Notre Dame Research’s Post

I love applying engineering to improve neonatal care (on behalf of Zach.) Positioning neonates and young children in hospitals is crucial for their muscle and joint development. Incorrect positioning can lead to the need for extensive therapy later in life—therapy that can be painful, expensive, and disruptive, without guaranteeing results. Providing proper support from birth can help ensure proper shoulder alignment, promoting a full range of motion essential for activities like swimming. Proper positioning of hips, legs, and toes promotes healthy development and helps prevent issues such as toe-walking. The Zaky HUG® is the only tool in the NICU engineered to calm babies by providing holistic and evidence-based care. It helps babies feel loved and secure, promotes attachment, and supports musculoskeletal development, aiding in pain management, better sleep, and brain development. See how this occupational therapist uses a pair of The Zaky HUG to properly nest and position this beautiful 900-gram baby in less than one minute.

Pediatricians and Pediatric Specialists - Are you worried about the future of our profession? Do you see the urgent changes needed at your clinic, hospital, state, or even at the federal level but feel powerless to make a difference? Are you overwhelmed and despondent, feeling like it's all too much, and surrendering to helplessness? Join our live webinar to identify the one keystone change you can make today 📅 Date: July 15, 2024 🕒 Time: 4PM EDT 📍 Location: Online (Zoom) In this powerful, transformative live webinar, you will discover: • The Power of Keystone Changes: Learn how making one strategic change can create a ripple effect, unlocking your potential to ignite broader transformations in your life and work. • Science-Backed Strategies: Dive deep into evidence-based techniques and self-management strategies that will empower you to implement and sustain your keystone change. • Practical Tools and Insights: Equip yourself with practical tools and actionable insights tailored specifically to the unique challenges faced by pediatricians. Why You Should Attend: • Break Free from Helplessness: Conquer the overwhelming feelings of stress and pain, and reclaim your sense of agency and purpose. • Transformative Learning: Harness the science of effective change-making and apply it to both your professional and personal life. • Expert Guidance: Gain wisdom and direction from professionals who understand the unique pressures of the pediatric field and have successfully guided many through significant transformations. • Community Support: Connect with like-minded pediatricians who are also on a journey to make impactful changes, and find strength in shared experiences. Special Offer: By attending this webinar, you’ll get an exclusive preview of our upcoming 6-week course, Keystone Change Masters. This course will guide you through the experience of making a significant change in your life while mastering essential concepts of self-management and change science. Ready to reclaim your power and make a real difference? Reserve your spot now and begin your journey to becoming a Keystone Change Master! 🔗 Download our free workbook and get registered for the webinar now. https://lnkd.in/emFMickE Don’t let the opportunity to transform your life slip away. We can’t wait to see you there!

Become a CNT™️ to have all of the latest evidence at your fingertips. This month we are highlighting a study which examined the impact of parent presence on infant stress in the NICU. NICU infants are exposed to high levels of stress that impact neurodevelopmental outcomes. Read the latest evidence on what effect parent presence in hours per week and implementation of skin to skin care had on infant stress levels. How do you encourage parent presence in the NICU on your unit? Horner, S. (2024). Impact of parent presence and engagement on stress in NICU infants. Advances in Neonatal Care, 10-1097. DOI: 10.1097/ANC.0000000000001146

Advancing neonatal care with HUM-TE clinical trial. ‘Ultimately, the goal is to identify the optimal humidity level for improved health outcomes in premature babies.’ Dr Abdel-Latif, one of our dedicated neonatologists, shares insights into the groundbreaking HUM-TE clinical trial, pivotal research in neonatal care. ‘Traditionally, neonatal care units maintain humidity levels around 80% to mitigate this fluid loss. However, there's a lack of research to determine the most effective humidity level. Some hospitals use humidity levels as high as 95%.’ ‘HUM-TE aims to answer a crucial question: What's the optimal humidity level for premature babies?’ says Dr Abdel-Latif. ‘This trial is about improving outcomes and setting evidence-based standards.’ Premature babies' underdeveloped skin makes them susceptible to fluid loss. ‘Our goal is to provide the best possible environment for these fragile infants,’ explains Dr Abdel-Latif. ‘We're comparing 80% and 95% humidity levels to determine the most effective approach.’ The research community is eager to see the outcomes of HUM-TE. ‘This trial has significant implications for neonatal care worldwide,’ says Dr Abdel-Latif. ‘It's about ensuring the best start for every premature baby and advancing the field of neonatology.’ Join us in supporting this critical research for the excellence for future neonatal health! #TeamCHS #NeonatalHealth #MedicalResearch #CHSresearch #ClinicalTrials

Today marks an important milestone for me. After a long maternity leave, I am returning to work. Whilst I am excited with the new opportunity ahead of me, I feel so proud with the accomplishments I am leaving behind. Particularly recent global project I have led with DryNites®, was one of the most meaningful initiatives I have ever had in my career. Over last 2 years working with top HCPs, we have concluded this complex but rewarding project, which will make a huge difference to the lives of bedwetting children and their families – truly better care for a better world. DryNites® has led a landmark clinical study into bedwetting and how to help children feel better and more confident with the condition. Today, there are limited bedwetting management options for concerned parents. A lack of evidence on the role that wearing absorbent pyjama pants can play means they’re often not included in healthcare practice advice and, in many cases, actively discouraged by healthcare professionals based on their personal opinion. The study was focused on the research question "Does removing absorbent pants improve the rate of spontaneous resolution of bedwetting in treatment-naïve patients".   The results evidenced that for 80% of children there is no meaningful reduction in bedwetting if they stop using absorbent pyjama pants, conclusively proving that the vast majority of children should keep using them to help manage bedwetting and make a positive impact on their quality of life i.e better night’s sleep. This study will help shape clinical guidelines globally to endorse the use of absorbent pyjama pants, putting the rumours about their use to bed. The study is published even in a peer reviewed journal: Breinbjerg et al., “Discontinuing absorbent pants in children with bedwetting: a randomized controlled trial”, European Journal of Pediatrics (2024) https://lnkd.in/dFRtMxvF

Respect and thanks for an extraordinary event in Lucerne last Thursday and Friday. The Swiss Pediatric Congress, which was organized by an organizing committee of the Children's Hospital of Central Switzerland under the leadership of Nicole Ritz and Martin Stocker, was an exceptional event that, through the choice of topics and speakers, clearly demonstrated how we all can and have to develop and improve paediatric care in Switzerland and beyond in the coming years. I can't remember any recent event that was so consistently well designed and organized and at the same time provided such crucial impulses and food for thought. Two things are very clear: There is no alternative to the digital transformation of our institutions and there is no alternative to the expansion of powerful electronic medical health records, as well as other digitalization measures in the hospitals, even if they are associated with high costs. Second, pediatrics will always remain a discipline that requires a relatively high number of committed staff because many processes cannot be replaced by automated algorithms or examination methods.

The tiniest babies—those born too soon—face an invisible enemy threatening their eyesight. This is the reality for many children in Latin America battling Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), a serious eye condition that can lead to blindness if not treated in time. What is ROP? It primarily affects premature babies born before 31 weeks of gestation or weighing less than 1,500 grams. In these little ones, the blood vessels in their eyes can develop abnormally, potentially leading to scarring or even detachment of the retina. The result? Permanent blindness. ROP is particularly unpredictable because it often shows no obvious signs in newborns. While parents and doctors focus on the challenges of prematurity, ROP can quietly progress. Each year, up to 20,000 babies may lose their sight to ROP. The stakes are even higher in middle- and low-income countries, where access to comprehensive eye screening programs is still lacking in neonatal care. The good news? ROP is often preventable with early detection and timely intervention. Screening premature babies within 4 to 6 weeks after birth allows healthcare providers to keep a close eye on retinal development and step in when necessary. Treatments like laser therapy, cryotherapy, or specialised injections can effectively halt the growth of abnormal blood vessels, preserving precious eyesight. Since 2019, CBM has been on a mission to enhance ROP care in Guatemala, collaborating with the Unidad Nacional de Oftalmología across 12 hospitals. Through innovative telemedicine initiatives, we ensure that early detection and rapid laser treatment are more accessible than ever. Our commitment extends to training hospital staff and providing online courses in Comprehensive Care of Premature Babies for ROP, all aimed at safeguarding the vision of our smallest patients. Get our annual report at he link in comments to read more about our work #WorldSightDay #LoveYourEyes #LowVision #ChildHealth #Collaboration #Partnership

Examining the sensory systems of these fragile neonates in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is imperative as these infants, often born prematurely or with medical complications, are particularly vulnerable during their early days of life. Understanding how their sensory system functions and responds to the environment within the NICU can provide invaluable insights into their overall well-being and development. Our lab research is specifically focused on understanding the impact of NICU experiences on maternal interactions during the crucial early days of these infants' lives. We are particularly interested in how the sensory experiences of NICU shape interactions with their mothers. These early interactions play a crucial role in attentional processes, establishing bonding, emotional connections affecting overall developmental trajectories. By studying how these fragile infants interact with their caregivers/mothers , we aim to identify factors influencing attention processes and understand cognitive outcomes later in development. Ultimately, our research endeavors to inform interventions and practices outside of the NICU that promote optimal outcomes for both infants and their families.

Check out our latest article in the American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing: "Standardizing Fetal Movement Monitoring Using Count the Kicks." Authored by Dr. Adriane Burgess, a member of the Count the Kicks Medical Advisory Board, along with Megan Aucutt, Program Director, and Sarah Coleman, MPH, State Expansion Director, this article underscores the critical role of standardized fetal movement monitoring. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g9CPP7K4

The evidence for how to protect our most vulnerable newborns is not hard to find; so why do we see such wide are variations in practice across the country? I think a lot of it is that the “cultures” in hospital L&D & NICU are so entrenched with poor practices based on a design that centers hospital productivity, staffing needs, billing and pays little attention to centering the patient and their families. Countries like Sweden and Finland have shown that it is possible to have non-separation of the mother-infant dyad even for the sickest babies. https://lnkd.in/gQXhcTrp