Other content tagged: news research
Exclusive Human Milk Diet for Extremely Premature Infants: A Novel Fortification Strategy with Human Milk-Derived Fortifiers to Enhance the Bioactive Properties of Donor Milk
A recent study at the University Maternity Hospital Limerick in Ireland sheds light on the benefits of human milk-derived fortifiers (HMDF) for extremely preterm and low-birthweight infants. Results show that, unlike cow's milk-derived fortifiers (CMDF), HMDF significantly improves human milk's nutritional content, including higher fat, protein, and antioxidant activity. Moreover, certain bioactive proteins found to be lacking in donor human milk were enhanced with HMDF. Researchers concluded that fresh mother's own milk (FreMOM) fortified…
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An ethical examination of twin anemia polycythemia sequence screening
In a recent US case study, researchers have shed light on the ethical challenges surrounding diagnosing and managing Twin Anemia Polycythemia Sequence (TAPS), a rare condition affecting monochorionic twin pregnancies. The study highlights the importance of veracity, respect for persons, justice, and disability rights in providing comprehensive care for families affected by TAPS. is a rare and often fatal disease that affects monochorionic twins. It is characterised by an unwanted small surface connection in the…
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Exploring Parental Bereavement Support in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
A recent systematic review from Canada explored parental experiences and bereavement in the NICU, shedding light on the challenges of infant loss. Healthcare professionals are crucial in supporting parents, which can be done by facilitating meaningful moments and using clear communication. Strategies like shared decision-making, parental involvement in activities, and bonding time were also found to help with grief. Other resources like spiritual care and counselling are also essential. Understanding parents' needs in neonatal loss…
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Kangaroo Mother Care – Global position paper and implementation strategy: Two new WHO resources
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched new guidelines for improving maternal and newborn health outcomes through infant- and family-centred developmental care. The guidelines highlight Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), a neonatal care practice which includes skin-to-skin contact, as a life-saving intervention for preterm- and low birth weight (LBW) babies. To support the implementation of KMC, the WHO developed a global position paper and an implementation strategy for easy scale-up and…
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Development and validation of a screening questionnaire for early identification of pregnant women at risk for excessive gestational weight gain
In a significant effort to improve preventive care, a team of researchers developed and validated a screening questionnaire to identify pregnant women at risk for excessive gestational weight gain (GWG). This project, a cooperation between the TU Munich and EFCNI, found some relevant risk factors for GWG, and created a questionnaire to accurately identify people at risk for GWG. Despite the promising results, more research in this area is encouraged. Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG)…
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New preliminary study results suggest that new RSV antibody may help reduce infant hospitalisation due to RSV
Interesting first preliminary results from the HARMONIE phase 3b trial on the efficacy of Nirsevimab against RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) infection were presented at the 41st Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID) in Lisbon in early May. According to these initial results, a single intramuscular dose of this new monoclonal antibody would significantly reduce the frequency of hospitalisations in infants with RSV-associated lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), suggesting that…
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Kangaroo mother care: new resources released by WHO
Kangaroo mother care (KMC) significantly improves survival and health outcomes for preterm and low birthweight babies, compared to clinical stabilization in a more ‘high-tech’ incubator or warmer. To support preterm and low birthweight babies benefitting from this lifesaving technique, which includes ongoing skin-to-skin contact and exclusive breastfeeding, WHO released two new resources, with EFCNI having the great honour of contributing to this landmark report with its expertise from the parent community. Kangaroo mother…
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Born too soon: a decade of action on preterm birth
With preterm birth now being the leading cause of child deaths before the 5th birthday, 70+ organisations in 45+ countries, including EFCNI, have worked together to develop the report 'Born too soon: a decade of action on preterm birth', setting an ambitious agenda to reduce the burden of preterm birth. This report shines a spotlight on country achievements that can inform and inspire further progress, roots the agenda for preterm birth within the Sustainable…
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Impact of a sensory-based intervention in the NICU on parents and their preterm born babies
35 families received the Supporting and Enhancing Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Sensory Experiences (SENSE) programme-based intervention. The preterm born babies (≤ 32 weeks of pregnancy) experienced sensory exposures like human touch or massage on each day of their NICU hospitalisation. The main aim of the study was to find out whether it makes a difference who is performing (parents vs. volunteers/professionals) the sensory activity regarding the babies' neurobehaviour and parental mental health. In the…
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Preterm birth and parent-child relationships: the long-term impact for children and adolescents
The family environment influences the child's social-emotional development. Especially in preterm-born children, these influences seem to be greater than in peers born at term. O'Brien and others studied the relationship between preterm children and their parent-child relationship. The findings show that there is a stronger link between maternal conflict and increased socioemotional difficulties in very preterm children than in children born at term. Preterm birth (<37 weeks of gestation) may lead to many negative…
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