Preemie Matters - June 2010

In this issue of Preemie Matters: Public Health Leaders Urge Congress to Reauthorize PREEMIE Act  •  Ob/Gyn & Mom of Preemies Shares Her Story  •  First-Ever National Standards for Newborn Screening  •  Rethinking the Definition of a "Term" Pregnancy  •  Summer Webinar: The Professional's Role in Perinatal Bereavement

Public Health Leaders Urge Congress to Reauthorize PREEMIE Act

In May, public health leaders from CDC, NIH, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), March of Dimes Foundation and others addressed America's prematurity crisis before a Congressional subcommittee on health, calling for Congress to reauthorize the PREEMIE Act (P.L. 109-450). The PREEMIE Act, signed into law in December 2006, authorizes expanded federal research related to preterm labor and care for preterm infants; public and provider education and support services; the establishment of an interagency council on prematurity to report to the HHS secretary; and the establishment of the Surgeon General's Conference on Preterm Birth, which led to the creation of prematurity-related agendas for both public and private sectors.

Ob/Gyn & Mom of Preemies Shares Her Story

Six years ago, ob/gyn Jennifer Gunter lived the devastating experience of preterm labor as a patient, rather than as the treating physician. And it changed her life and her work. Pregnant with triplets, Dr. Gunter lost her son Aidan after he was born at 22 1/2 weeks. She then delivered sons Oliver and Victor at 26 weeks, followed by the months and years of medical and financial stressors common to many parents of preemies. Today, Jennifer Gunter shares tips and strategies - as well as stories about her sons - on her blog and website, PreemiePrimer.com. She also has used her unique perspective as both a physician and a veteran preemie parent to author a new book, The Preemie Primer: A Complete Guide for Parents of Premature Babies.

First-Ever National Standards for Newborn Screening

In late May, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius announced the first-ever national standards for newborn screening, recommended by the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children. These standards will guide states in ensuring that their newborn screening programs are using the latest practices and technologies, so that all babies across the country receive the same standard of care in detecting potentially life-threatening but treatable diseases. All 50 states and the District of Columbia currently require that every baby be screened for 26 or more of the now 30 disorders on the uniform panel - but public health advocates continue to urge all states to screen for all 30 disorders. A national screening map is available from the National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center.

Rethinking the Definition of a "Term" Pregnancy

A commentary published in the July 2010 edition of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology argues for refining the definition of a "term" pregnancy. Citing the "growing body of evidence suggesting that significant differences exist in the outcomes of infants delivered within this five-week interval [of 37 to 41 weeks]," the authors call for the use of a subcategory of term births called "early term," from 37 0/7 to 38 6/7 weeks of gestation. They note the growing body of data that births during this "early term" period have increased mortality and neonatal morbidity, compared with neonates born later at term. How will the categorization matter? The authors suggest that the broadest definition of "term" affects clinical decision-making on the management of pregnancy complications, as well as the timing of both elective and indicated deliveries.

Summer Webinar: The Professional's Role in Perinatal Bereavement

The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric & Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) will host a live continuing education webinar, "The Professional's Role in Perinatal Bereavement," August 26, 2010 from 1 to 2:15 p.m. EDT. The program will cover evidence-based support for nursing assessment of parent needs and interventions for families. Participants will gain knowledge about he psychological and developmental impact of perinatal loss - and how to be prepared to offer crucial care and support. Details and registration are available on the AWHONN site.

Sources:

• http://energycommerce.house.gov
• www.preemieprimer.com
• http://genes-r-us.uthscsa.edu
• http://journals.lww.com/greenjournal
• www.awhonn.org

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.

Preemie Matters - April 2010

In this issue of Preemie Matters: Save the Date! Join Us for the National Premature Infant Health Coalition Meeting  •  Your Voice Needed: NIH Conference on Specialized Therapy for Preemies  •  babyfirst: New Website for the Neonatology Community  •  NCHS Report: Preterm Birth Rate Declines for Second Consecutive Year  •  Submit a Proposal for the National Perinatal Association Conference 2010

Save the Date! Join Us for the National Premature Infant Health Coalition Meeting

Join colleagues working with and for families affected by prematurity - as well as local, state and national organizations focusing on this mission - at the National Premature Infant Health Coalition Meeting on June 3, 2010. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lorien Hotel & Spa in Alexandria, Virginia, just two blocks from the King St. metro station. Those arriving in town early will gather the evening prior, June 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. on the rooftop deck of the hotel's Presidential Suite, for a networking reception. To take advantage of The Lorien's block of rooms at $209, book directly with them by May 17 at (877) 956-7436. Be sure to mention your participation in this event when you make reservations. The National Premature Infant Health Coalition is managed by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition with a grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Please RSVP by Monday, May 17, 2010 to Melisa Dilber at mdilber@hmhb.org.

Your Voice Needed: NIH Conference on Specialized Therapy for Preemies

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced a public event allowing us to better understand the benefits and risks of a specialized treatment for premature infants with respiratory illness. October 27-29 at the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD, NIH will host a Consensus Development Conference, "Inhaled Nitric Oxide Therapy for Premature Infants." Since its approval, researchers have examined expanding the use of inhaled nitric oxide therapy to treat premature babies born at less than 34 weeks' gestation. Studies looking at the therapy's safety and effectiveness for these babies have shown mixed results, and the range of implications aren't yet fully understood. The conference will include a systematic literature review, expert presentations and audience input, allowing an independent panel to prepare a consensus statement. Your input is valuable! Learn more and register online to attend this free event, or sign up to follow the webcast.

babyfirst: New Website for the Neonatology Community

Have you heard? NICUniversity.org has launched a new web-based neonatology resource for both clinicians and parents. Sharing clinical knowledge with a family focus, babyfirst.com provides useful tools for parents, from a glossary demystifying NICU terms to articles on devices and therapies to testimonials of parents who have lived the NICU experience with their own babies. Practitioners can visit babyfirst as a single source for educational material, research papers and lectures from opinion leaders in all specializations of the neonatology field.

NCHS Report: Preterm Birth Rate Declines for Second Consecutive Year

According to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), preterm births in the U.S. are down three percent, marking a second consecutive year of decline. Seventy-nine percent of the decline occurred among late preterm babies. The report, "Births: Preliminary Data for 2008," documents the 2008 preterm birth rate's drop to 12.3 percent, down from the 2007 rate of 12.7 percent - Welcome news after a more than 20 percent increase in U.S. preemie rates between 1990 and 2006. Learn more by downloading the complete report.

Submit a Proposal for the National Perinatal Association Conference 2010

The proposal due-date for the National Perinatal Association (NPA) Conference - set for November 4-6, 2010 at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. - has been extended to May 1. NPA's 2010 conference theme, "Bridging Gaps: Healthcare, Ethics, Technologies and Pollitics in Neonatology and Perinatology," invites proposals from families, healthcare professionals and policy makers that engage with the issues and challenges of care for at-risk babies.

Sources:

• www.hmhb.org
• http://consensus-nih.org
• www.babyfirst.com
• www.cdc.gov/nchs
• www.nationalperinatal.org

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.

Preemie Matters - March 2010

In this issue of Preemie Matters: New from NICHD: Web-Based CE Program on Reducing SIDS Risk  •  Free Webcast: Symposium on Quality Improvement to Prevent Prematurity  •  Lamaze Resources for Expectant Parents: Healthy Birth, Your Way  •  New Research Explores Connection Between Earthquakes & Preterm Birth  •  ACOG Opinion on Maternal Depression Could Impact Prematurity Rates

New from NICHD: Web-Based CE Program on Reducing SIDS Risk

NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) has launched an online version of their SIDS risk-reduction CE program for nurses. The continuing ed module was developed by NICHD and the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), in collaboration with several national nursing and health organizations. It covers the most recent research on SIDS and provides nurses with practical approaches to help new parents and caregivers reduce the risk of SIDS by creating a safe sleep environment. In the near future NICHD will launch a companion website for NICHD nurse partners, offering a variety of materials that nurses can share - including articles, flyers, website buttons and an e-card. Learn more in the NIH virtual newsroom.

Free Webcast: Symposium on Quality Improvement to Prevent Prematurity

Last fall's March of Dimes-hosted Symposium on Quality Improvement to Prevent Prematurity is now available online as a free, on-demand webcast. The live event took place in October 2009 in Arlington, VA and brought together a multidisciplinary group of healthcare practitioners, health insurers, policy makers, health purchasers, regulators and citizens to talk about the role quality improvement plays in preventing prematurity, promoting health and saving costs. What emerged from the gathering was an action agenda for decreasing the rate of preterm births are not inevitable or medically necessary.

Lamaze Resources for Expectant Parents: Healthy Birth, Your Way

Do you know about Lamaze International's "Healthy Birth, Your Way" videos and print material? These resources are accessible, user-friendly tools for expectant parents that share basic information on making choices for a safe and healthy birth. Among the topics are: Let Labor Begin on Its Own, Have Continuous Support, and Avoid Unnecessary Interventions. Content centers around what common sense tells parents and research confirms, as reflected in the six Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices.

New Research Explores Connection Between Earthquakes & Preterm Birth

A new study awaiting completion of peer review extends previous research into a possible connection between significant earthquakes and rates of premature birth in affected parts of the world. The hypothesis: Pregnant women who experience major earthquakes during their first trimester have a slightly increased risk of preemie birth and are slightly more likely to give birth to lower birthweight infants. While the effects are small, they are statistically significant and suggest that earthquakes experienced more than six months before birth can negatively impact a pregnancy's outcomes. The newest research, focusing on births in Chile, follows up on the 2001 landmark study of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which was shown to most affect mothers in their first trimester. The "hows" and "whys" of this correlation need much more investigation, but researchers suggest something unique in first-trimester maternal stress caused by the trauma of natural disaster - possibly connected to a burst of corticotropin-releasing hormone, a known stress response. Read more about these studies and see citations here.

ACOG Opinion on Maternal Depression Could Impact Prematurity Rates

A recent Committee Opinion from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has the potential to make a positive impact on the prevention of preterm birth in the US. ACOG is encouraging ob/gyns to screen, refer, and follow up with pregnant women and mothers who have depressive symptoms. Clinical depression is common among reproductive-age women and is the leading cause of disability among American women. Between 14% and 23% of all pregnant women will experience depression. And untreated maternal depression during pregnancy is associated with preterm delivery, low birth weight and preeclampsia.

Sources:

• www.nichd.nih.gov
• www.marchofdimes.com
• www.lamaze.org
• http://health.psych.ucla.edu
• www.acog.org

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.

Preemie Matters – December 2009

In this issue of Preemie Matters: What Does "Full Term" Mean to Expectant Moms?  •  Tackling Preterm Birth Rates in the "Big 5"  •  HMBANA: Life-Saving Milk Banking for Preemies  •  Preterm Birth on Wickipedia  •  The "Mozart Effect" on Preemie Infant Growth

What Does "Full Term" Mean to Expectant Moms?

A study published in the December issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology looks at the varying beliefs of pregnant women in the U.S. about the safety of birth at various stages of gestation. Of the 650 pregnant women who completed the researchers' survey, 24.1 percent chose 34-36 weeks' gestation as "full term," while 50.8 percent chose 37-38 weeks, and 25.2 percent chose 39-40 weeks. When asked to name "the earliest point in the pregnancy that it is safe to deliver the baby, should there be no other medical complications requiring early delivery," more than half of the women selected 34-36 weeks of gestation as their response. Fewer than 25 percent of the women selected either 37 or 38 weeks. Why does it matter? The authors suggest that as women have an increased role in medical decision-making about delivery, ensuring that they understand the implications of the timing of delivery may be important to reducing the number of elective or semi-elective late preterm and early term births. Click here for the abstract.

Tackling Preterm Birth Rates in the "Big 5"

Together, five states account for 36.8 percent of preterm births in the United States. California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas, known as the "Big 5," share high overall birth rates and many of the same challenges in improving birth outcomes. In recognition of the "Big 5's" significance to its mission, March of Dimes brought together state and maternal child health leadership, hospital systems and prematurity experts for a summit in 2007 that set the groundwork for reducing preemie births in the "Big 5." By tackling together the need to improve program evaluation to understand which programs had an impact on birth outcomes, these partners formed a valuable alliance. Today, it's more formally organized as the March of Dimes Big 5 State Prematurity Collaborative, and its members are still successfully partnering to improve evidence-based interventions, systems and tools. Visit the March of Dimes prematurity microsite by clicking here.

HMBANA: Life-Saving Milk Banking for Preemies

Do you know about the life-saving work being done by the members of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America? HMBANA is a multidisciplinary group of health care providers that promotes, protects and supports milk banking. It is THE professional membership organization for milk banks in the United States, Canada and Mexico, setting the standards and guidelines for donor milk banking that supplies preemies and other medically fragile newborns with pasteurized, screened, medically-prescribed donor breast milk. For many babies, this milk means the difference between life and death, because their tiny, underdeveloped bodies are not able to process formula and because their own mothers are unable to successfully pump breast milk or to breastfeed at all. Learn more about HMBANA, the 11 milks across the U.S., and the organization's April conference celebrating 100 years of milk banking.

Preterm Birth on Wikipedia

Wikipedia.org's entry on prematurity/preterm birth is worth a visit for parents, advocates, and MCH colleagues alike. You may want to follow the contributors' lively discussions, watch the timeline of the page's development, or even contribute your own additions or edits to the page. Wikipedia is a free, accessible, multi-lingual, collaborative online encyclopedia that is now one of THE major public references for everything from medical conditions to rock bands to historical events. For more about how Wikipedia works and its global influence, click here. For the Wikipedia entry on prematurity/preterm birth, click here.

The "Mozart Effect" on Preemie Infant Growth

A study published online December 7 in the journal Pediatrics expands upon previous studies that have found that the rate of weight gain in preterm babies improves when the infants are exposed to music. Speculating that one mechanism for this improvement could be music's effect on the efficiency of metabolism, the current study exposed a small sampling of 20 gavage-fed preterm infants to the music of Mozart, measuring their REE (resting energy expenditure) and their weight gain. Their finding? Exposure to Mozart significantly lowers REE in healthy preterm infants and can contribute, at least in part, to improved weight gain that results from the "Mozart Effect." For the abstract, click here.

Sources:

• http://journals.lww.com/greenjournal
• www.marchofdimes.com
• www.hmbana.org
• http://en.wikipedia.org
• http://pediatrics.aappublications.org

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.

Preemie Matters – October 2009

In this issue of Preemie Matters: Gearing Up for National Prematurity Awareness Month  •  Some Preemies Among the First Wave of H1N1 Vaccinations  •  LLL Resources on Breastfeeding Premature Infants  •  In November: MedImmune Premature Infant Summits in Chicago & Maryland  •  Psychology's Findings on Pregnancy Stress & Preterm Birth Risk

Gearing Up for National Prematurity Awareness Month

National Prematurity Awareness Month is right around the corner, when partners in maternal-child health will take part in a wide range of activities to increase understanding of this serious, common and costly problem, affecting one in eight babies born in the United States. March of Dimes has just launched a new website to mark National Prematurity Awareness Month, where visitors can purchase a virtual purple band in memory or honor of a child, make a virtual badge for personal Facebook pages, sign up for advocacy alerts, learn more about prematurity, find materials to share with expectant moms, and view individual states' report cards. During the month of November, corporate supporters will also take an active part in sharing the message. Motherhood Maternity will feature displays and raise funds in over 600 stores, Famous Footwear will do the same in 1,100 stores, and Johnson's Baby will raise awareness through displays offering 10 cents to March of Dimes for every product purchased in November. Visit the special website here.

Some Preemies Among the First Wave of H1N1 Vaccinations

Children age six months and older who were born prematurely may be among those advised by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice to be immunized against the H1N1 flu as soon as possible. The Committee's recommendations currently state that children (and adults) with certain medical conditions, such as neurological disorders, neuromuscular disorders, weakened immune systems, chronic lung disorders and blood disorders should be among the first wave to receive the H1N1 vaccine. To find where the H1N1 vaccine is available near you, use CDC's Flu Shot Finder website. For more information about H1N1 from CDC, click here.

LLL Resources on Breastfeeding Premature Infants

La Leche League International has created an online compilation of information, resources, and firsthand accounts related to providing preterm babies with breastmilk. The compilation page is a one-stop destination for all preemie breastfeeding information on their website, including FAQs, articles from their bimonthly members' publication, articles published for LLL leaders, and audio podcasts. The page also includes a link allowing mothers to share their own personal story of breastfeeding a baby born prematurely. Visit this resource page.

In November: MedImmune Premature Infant Summits in Chicago & Maryland

MedImmune's Premature Infant Summits, "Collaborating for Preemies: Challenges & Changes," are well underway. Two opportunities remain for you to attend one of these day-long programs featuring esteemed speakers and panel discussions. The Chicago, IL summit is scheduled for November 17 at the Chicago Marriott Schaumburg. The Columbia, MD event is set for November 19 at the Hilton Columbia. Registration closes for both on November 6. Previous MedImmune summits have included presentations from preemie experts such as Eric Reynolds, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics Division of Neonatology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine; Maureen Boyle, Founder and Executive Director of Mothers of Supertwins/Preemie Care; and Ronald Ariagno, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Emeritus (active) at Stanford University School of Medicine. To register, send email to MedImmunePrematuritySummits@gmail.com, or for additional information contact Amy Akers at (412) 741-0903.

Psychology's Findings on Pregnancy Stress & Preterm Birth

An article in the October issue of the American Psychological Association's (APA) Monitor magazine is shining a light on the connection between stress during pregnancy and the epidemic of preterm birth in the U.S. The article focuses on the research of Christine Dunkel-Schetter, PhD at the University of California, Los Angeles and her team, whose two decades of study on this issue have found that stress - especially in the form of worries and fears around pregnancy - strongly predicts preterm birth. Pregnancy anxiety has been associated with elevated levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the mother's blood and a weakening of the mother's immune function, resulting in an increase in infections. Behavioral effects of poorly managed stress can also lead to behaviors like too little exercise or illicit drug use during pregnancy, both of which have been linked to preterm birth. Dunkel-Schetter's next challenge: Discovering what protective factors buffer expectant moms from stress effects. Visit the APA article.

Sources:

• www.marchofdimes.com/fightforpreemies
• http://flu.gov
• www.llli.org
• www.medimmune.com
• www.apa.org

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.

Preemie Matters – September 2009

In this issue of Preemie Matters: Resources for National Infant Mortality Awareness Month 2009  •  New Tools for Improving Pediatric Emergency Care  •  Registration Open for National Summit on Prematurity  •  On-Demand Webinar from AWHONN: Late Preterm Risk Assessment Protocol  •  New Research: Preterm Birth Affects Linguistic Ability Through Preschool Years

Resources for National Infant Mortality Awareness Month 2009

Prematurity is the leading cause of infant mortality. And now, to mark September as National Infant Mortality Awareness Month, the HHS Office of Minority Health is sponsoring event listings and providing links to materials and information for nonprofit organizations, members of the media, and students and partners in the field. Among the resources available are the 2009 National Infant Mortality Awareness Month Tool Kit, information on the Crisis in the Crib program, a documentary on African American infant mortality, fact sheets, referrals to topic experts, and connections to many many partners in maternal-child health who are working actively on the problem of infant mortality in the United States. To visit the Office of Minority Health's one-stop resource page, click here.

New Tools for Improving Pediatric Emergency Care

Several leaders in pediatric emergency care have recently released important new resources. Earlier this week, the American Academy of Pediatrics released the AAP/American College of Emergency Physicians/Emergency Nurses Association joint policy statement, "Guidelines for Care of Children in the Emergency Department." Endorsed by 22 other national organizations, this statement offers recommendations for essential equipment, medications, personnel training and key policies necessary for optimal pediatric emergency care. It also offers recommendations that should promote improved hospital readiness for children in disasters, regardless of the size or location of the facility. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a "Access to Trauma Centers in the United States" fact sheet and interactive mapping tool, which are important for raising awareness and improving access to trauma centers around the country. This new tool, created in partnership with the American Trauma Society and the University of Pennsylvania, shows the location of all hospitals and trauma centers (Levels I-IV) across the country. Individuals can click on the map to find trauma centers and hospitals closest to them. The CDC encourages organizations to promote these materials and place (or link to) the mapping tool on your own website.

Registration Open for National Summit on Prematurity

Registration is open for a first-of-its-kind national summit, the Symposium on Quality Improvement to Prevent Prematurity, set for October 8-9 in Arlington, VA, sponsored by March of Dimes and several other notable partners in maternal-child health. Among the many scheduled speakers are Mark Chassin, MD, FACP, MPP, MPH, President of The Joint Commission; Carolyn Clancy, MD, Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality at HHS; March of Dimes President Jennifer Howse, PhD; and Jose Cordero, MD, MPH, Dean of the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Puerto Rico. For more details and to register, click here.

On-Demand Webinar from AWHONN: Late Preterm Risk Assessment Protocol

Did you know? One of two new on-demand webinars offered by the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) focuses specifically on the late preterm infant. Nurses completing the webinar learn how to protect and identify late preterm infants - born between 34 and 36 weeks - who may appear healthy but are at risk for serious health complications. Presented by Anne Jorgensen, RNC, MS, NNP, the webinar is helping MCH professionals increase their expertise in caring for these babies and addressing their unique needs. This continuing ed opportunity allows a self-paced approach. To learn more, click here.

New Research: Preterm Birth Affects Linguistic Ability Through Preschool Years

A new study published in the September issue of the journal Early Human Development finds that even when brain damage is avoided, preterm birth continues to impact children's language development through the preschool years, and probably beyond. The research team worked with 70 six-year-old monolingual preterm children and 34 age-matched controls, looking at linguistic abilities (vocabulary, grammar, phonological awareness) and general cognitive developmental levels. While no general cognitive delays were found among the preterm children, less developed linguistic abilities were found in all three measures, comapared to full-term children. These findings suggest that preterm children at the end of the preschool years still have negatively affected rates of language development. For the abstract, click here.

Sources:

• www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov
• www.cdc.gov/traumacare
• www.marchofdimes.com
• www.awhonn.org
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed

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.

Preemie Matters - July 2009

In this issue of Preemie Matters: New Details: Fall '09 National Prematurity Summit •  August Conference to Spotlight Prematurity & Perinatal Mental Health  •  MedImmune  •  Expands Synagis Access for Uninsured Preemie Infants  •  Study Examines Unexplained late Preterm Births  •  Save the Date: Seventh Annual Promotores & Community Health Workers Conference  •  AAP Policy Statement on Counseling Families of Extreme Preemies

New Details: Fall '09 National Prematurity Summit

October 8-9 in Arlington, VA, the March of Dimes, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Nurse-Midwives, and the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses will join forces to convene a first-of-its-kind national summit on prematurity. The Symposium on Quality Improvement to Prevent Prematurity is intended to 1) Enhance prematurity prevention efforts in the US through increased quality improvement and patient safety programs and to 2) Generate action plans for stakeholder groups outlining education and interventions to reduce prematurity. Keynote speaker Donald Berwick, MD, MPP, FRCP is president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Sessions will cover a wide range of topics under the themes of healthi insurers and health systems; policy issues on perinatal quality improvement; clinical, hospital and physician initiatives; perinatal quality collaboratives; action steps and future directions for preventing premature births; and achieving and sustaining high quality health care for preemies. For more information or to register, go to www.marchofdimes.com/conferences. Send questions to conferences@marchofdimes.com.

August Conference to Spotlight Prematurity & Perinatal Mental Health

August 6-7, the Annual Conference of Postpartum Support International (PSI) in Los Angeles, CA will bring together stakeholders concerned about perinatal mental health issues, including practitioners, advocates, volunteer leaders, researchers, and others. And the event will spotlight issues of premature birth and perinatal mental health with a special session, "Mending Precarious Links: Parents and Infants in Intensive Care," led by Vladimir Lipovestky, MD, PsyD, FIPA. Dr. Lipovetsky completed his psychiatric residency and a fellowship in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at the Resnick UCLA Neuro-Psychiatric Institute, and is a founding member of THRIVE Infant Family Program. The topic is of special importance to parents of preemies and the professionals who work with them, since prenatal anxiety disorders have been shown to increase the risk of prematurit and prematurity increases the risk of postpartum depression (PPD) and other postpartum mood disorders in mothers. For more information about the conference and to register, go to http://psi.eventbrite.com. For more about PSI, click here.

MedImmune Expands Synagis Access for Uninsured Preemie Infants

MedImmune has announced that it is expanding access for eligible premature infants to receive the drug Synagis at no cost, as part of the MedImmune Assistance Program. The goal is to provide the antibody at no cost to qualifying patients who do not have health insurance and whose family household income falls within a certain range of the Federal Poverty Level guidelines established by the US Department of Health and Human Serives (HHS0. Synagis is a biologic medicine known as a monoclonal antibody administered monthly to high-risk infants to prevent serious lower respiratory tract infection caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a leading cause of viral respiratory infection among infants. This significant expansion of the program became effective July 1, 2009. The MedImmune Assistance Program is administered as part of the Synagis Reimbursement Hotline and can be reached by calling 1-877-778-9010. A health care provider can review the patient's eligibility with a program specialist. For more about Synagis, click here.

Study Examines Unexplained Late Preterm Births

A new report published in the journal Pediatrics finds a "concerning" pattern of late preterm births from non-spontaneous labors and unexplained medical indications. The study's authors note that these infants face increased morbidity risk compared to other late preterm babies born in the same time-frame from spontaneous labors or other medically necessary indications. The research team used the 2001 US Birth Cohort Linked Birth/Death files of 3,483,496 single births and found that approximately 75 percent of the late preterm births were linked to maternal medical conditions, obstetric complications, major congenital problems, or spontaneous labor (not induced). However, 23 percent had no noted medical indication to explain the preterm delivery. The researchers conclude, "Given the excess risk of mortality, patients and providers need to discuss the risks of delivering a preterm infant in the absence of medical indications at 34 to 36 weeks." For the abstract, click here.

Save the Date: Seventh Annual Promotores & Community Health Workers Conference

December 4-5 in Burbank, CA, Vision y Compromiso will host their Seventh Annual Promotores and Community Health Workers Conference, drawing almost 1,000 CHWs and promotores from California, Tijuana and several other states. Connecting with those who have a hand on the pulse of community health, the conference will focus on sharing resources, creative learning opportunities to increase the capacity to better serve communities, and informing policy-makers and public officials about this vast resource. To find out more about attending or sharing your prematurity-related message with this audience, contact Isalia Zumaya at isalia.zumaya.vision@gmail.com or (213) 202-5359.

AAP Policy Statement on Counseling Familes of Extreme Preemies

Early this month the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a new policy statement, "Counseling Families of Extreme Preemies," based on a new clinical report, "Antenatal Counseling Regarding Resuscitation at an Extremely Low Gestational Age." AAP offers guidance to physicians and hospitals who are counseling families in these difficult situations, and advises that parents be given accurate information about the prognosis of their infant. The policy statement goes on to add that "Whenever an extremely premature infant is delivered, a qualified individual such as a neonatologist should be present in the delivery room to manage this complex situation." For more details on this policy, click here.

Sources:

• www.marchofdimes.com
• http://postpartum.net
• www.medimmune.com
• http://pediatrics.aappublications.org
• http://clnet.sscnet.ucla.edu/community/promotoras
• www.aap.org

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.