Weight gain and pregnancy

Gaining weight in pregnancy is a bit like Goldilocks – women should gain just the right amount of weight, not too much or too little. In this study Han-Yang Chen and Suneet P. Chauhan, from the University of Texas, looked at the links between gestational weight gain and mothers’ and babies’ health. The study found that excessive weight gain led to a 10% rise in mothers’ risk of ill health and a 12% rise in babies’ risk of ill health. Inadequate weight gain, however led to a 14% increase in the risk of babies’ dying and a 12% rise in the risk of mothers’ dying.

You can read the abstract of this article here.

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The role of the paediatric cardiac nurse specialist in delivering cardiology services

A paediatric cardiac nursing service was established at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUHFT) with the aim of providing a contact person for families to identify and link with throughout their cardiac journey. The role ensures support, continuity and coordination of care for neonates and their families across the network. This article discusses the evolving role of the cardiac nurse specialist in a busy level 3 paediatric cardiology service, primarily focusing on the neonatal cardiology services.

To view the article abstract click here

Learning from neonatal clinical incidents: a rare complication of lower limb PICC insertion

There have been two recent cases in Scotland where malpositioned peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) have resulted in extravasation of parenteral nutrition and lipid into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with significant neurological sequelae for the infants involved. The purpose of this article is to highlight learning points from the incidents to those providing day-to-day care for babies.

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A survey of newborn babies admitted for the treatment of jaundice

Reducing the number of full term infants admitted into neonatal units is a priority for the NHS. Neonatal jaundice is the fourth most common reason for a term admission into a neonatal unit and the most common reason for admission from home. This article considers the findings of a three-month retrospective national survey of practice aimed at understanding variation in admission processes and management of term newborn babies admitted with jaundice from home.

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Maternally-administered massage and weight gain in preterm and low birthweight infants: a systematic review

Early tactile experiences have long-term effects on preterm infants’ sensory performance. Weight gain is key to infant development; while research confirms that massage impacts positively on weight gain in this population, most of the literature focuses on massage administered by health professionals/researchers. This review aims to examine whether massage provided by an infant’s mother impacts on weight gain in preterm and/or low birthweight infants.

To read the article abstract click here

Estimating length of stay for very preterm babies

Estimating neonatal length of stay has received limited attention in the past. Anecdotally parents are told that their baby will be discharged home ‘around their due date’ but there is no evidence to suggest this is an accurate estimate. This article provides length of stay estimates by week of gestational age for very preterm babies. Information about likely length of stay, complemented by clinical knowledge and alongside information about the risk of mortality, is important and useful for counselling parents and preparing them for their baby’s discharge.

To read the the article abstract click here

Cooling plus inhaled xenon for newborns with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy

A new Cochrane Systematic Review has been published on how does cooling plus inhaled xenon compare with cooling alone for improving survival and development of newborn babies who may have suffered from lack of oxygen at birth? The Review has found that  “current evidence from one small randomised controlled pilot trial is inadequate to show whether cooling plus xenon is safe or effective in near-term and term newborns with HIE. Further trials reporting long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes are needed.”

To read the full Review click here