018 - 2,403,552.00 GBP
The WHEAT International Trial: WithHolding Enteral feeds Around red cell Transfusion to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm neonates: an international, multi-centre, randomized controlled trial. - Canadian Institutes of Health Research - 04/2021 - 09/2024 - 610,195.00 CAD
Does Withholding Enteral feeds Around blood Transfusion reduce the incidence of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) in very preterm infants? The international WHEAT Study - Department of Health - 04/2019 - 03/2024 - 1,606,826.00 AUD
Relative effectiveness and safety of pharmacotherapeutic agents for treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants: A National Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) Project - Canadian Institutes of Health Research - 04/2020 - 03/2024 - 165,004.00 CAD
WILL (When to Induce Labour to Limit risk in pregnancy hypertension) - a multicentre randomised controlled trial - NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre - 06/2018 - 07/2022 - 1,849,961.00 GBP
The clinical and cost-effectiveness of testing for Group B Streptococcus: a cluster randomised trial with economic and acceptability evaluations (GBS3) - NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre - 04/2019 - 09/2022 - 2,886,042.00 GBP
Management of an impacted fetal head during emergency caesarean section - NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre - 02/2019 - 01/2021 - 194,264.00 GBP
Mechanisms Affecting the Gut of Preterm Infants in Enteral feeding trials (MAGPIE) - NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre - 02/2016 - 09/2019 - 499,999.00 GBP
A Feasibility Study of No Routine Gastric Residual Volume measurement in mechanically ventilated Infants and Children: the GASTRIC Study - NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre - 04/2018 - 09/2019 - 343,123.00 GBP
A multi-centre randomised placebo-controlled trial of prophylactic enteral supplementation with bovine lactoferrin to prevent late-onset invasive infection in very preterm or very low birth weight infants. - NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre - 03/2013 - 05/2018 - 2,545,503.00 GBP
QUIDS – Quantitative Fibronectin to help Decision-making in women with Symptoms of Preterm Labour - NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre - 12/2015 - 04/2019 - 808,890.00 GBP
Optimising newborn nutrition during therapeutic hypothermia: an observational study using routinely collected data - NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre - 09/2017 - 06/2019 - 91,590.00 GBP
Phase III trial in IntrahepaTic CHolestasis of pregnancy (ICP) to Evaluate urSodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in improving perinatal outcomes - NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre - 03/2015 - 02/2019 - 1,391,829.00 GBP
PREVenting infection using Antibiotic Impregnated Long lines (PREVAIL) - NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre - 12/2014 - 08/2019 - 1,856,285.00 GBP
Impact example:
Jon’s work as part of the team assessing delayed cord clamping has in combination with other trials in meta-analysis led to the widespread adoption of this practice across the world for preterm infants. The additional transfusion of blood from the placenta has been shown to increase survival and reduce brain haemorrhages that often cause disability.