In #pregnancy mothers often avoid excessive #caffeine & yet we give it so readily to #preemies after birth Why is that?👇 youtu.be/OYPP_sxQ9SY #nicu #neonatal #meded #medsky #medstudent #PedSky

Caffeine is truly a wonder dru...

Patient group reveals shocking treatment of new mothers at Singleton Hospital in new report

The Llais report, “Having a baby in Neath Port Talbot and Swansea” shares the experiences of more than 500 people who have used maternity and neonatal services in Swansea Bay University Health Board.

Based on surveys, interviews, and focus groups, the report highlights a broad range of experiences, some of which Llais say are deeply concerning.

While some families described compassionate and professional care, many others told us they felt unheard, unsupported or unsafe at different stages of their journey: especially during labour, after birth, or when trying to raise concerns.

Experiences varied widely, suggesting a lack of consistency in care quality across different teams. Several described repeating their history or feeling lost in a system that didn’t seem to talk to itself.

One person explained: “They don’t talk… the consultants don’t seem to talk to each other. If you have pregnancy-related complications, it’s a lot of legwork to chase all these people and it’s exhausting.”

Several women told of being left alone in rooms or not fully monitored and having to push for examinations.

One woman said: “I was covered in blood and left in it all… I had blood running down my legs which meant the blood went on to the bed.”

Another woman added: “I was a slab of meat left on the bed. I had one person taking my clothes off, another inserting a catheter. I was naked and uncovered. My catheter was left in for 26 hours! I had a horrific experience and just left.”

Many described their experience of a dismissive culture, where people felt their pain and concerns were not taken seriously and staff attitudes varied. Llais said they heard some reports described as sarcasm, with a lack of compassion.

“The issue is not a lack of staff. There was no sense of urgency and no kindness. It was patronising.”

“I felt like an inconvenience, patronised, and in the way. I asked for a bath and was judged for it. I asked for a pillow and was told, ‘What do you think this is? It isn’t the Hilton.’”

Llais said that some women told them they left hospital feeling unsure and doubting themselves. At the time, they felt something wasn’t right, that they were being brushed off or made to feel silly for raising concerns. It was only afterwards, when they had time to reflect, that they realised how they’d been treated. Many said they were made to feel like they were overreacting, imagining things, or not to be trusted about what was happening to their own bodies. It left them feeling confused and undermined.

“‘I just thought this is how it is. I assumed it was really painful and that you are not listened to.”

“I kept saying I was in pain, but they told me I wasn’t.”

“I had to walk two wards to get to my baby after surgery — (then) I collapsed at the reception desk.

“One of the women in front of me opposite me in the Bay, she had an emergency C-section in the middle of the night and her baby laid there screaming because she was so high. She couldn’t move and I had to get up. Having just had to see to myself and go and look after her baby because there was no one to do it. And I think that there’s no excuse, don’t care how busy you are. There’s no excuse like that, for a baby not to be fed.”

“The midwife rolled her eyes when I asked for pain relief. It felt like I was being judged for not being able to handle it.”

Although no one described an entirely positive experience from beginning to end, many families praised individual staff members whose kindness and personal care made a lasting difference. Llais say these stories show the importance of respectful, compassionate care and the potential effects that can result when it is missing.

Alyson Thomas, Chief Executive of Llais, said: “We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to share their story, many of them deeply personal and painful. These experiences must lead to action. This report isn’t about blame, it’s about listening and learning. Everyone needing maternity and neonatal care and support deserves safe, compassionate, and consistent care.

“Some of the things we heard align with other maternity reviews across the UK, including in Cwm Taf Morgannwg and Shrewsbury and Telford. The repeated nature of these concerns points to a need for system-wide learning, particularly around leadership, culture, and how services listen and respond to feedback.”

Medwin Hughes, Chair of Llais, said, “The voices in this report show both the challenges and the opportunities for change. What’s needed now is continued leadership across the system to make sure those experiences are heard and acted on.”

Healthcare lawyer Julia Reynolds says the report entirely bears out those of the families she is supporting, and that the report must accelerate urgent changes to give families reassurance that childbirth is safe in Swansea Bay. 

Leigh Day partner Julia Reynolds, who is investigating medical negligence claims on behalf of many Swansea families affected by alleged failures in maternity care, said: “The Llais report makes sobering reading and frankly I am absolutely appalled that women have experienced what they describe in maternity wards in Swansea. 

“The Swansea Bay University Health Boad may say that these stories are old and that the deficiencies in care are being addressed.  

“We have worked with the family support group in Swansea, and there are some families’ stories that are several years old, but there are some who are reporting issues with care, and their babies are only a few months or even a few weeks old. 

“The families that I have been working with, tell me that their birth experience has left them traumatised. There is now a generation of people fearful of what might await them when the time comes to give birth to their child. 

“We can only hope that this report accelerates the urgent changes required, because what I have read here is sadly all too familiar to me as a medical negligence lawyer. It is unacceptable that there are such experiences in maternity care in Wales.” 

Responding to the report, Jan Williams, Swansea Bay UHB Chair said: “We are grateful to Llais for this report and do not underestimate how difficult it will have been for individuals who have had a negative experience of our services to re-live that whilst contributing.  That’s why we would like to once again apologise to and acknowledge the trauma and stress suffered by individuals with a poor experience or adverse outcomes.  We also welcome the report’s equal balance with the good examples of care and experience, and agree that we need these to be much more consistent.”

Abi Harris, Swansea Bay UHB CEO added: “We are completely focused on strengthening our services and the Llais report recognises many of the improvements that have been made.   The Independent Review of our maternity and neonatal services is imminent and the final report will be published by the end of July.

“Llais has shared its findings with the Independent Review and these will be taken into account alongside a range of other inputs, including from service users via the Review’s own engagement activities but also as a result of detailed clinical reviews undertaken by independent clinicians and the review of a raft of data on the services.

“We will respond fully to all the recommendations of all these important reports together and ensure we learn and act on them.  As the Llais report shows, we are making improvements and investments in quality, services, staffing and how we listen to and act on what people tell us about their care and experience.” 

Dr Denise Chaffer, Chair of Swansea Bay maternity and neonatal services independent review, said: “This report provides important feedback on some of the experiences that women and families have had when using maternity services in Swansea over the last few years; all of this vital information will form part of the independent review. Alongside our thanks to Llais for developing this report, we would also like to thank all of the women who have contributed their time and their heartfelt experiences to help improve the future of maternity services.”

#featured #Llais #maternity #neonatal #SingletonHospital #Swansea #SwanseaBayNHS

Inside the breast milk factory saving premature babies at a Paris children's hospital.

Twelve thousand litres of milk from donors are collected and processed each year in the basement of Necker Hospital.

How is this precious liquid obtained, treated and distributed? Le Monde visited the regional milk bank of the Paris region with its head, neonatologist, Virginie Rigourd.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20250430-inside-the-breast-milk-factory-saving-premature-babies-at-a-paris-childrens-hospital?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#BreastMilk #Neonatal #Babies #Science #Health #France #Paris

New Carmarthen maternity and neonatal facilities officially opened

Following a £25.2m Welsh Government investment, Hywel Dda Health board say that the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), delivery suites and obstetric theatre accommodation at the Carmarthen hospital have been modernised for the benefit of families across mid and west Wales.

The health board say the purpose built SCBU provides high dependency and special care level of care to premature and unwell newborn babies, with improved facilities and modern technology.

Welcoming its first families in 2022, the clinical space meets national guidance with four ensuite overnight rooms for parents and a family sitting room. The environment has also significantly improved the patient and staff experience in line with Bliss and UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiatives.

The labour ward, which also opened for use in 2022, includes five standard ensuite birthing rooms, one birthing room with a fixed pool, and one birthing room equipped to deal with multiple or complex births. This is in addition to the Midwife Led Unit (MLU).

Improvements to the theatres were completed in 2023 to meet the requirements of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Review and includes an additional obstetric theatre and anaesthesia room. This can allow for both elective and emergency procedures to be undertaken at the same time.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles said: “It was fantastic to officially open the new maternity and neonatal facilities at Glangwili Hospital today, and to see how our investment into these state-of-the-art facilities will support staff to continue delivering high quality care to families closer to home and help give the most vulnerable babies in our communities, the best possible start to life.

“I’d like to thank all the dedicated staff who are caring for and supporting babies and families each day.”

Dr Neil Wooding, Chair of Hywel Dda UHB, said: “It is wonderful to come together today to celebrate the official opening of this important development.

“I’d like to thank and congratulate all involved who have ensured our mid and west Wales communities have access to modern facilities that improve the well-being and experience of babies, their families and staff.”

Lisa Humphrey, General Manager for Women and Children’s Services at Hywel Dda UHB, commented: “As project director I would like to thank all of the parents, staff and the contractors for their contribution to the delivery of this scheme.

“Having up-to-date facilities enhances the delivery of high-quality care that the team already provide in an environment that improves well-being for babies, their families and staff.”

(Lead image: Hywel Dda NHS)

#Carmarthen #GlangwiliHospital #HywelDdaNHS #maternity #maternityUnit #neonatal #neonatalUnit

#Santé : Le CHU de Liège est un pionnier dans le #dépistage #néonatal génomique

L’étude Baby Detect de dépistage néonatal génomique, développée par le CHU de Liège, est publiée dans la prestigieuse revue médicale internationale Nature Medicine.   Les premiers résultats de l’étude Baby Detect, menée par l'équipe du Professeur Laurent Servais du CHU de Liège (Centre de Reference des Maladies Neuromusculaires) et le Professeur François Boemer (Service de Génétique,…

https://bruxelles-city-news.be/sante-le-chu-de-liege-est-un-pionnier-dans-le-depistage-neonatal-genomique/

Bridgend couple hit fundraising target for hospital that saved their baby’s life

When it comes to saying thank you, Jade and Gareth James quite literally hit the bullseye.

The couple from Bridgend organised a 12 hour dart-a-thon as part of raising £1,600 for Swansea’s Singleton Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after its staff helped save their baby daughter’s life.

Daisy James was born in the Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, on the 26th of June 2024 but required specialist care and was immediately transferred to Singleton Hospital.

Jade explained: “I went into Princess of Wales Hospital to be induced but they realised that there was something going on with the heart monitor on Daisy. Then I was rushed into surgery for an emergency C-section because they only had a certain amount of time to get her out.

“It took them 10 minutes to revive her with CPR.

“She was diagnosed with a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – a genetic disease of your heart muscle where the muscle wall of your heart becomes thickened.

“They transferred her to Singleton Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit because her heart was too big.”

The couple faced an anxious wait.

Jade said: “They had to sedate her and she didn’t wake up until the twelfth day.

“We spent three-and-a-half weeks in NICU and then two weeks and two days back in Princess of Wales before Daisy was able to come home.”

Daisy has been left with several obstacles to overcome but her loving parents are with her every step of the way.

Jade said: “The issue she has is persistent pulmonary hypertension and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, which is a common condition, where acid from the stomach leaks up into the oesophagus (gullet).

“And she’s at risk from neuro development issues.

“We will need support with her mobility and her feeding.

“But she’s doing well. She’s just going to take time to get over it all.”

As well as the dart-a-thon the couple held a raffle and organised some fundraising as a thank you.

Jade said: “We decided to raise the money to say thank you for saving her life basically.

“Everyone in NICU, I just cannot fault them whatsoever. They were all absolutely amazing.

“The care they give is absolutely phenomenal. We felt so comfortable and relaxed there, and what they did for Daisy was absolutely amazing.”

The couple presented a cheque to staff during a special Christmas party, organised by Swansea Bay’s neonatal outreach team for babies and their parents who have been through NICU during the past 12 months.

Dr Joanna Webb, Consultant Neonatologist and Clinical Lead for Neonatal Services SBUHB, said: “On behalf of the team at Singleton NICU we want to thank Jade and Gareth for their fantastic donation and for their commitment to supporting us as a service following on from their stay on our unit with Daisy.

“We are so pleased to hear Daisy is doing well and look forward to hearing how she continues to progress in the future.”

(Lead image: Swansea Bay NHS)

#Bridgend #maternity #neonatal #neonatalUnit #PrincessOfWalesHospital #SingletonHospital

New study in Archives of Diseases in Childhood - Fetal & Neonatal examines how to balance precision and cost in assessing infant development during large-scale mortality trials. Key insights for researchers and policymakers. Full article here: https://fn.bmj.com/content/early/2025/01/09/archdischild-2024-327762 #neonatal #fetal #ChildHealth #infantcare #infanthealth #BMJ #MHMRC

Swansea neonatal babies enjoy first Christmas party

That was certainly the case for those who attended this year’s Singleton Hospital’s neonatal Christmas party.

Arranged by Swansea Bay’s neonatal outreach team, a special invite goes out to babies and their parents who have been through the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during the past 12 months.

This year’s party was held in the communal hall in Singleton’s staff accommodate, a rattle throw away from the hospital’s Cwtsh Clos homes for families who live far away from the unit.

Lead neonatal outreach nurse, Sarah Owens, said:

“We’ve been holding a Christmas party for the families for around 15 years. 

“We invite all the families who have had outreach care, so all of these babies have been discharged home from the neonatal unit over the past year. 

“It’s an opportunity to bring everybody together and celebrate how far the babies have come in the past year, because it’s been a really tough year for most of them.

“It’s lovely for us all to get together and be joyous.

“A special thanks goes out to our nursery nurse, Cheryl Tobin, without who this would not be possible. Cheryl gives up her own time to buy gifts for the babies and wraps each and every one herself.

“Her commitment to this event and the regular coffee mornings she supports every month for our neonatal families is greatly appreciated by her neonatal team and our families.” 

Sarah said the party gave the families a unique opportunity.

She said: “All of these babies have been through NICU this year and may have had some extra care needs that they have gone home with that we have supported them with over the year.

“This is a place where they feel comfortable to come along to, most of them have had similar experiences. They can just enjoy each other’s company and support each other, relax and catch up.”

This year’s special guest knows better than anyone what it’s like having a baby in NICU and treating them.

As Santa is very busy at the moment overseeing his team of elves, he asked Dr Sam Jeffreys to step in for him at the party.

Sarah explained: “Santa is played by Dr Jeffreys who has also had premature babies and experienced the journey of the neonatal unit, not only as a parent but as a doctor.

“The past three years he has come with his own children but today he is here playing Santa because his children are older and in nursery.”

Sam, who is currently a paediatric trainee doctor in Morriston Hospital, said:

“I’ve got two children both of whom were premature and stayed in NICU in Singleton, but also I’ve worked on the unit myself. 

“Today, I’m here to have the honour of being Santa.”

Sam has a son, George (born at 23 weeks), who has just turned 4, and a daughter, Emilia (born 24 weeks), who has just turned two, and they are both doing “wonderfully fine”.

Sam is fully behind the parties.

He said: “Having had premature babies, other playgroups and parents can be a bit daunting so to come to a place like this, where you have parents and children from a similar background – it’s good to have that shared bond and experience.”

He is also full of praise for the NICU staff.

He said: ‘I am biased as I have worked there as well, but the staff are superstars, every one of them.

“They don’t just look after the babies. They are brilliant with the parents too. The care they gave to my children, my wife and I was second to none.  

“My children wouldn’t be here without them.”

Laura and Matthew Jones were there with son, Aidan, who was born at 28 weeks via emergency C-section in Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend before been transferred to NICU in Singleton.

Laura said: “The care was outstanding. We can’t thank them enough. He was there for 52 days. The staff were really helpful, they were knowledgeable they would give you advice if sought.”

Laura also gave her backing to the Christmas party tradition.

She said: “This is a really good idea. You meet parents on the unit and then you don’t see them again, so it’s nice to come to events like this as you do get to see them again.

“It’s a good supporting network. It’s nice to see other people who have been in your situation and chat about it to each other. Unless you are in that situation you don’t understand.”

Matthew Jones (above) added:

“The staff have been fantastic to be honest with you. They’re very friendly, they’ve answered every question and they’ve kept us updated.”

Mr Jones was particularly impressed with an app staff use to update parents.

He explained: “We weren’t always there but the mornings we weren’t there to wake up and see him we were getting pictures sent to the app they use – we were getting good morning wishes and a pic of our baby. That was a really good touch.

“Laura wasn’t well enough to come to the hospital but she was able to see updated pictures of Aidan.”

NICU consultant, Kate Burke, said:

“It’s massively important for the families to have these opportunities to come together and to celebrate milestones, which for some of them they might not ever thought they were going to meet. 

“It’s an opportunity to come together to celebrate, to share stories, to see the staff, and some of those who were on the unit at the same time.

“To celebrate overcoming the end of an often very difficult year for some families.”

She added that staff looked forward to the event.

She said: “As staff we have very close relationship with the families who stay on our unit – we often have real shared histories with them and we’re interested in how they progress after they leave, the party is always a lovely opportunity for everyone to come together, staff, to come together and see how all the families and their babies are getting on.”

[Swansea Bay University Health Board]

#neonatal #SingletonHospital #SwanseaUniversityHealthBoard

This little device the "Baby Bird" revolutionized #neonatal medicine. Released in 1971 this invention by Forrest Bird would spawn development of the ventilators that we know and love today. Prior to that there were a lot of tired hands I would imagine from bagging for hours! #NeoSky #PedSky

Distraction during resuscitation carries a price in #neonatal simulated resuscitation Mask leak (31.0 vs 15.9 %) Minute volume (202.0 vs 253.0 mL/kg/min) Respiratory rate (29.0 vs 33.0/min) Keep your eye on the patient! pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39578042/ #NeoSky #Pediatrics

it would’ve been extremely difficult to miss this on a physical exam. Believe it or not as bad as this looks it got better with a simple treatment.! tinyurl.com/yc3p4cju #neonatal #MedSky #NeoSky #pediatrics #goiter

Did you ever think you would see a mother and child breast-feeding in an MRI? #nicu #neonatal #newborn #radiology

Day 1 of #delphi2024 was a lot of fun. So many inspiring speakers, projects, ideas - can’t wait for tomorrow.

#incubatorpodcast
#nicupodcast
#neonatology #innovation #nicu #babies #neonatal

Unsafe conditions for #childbirth cost the lives of 2⃣.0⃣2⃣ to 2⃣.5⃣9⃣ million #newborns and #pregnant #women in 2020/2021 (#GBDstudy, @WHO, #UNICEF).
👶
#GlobalHealth #GlobalGoals #SDGs #2030Agenda #UN #SDG3 #neonatal #maternal #birth #delivery #NMR #MaternalMortality #MaternalDisorders #ReproductiveHealth
https://www.healthdata.org/research-analysis/diseases-injuries-risks/factsheets/2021-maternal-and-neonatal-disorders-level-2
https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/gho-documents/global-health-estimates/ghe2021_deaths_wbincome_new.xlsx
https://childmortality.org/all-cause-mortality/data/download?indicator=TMM0 (World, Neonatal deaths, Total)
https://data.unicef.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Table-3-Maternal-and-newborn-health-SOWC2023.xlsx

"Even light #smoking (1-2 #cigarettes per day) before #pregnancy increased the risk of major #neonatal #Health issues by 16%. "
https://indianf.com/light-smoking-pregnancy-neonatal-health-risks/#:~:text=Even%20light%20smoking%20(1%2D2%20cigarettes%20per%20day)%20before%20pregnancy%20increased%20the%20risk%20of%20major%20neonatal%20health%20issues%20by%2016%25.

Lives of babies at risk as Kamal Adwan Hospital faces closure

The hospital has the only functioning neo-natal intensive care unit left in Gaza.

“We have newborns who are dependent on ventilators to breathe. We need electricity to administer fluids and power working incubators, otherwise the infants will face imminent death. We are using solar power right now, which has been interrupted five times within just the last hour."

@palestine
#Gaza
#hospitals
#neonatal

#NeonatalMortality claimed 1⃣.9⃣3⃣ million lives in 2021.

#GlobalHealth #GlobalGoals #SDGs #SDG3 #neonatal
#WHO #GlobalHealthEstimates https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/gho-documents/global-health-estimates/ghe2021_deaths_wbincome_new.xlsx

How to Change Your #Perspective on #ClimateChange : Medium

Climate change led to 32% of heat-related #Neonatal #Deaths in 2001-2019 in poor countries, suggests research : DownToEarth

Mystery #Oxygen source discovered on the sea floor — bewildering scientists : Nature

Check our latest #KnowledgeLinks

https://knowledgezone.co.in/resources/bookmarks

Hello Chicago! After a wonderful dinner last night with @BGLandCo and friends, @DxPx_Conference starts now.

Hope to see you @myadlm #ADLM2024. Here all day today and tomorrow, including moderating a #DxPx discussion tomorrow on Smart #Neonatal Solutions.

https://t.co/tr4l07WLuQ https://t.co/xpndd9J640

Newborn #kittens and #puppies will have a much better chance at survival thanks to a $50,000 boost for a #neonatal program at the #Montreal #SPCA.

Mostly #orphaned, the unweaned kittens and puppies will be kept warm, fed every three hours, cleaned, weighed and carefully monitored thanks to a network of specially trained foster families.

https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/newborn-kittens-puppies-get-specialized-care-thanks-to-50-000-boost-for-montreal-spca-neonatal-unit-1.6922270

#GoodNews #AdoptDontShop #AnimalShelter #AnimalRescue