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Preemie Matters - May 2012

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In this issue of Preemie Matters - June 14-15 in Washington, DC: National Premature Infant Health Coalition Summit  •  Webinar Slides & Audio Available Online: Acute Stress Disorder, PTSD & Postpartum Depression in Parents of NICU Babies  •  "Born Too Soon" Report Provides First National, Regional & Global Estimates of Preterm Birth  •  Partner Profile: Life After NICU  •  Video Shares Researcher & Family Stories on Retinopathy of Prematurity  •  NPIHC Facebook Page Brings Partners Together.

June 15th in Washington, DC: National Premature Infant Health Coalition Summit

Connections 2012 is coming soon! Don't miss a keynote address by pioneer researcher and world-renowned expert in Kangaroo Mother Care, Dr. Nils Bergman; a panel on developmental care with Dr. Laura Jana, Dr. Mitchell Goldstein, and Dr. Ricki Goldstein from the NICU Follow-up Club; a session on using social media to educate and communicate in the field of prematurity featuring blogger and advocate Heather Spohr, John Richards, and LinkedIn founding advisory board member Dr. Ellen Levy; roundtable discussions on a variety of topics; and a town hall for all attendees to share creative strategies for meeting current challenges. Help us promote Connections 2012! Share the exciting plans, along with the online registration form.

Webinar Slides & Audio Available Online: Acute Stress Disorder, PTSD & Postpartum Depression in Parents of NICU Babies

We had over 300 individuals participate in the May 9th NPIHC webinar, "Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Postpartum Depression (PPD) in Parents of NICU Babies." The presenter, Dr. Michael Hynan, discussed symptoms, trajectories of recovery, interventions and model NICU programs - as well as research on the potentially dangerous relationship between high levels of emotional distress in new parents and impaired infant development. Slides and audio from the webinar are now available online. You can also download a PDF of the full presentation with references.

"Born Too Soon" Report Provides First National, Regional & Global Estimates of Preterm Birth

A report released earlier this month-"Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth"-provides the first-ever national, regional, and global estimates of preterm birth and identifies priority actions. The report is a joint effort of almost 50 organizations, led by March of Dimes; the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health; Save the Children; and the World Health Organization (WHO), in support of the Every Woman Every Child Effort launched by the UN Secretary General. Extensive media coverage followed the report's release, with coverage from The New York Times, TIME magazine, and others.

Partner Profile: Life After NICU

Life After NICU, a blog and online support forum for preemie parents, was founded in the fall of 2011 by two NICU moms whose children were both hospitalized at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Illinois. These parents saw a need to create a support group for others "at all stages of the journey," from pre-delivery until long after heading home from the neonatal ICU. Through the blog and their Facebook page, Life After NICU provides preemie moms and dads with a safe space in which to share personal stories, process emotions and share resources and information.

Video Shares Researcher & Family Stories on Retinopathy of Prematurity

A new outreach video from the National Eye Institute (NEI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) features researchers and families sharing stories of hope for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). Clinical research conducted by NEI has shown that through an eye exam, doctors can identify infants who are most likely to benefit from early treatment for this potentially blinding eye condition, resulting in better vision for many children. ROP is one the leading causes of blindness among children in the United States, and occurs in as many as 15,000 children born prematurely in the U.S. each year. Share this video with others as tool to educate about ROP and important research being done in this area.

NPIHC Facebook Page Brings Partners Together

Have you "liked" the new National Premature Infant Health Coalition (NPIHC) Facebook page? We are enjoying using this platform to help partners in the field of prematurity connect to share information, network, and provide support. It's the only forum that connects multidisciplinary professionals working in the field of prematurity. Please share this resource and feel free to post on the page to promote news, events, research, and more. We want to hear from you!

Sources:

Information is reported as provided and does not necessarily represent the view of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. A complete copy of HMHB's disclaimer is available on our website.

Renee Klink