Other content tagged: preterm infants
Welcome, Paul, to Lithuania!
A guest article by Asta Speičytė-Radzevičienė, head of Lithuanian parent organisation Neišnešiotukas Last year, in 2022, about 1,200 preterm babies were born in Lithuania. However, the worldwide birth rate has been steadily declining for over 50 years. Every baby matters! Thanks to the collaboration with AmerisourceBergen, Lithuania received an innovative simulator Paul which precisely recreates a preterm 27-weeks-old baby. Such an innovative solution, which is created in Austria by SIMCharacters, contributes to the education…
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Heatwave-related preterm births (PTBs) linked to human capital losses in China
A recent study in China combined health impact and economic assessment methods to evaluate heatwave-related PTBs burden in dimensions of health, human capital and economic costs. Simulated scenarios showed that about a quarter (25.8%) of heatwave-related PTBs per year on average can be attributed to climate change, which in turn results in human capital losses of estimated $1 billion costs. These findings emphasize once again strict climate mitigation policies and are a strong call…
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Parent-support intervention in end-of-life-care at a neonatal intensive care unit in China
A study conducted at a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in China investigated the impact of parental involvement in the end-of-life-care (EOLC) of their preterm infants on parental depression and satisfaction with their child’s medical treatment. Parents who received the intervention spent time caring for their newborn in the final days of the infant’s life and experienced lower levels of depression and greater satisfaction with the care provided than those who opted for standard EOLC.…
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Transitional care in focus: Considering the needs of preterm babies and their families
Guest article by Lívia Nagy Bonnard, founding member of “Melletted a helyem Egyesület” – “Right(s) Beside You Association” in English – and a member of the Parent Advisory Board of EFCNI as well as a member of the Parent, Patient and Public Advisory Board of the ESCNH. 30th United European Gastroenterology Conference in Vienna The 30th United European Gastroenterology Conference took place in Vienna at the beginning of October 2022. The aim of the conference was to discuss and share research…
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Increasing Early Skin-to-Skin in Extremely Low Birthweight Infants
Although the benefits of skin-to-skin care (SSC) for preterm and low birthweight infants are known to the neonatal community, some health centres still struggle with implementation. To increase SSC within the first 72 hours of life among extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants, a multidimensional approach was chosen at a Level IV university-based regional intensive care nursery (ICN). SSC has many benefits for mothers and infants, especially those born preterm. Previous studies showed that in…
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Parent-administrated oral stimulation in preterm infants
Preterm infants tend to experience difficulties reaching oral feeding, sometimes needing oral stimulation. A study conducted in a children’s hospital in Italy evaluated whether there was a difference in the transition time to full oral feeding between parent-administered and professional-administered premature infant oral motor intervention (PIOMI). The active involvement of parents showed no difference in transition time, and it even offered family-bonding benefits. For preterm infants, reaching oral feeding can be challenging, and a…
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What parents want to know about their preterm baby’s care
Researchers explored the knowledge needs and skills acquisition of parents during their baby’s neonatal intensive care stay in California, USA. The study revealed differences in the learning needs and skills acquisition depending on the parents’ age and characteristics of the newborn. Moreover, the infant’s medical course and questions about feeding were the main topics of parental interest. Having a preterm baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is challenging for the family. During…
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Changes in thresholds for treatment of extremely preterm infants – a study among neonatal experts in the UK
Through an online survey among UK neonatal staff, the thresholds and viability for treatment of extremely preterm infants (EPIs) were evaluated. Respondents reported a median grey zone for neonatal resuscitation between 22 and 24 weeks’ gestation. Compared with previous studies, the survey showed a shift in the threshold for resuscitation, with greater acceptance of active treatment for infants also below 23 weeks’ gestation. Infants born before 28 weeks of pregnancy are considered EPIs, and…
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