Other content tagged: family-centred care
The power of developmental care – exploring the mechanisms to shorten Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) hospitalisation
Developmental care is an approach to improve the care of infants hospitalised in a NICU. It includes measures to adapt the NICU environment to be more patient-friendly, foster parental involvement in care, increase oral immune therapy and exclusive breastfeeding. A new study conducted in 14 hospitals in China and including more than 1,300 low birth weight infants highlights the promising outcomes of developmental care. Most significantly, the length of hospitalisation was markedly shorter…
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Research priorities for care of preterm or low birth-weight infants: Health policy
The outcomes of preterm birth remain concerning in many countries: Approximately 11% of infants worldwide are born preterm, and preterm birth complications are still the leading cause of death among children under five years of age. This is why, in 2020 the WHO convened a Guideline Development Group (GDG) to examine evidence and formulate recommendations for the care of preterm or low birth-weight (LBW) infants. The 25 new WHO recommendations confirm the pivotal…
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Examining the positive effects of family involvement at the neonatal intensive care unit for newborns and their parents
The stay in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) demands a lot from new parents. The physical and emotional separation between the newborn and their parents often creates feelings of helplessness and stress. Family-centred care (FCC) concepts can help to improve the parents’ mental well-being and the infant’s physical health. The FCC intervention enables parents to be with their child at any time and empowers them to care for their newborn. It also involves…
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Listening to the fathers of twins – Being sensitive to fathers’ needs in maternity and child healthcare
Currently, the number of twin births worldwide is higher than ever before. For parents, this can be challenging. So far, research has mostly focused on mothers and their experiences. However, fathers of twins also face special challenges – like establishing an early bond and interaction with both children. In addition, having more than one child of the same age also means multiplied responsibilities in childcare. Therefore, fathers of multiples must often adapt to…
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Management and outcomes of extreme preterm birth
The survival and morbidity rates of babies born extremely preterm are linked to care management before and after birth, which tends to vary a lot. Conclusions of a recently published clinical update show that family centred care, preventive measures before pregnancy and the use of guidelines and legislation are key factors for improving health outcomes. Extreme preterm birth is defined as birth before 28 weeks of gestation. The survival and health status of babies…
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Promoting good practice in newborn temperature regulation: Dr. Alok Sharma’s story
Prelude The mother was in preterm labour and the baby was about to be born at 24 weeks. As a consultant neonatologist at Southampton University Hospital, this was not an unusual situation for Dr. Alok Sharma. What was perhaps unusual at the time was how Alok was preparing to deal with this preterm birth. Normally babies born at this gestational age are intubated and ventilated immediately but this time, Alok wanted to avoid this. He had noticed time and again…
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Global analysis of neonatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic – a healthcare providers’ perspective
With COVID-19 disrupting neonatal health systems globally, a group of experts undertook a thematic analysis of healthcare providers’ experiences using a disseminated online survey. Results show high levels of stress on healthcare providers, disruption of newborn care practices, and lack of guidelines regarding preterm newborns and babies with low birthweight (LBW) during the pandemic. There is an urgent need to protect life-saving interventions. The implementation of the Every Newborn Action Plan in 2014 by…
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Preterm care during COVID-19 and the survival benefit of kangaroo mother care
Given the disruption of neonatal health services through the COVID-19 pandemic, a two-scenarios-analysis was conducted to weigh the risk of not implementing kangaroo mother care (KMC) among neonates with neonatal deaths from COVID-19. The undeniable survival benefit of KMC far outweighs the small risk of death due to the virus and encourage its practice. There are conflicting global guidelines on mother-newborn care during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly regarding kangaroo mother care…
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Factors Influencing Implementation of Family-Centred Care in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Being in the NICU is a very stressful experience for infants. The stress level even increases when babies are separated from their parents. This can be avoided with Family-Centred Care (FCC), which involves parents in the care for their infants in order to reduce the stress on newborns and parents. Even though research shows that interactions with parents lead to multiple beneficial effects for both parents and infants, including lowering the stress level for…
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Non‐evidence‐based beliefs increase inequalities in the provision of infant‐ and family‐centred neonatal care
Many hospitals in the world still do not recognise the importance and benefits of family-centred care. This hinders parents to engage in potentially life-saving care procedures, like kangaroo mother care or breastfeeding. In a scientific study, Mendizabal-Espinosa and Warren identified obstacles regarding the implementation of family-centred care in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) of two publicly funded hospitals in Mexico. Data was gathered during a 10-month time period, by observing 29 parents (21 mothers…
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