Preemie Matters – July 2013

In this issue of Preemie Matters: August 8th Webinar: Multidisciplinary Guidelines for the Care of Late Preterm Infants • Video Educates About Risks of Elective Preterm Delivery • Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin • PreemiePalooza in North Carolina • Prone Sleep Increases Preemie SIDS Risk

August 8th Webinar: Multidisciplinary Guidelines for the Care of Late Preterm Infants

Mark your calendar and register now for NPIHC's next webinar, set for August 8 at 2 p.m. EDT. Late preterm infants are often treated as "slightly small, almost term babies," yet babies born at 34 0/7 - 36 6/7 weeks gestation have significantly higher morbidity and mortality rates due to their significant, if not always obvious, immaturity. The "Multidisciplinary Guidelines for the Care of Late Preterm Infants" is an evidence-based approach to providing safe and supportive care for this vulnerable group. Join presenter Raylene Phillips, MD, IBCLC, FAAP, who will review this new resource and describe how its use will lead to improved outcomes for late preterm infants by providing guidance, education, and support for families and the healthcare providers who care for them. The session is appropriate for parents and other advocates, professionals in the field of infant health, and physicians and clinicians providing care to premature infants and their families.

Video Educates About Risks of Elective Preterm Delivery

A new video from the National Child & Maternal Health Program at NIH's National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD) aims to prevent non-medically indicated preterm induction of labor. The "Is It Worth It?" video, part of an educational initiative to reduce elective deliveries before 39 weeks of pregnancy, features NPIHC friends including blogger-advocate Heather Spohr and the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). The initiative's first phase focused on educating healthcare professionals via a CME course for nurses and doctors, sharing the latest research and best practices. Complementing the course, the "Is It Worth It?" video - available in varying formats - discusses maternal and child health risks posed by delivery prior to 39 weeks, barring medical indications. The videos are being shared online and are playing in healthcare providers' offices across the U.S.

Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin

The Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to accept, pasteurize, and dispense donor human milk by physician prescription, primarily to premature and ill infants. Founded in 1998 by two Austin, TX neonatologists, the Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin is the second-largest milk bank in the U.S. and a leading member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). Currently the Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin serves 100 hospitals in 21 states, processing 8,000 ounces of milk every week and serving thousands of preterm babies annually.

PreemiePalooza in North Carolina

August 3, 2014 from 5 to 9 p.m., NPIHC member Zoe Rose Memorial Foundation will host its first annual PreemiePalooza at Windy Meadows Farm in Graham, NC. This family festival "celebrating music, food, and preemies" will bring together a lineup of musical guests for an al fresco evening of fun. Your participation helps the Zoe Rose Memorial Foundation's goal of raising $5,000 to support preemie families. For more information, contact Keira Sorrells at keira@zoerose.org.

Prone Sleep Increases Preemie SIDS Risk

A new study published as an abstract in the journal Sleep shares preliminary data suggesting that preterm infants who sleep in the prone position may be at heightened risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), due to decreased cerebral oxygenation. The Australian research team notes an overall 9.6% increased SIDS risk among preterm infants, possibly associated with cardiovascular instability and failure of arousal from periods of sleep. Preemie infants may also have lower blood pressure, abnormal blood pressure control, higher heart rate, and reduced heart rate control, contributing to SIDS risks. The prone sleeping position, on the stomach, is already known to be associated with reduced blood pressure and cerebral oxygenation in full-term babies, which increases risk for SIDS.

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.