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.