Background CPTM data available at the cotside might improve outcome by alerting staff early to deteriorating (combinations of) trends. It has been requested that such new ICU equipment be subjected to a randomised controlled trial(1).

Subjects Tertiary neonatal intensive care unit. Study period 2.8 years. Infants ≤32 weeks gestation and infants >32 weeks gestation if ventilated for >4 hours or asphyxiated.

Interventions CPTM data available at the each cotside. Infants randomised by sealed sequential envelopes to one of four groups for the first week of life;(A) no data display, (B) permanent data display, (C1) display on alternate days - start display, (C2) display on alternate days - start no display. Infants were followed up at age 1-4 years by hospital based Denver Developmental assessment or by Community based developmental screening; Infants were categorised to normal, suspicious, abnormal or dead.

Results 600 children randomised. Development follow up in 93%; 76 died, 46 abnormal, 59 suspicious and 375 normal. Display of CPTM data was not associated with any difference in long term outcome, even after excluding those infants who died.

Conclusions In this first large randomised study of CPTM, no significant difference was demonstrated in long term outcome in children who had received this new intervention.