Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
September 09, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
September is Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Awareness Month. Families do not plan or expect to end up in the NICU with their baby, but premature births, or medical conditions at birth, mean that a baby will need specialized care for a period of time that could be just a few hours after birth or extend many months, until a baby is healthy enough to go home. Here are resources that you may want to share with families, in case they find themselves in the NICU.
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August 05, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
August is all about lactation! August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding* Week, August 8th - 14th is Native Breastfeeding Week, August 25th - 31st is Black Breastfeeding Week and in the USA, the entire month recognized as National Breastfeeding Month. Today’s research review summarizes a study that examined nursing and the passage of COVID-19 antibodies from parents who received a COVI-19 vaccination after birth and during bodyfeeding.
October 20, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza
As childbirth educators, we should be sharing information with families about the tests and assessments that newborns undergo in the first hours, days and weeks of their lives. Rather than being viewed as more unnecessary interventions often delivered as part of maternal and neonatal care in 2020, these screenings are making a real difference in the lives of babies and families. Newborn Screening is one of the most effective public health campaigns ever initiated. Through early detection, there has been a positive impact on infant health across diverse geographic, racial/ethnic and socioeconomic differences.
February 25, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Leaving the hospital without one’s baby, who is still being hospitalized after the birth, is to put it simply – very difficult. Postpartum Support International (PSI) recognizes that parents whose baby (or babies) are spending time in the NICU are at higher risk for developing mental health issues like postpartum depression and/or anxiety due to the uniquely stressful experience of the NICU. Having a baby in this situation can be very isolating. PSI now has an online virtual support group just for families in this situation.
September 24, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
September is Baby Safety Month and this is a great time for childbirth educators and other perinatal professionals to do a quick review of the material and information that they share with families for both accuracy and relevancy. Recommendations change and new information comes out all the time, so staying up to date with an annual spot check is good practice. Baby Safety Month is a great time to do that. If you want to reread Connecting the Dots’ previous suggestions on this topic, you can find that information here.
September 05, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
A new study, “Intact cord resuscitation versus early cord clamping in the treatment of depressed newborn infants during the first 10 minutes of birth (Nepcord III) – a randomized clinical trial” found that the newborn’s oxygen saturation (Sp02) and APGAR scores were higher at several measured points after birth along with other benefits such as both initiation of breathing and respiration rate when a necessary resuscitation was done bedside with the cord intact on an infant who was not breathing at birth.
November 01, 2018 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Studies are being conducted that aim to determine if there are benefits to a newborn being exposed to their parent's vaginal flora. Should parents explore microbiome seeding of their cesarean born newborn with vaginal secretions from the birthing parent?
April 11, 2017 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
A study published in Krager Biomedicine Hub indicates that newborns who need additional glucose supplementation are able to achieve stable blood glucose levels with the administration of oral dextrose gel during feeds and prevent NICU admissions.
March 07, 2017 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Virtual breastfeeding visits with a lactation consultant may be an option for those families who can not manage an in-person lactation visit. Learn about this increasingly new option as well as a program that offers this service for free for families who are income-qualified.
November 29, 2016 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
November's Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators helps families to understand baby's input and output through the first month of life. It is a fantastic hands-on activity that creates community as class members work in small groups & encourages learning by manipulation & assessment.
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