Topics & Abstracts

This presentation provides a heartfelt account of the hurdles and victories encountered during a 146-day NICU stay after a preterm birth, from a parent's point of view. Focusing on the Family Integrated (FiCare) model, which incorporates parents as essential members of the care team, it highlights the crucial impact of family engagement in the NICU, offering benefits that extend beyond the immediate term. This includes the development of enhanced advocacy skills, especially important for infants with additional diagnoses requiring specialized care in complex healthcare settings.

While the NICU represents a temporary phase in a lifetime, FiCare lays enduring foundations for post-discharge care. Parents engaged in this model of care report increased confidence in taking care of their baby, and decreased stress and anxiety at discharge.

This presentation argues that the NICU, crucial for saving lives, must also serve as a beginning for thriving. Thriving involves holistic family well-being. Adequate support within the hospital becomes a cornerstone for navigating the road ahead. The repercussions of preterm birth, traumatic delivery, and NICU goes beyond discharge, emphasizing the need for families to be part of their babies’ care team in hospital.

Live Presentation Schedule Jun 10, 2024

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10-06-2024 15:00 10-06-2024 16:00 35 A Parent's Perspective: Family Integrated Care as a Tool to Help NICU Families Thrive This presentation provides a heartfelt account of the hurdles and victories encountered during a 146-day NICU stay after a preterm birth, from a parent's point of view. Focusing on the Family Integrated (FiCare) model, which incorporates parents as essential members of the care team, it highlights the crucial impact of family engagement in the NICU, offering benefits that extend beyond the immediate term. This includes the development of enhanced advocacy skills, especially important for infants with additional diagnoses requiring specialized care in complex healthcare settings. While the NICU represents a temporary phase in a lifetime, FiCare lays enduring foundations for post-discharge care. Parents engaged in this model of care report increased confidence in taking care of their baby, and decreased stress and anxiety at discharge. This presentation argues that the NICU, crucial for saving lives, must also serve as a beginning for thriving. Thriving involves holistic family well-being. Adequate support within the hospital becomes a cornerstone for navigating the road ahead. The repercussions of preterm birth, traumatic delivery, and NICU goes beyond discharge, emphasizing the need for families to be part of their babies’ care team in hospital. GOLD Neonatal Online Conference false DD/MM/YYYY

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Jaundice is one of the most common occurrences seen in the newborn. Controversy exists pertaining to how aggressive to be in terms of management. Recent evidence will be explored looking at potential risks of treatment and in this context examining the new AAP statement on the same. The talk will also reflect on the Canadian response and concerns to the new statement and how the Canadian Pediatric Society will respond to the new curves in use.

Live Presentation Schedule Jun 17, 2024

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17-06-2024 21:00 17-06-2024 22:00 35 Hyperbilirubinemia: Balancing Safety With Undertreatment Jaundice is one of the most common occurrences seen in the newborn. Controversy exists pertaining to how aggressive to be in terms of management. Recent evidence will be explored looking at potential risks of treatment and in this context examining the new AAP statement on the same. The talk will also reflect on the Canadian response and concerns to the new statement and how the Canadian Pediatric Society will respond to the new curves in use. GOLD Neonatal Online Conference false DD/MM/YYYY

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Worldwide, the use of illicit substances is increasing, including in the pregnant population. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is an unintended consequence of this phenomenon. Recently, several institutions adopted a novel approach to managing Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, focusing on functional assessments and supporting the newborn exposed to substances to achieve normal eating, sleeping, consoling, and weight gain milestones.

Peer-reviewed studies strongly suggest that this new model of care decreases the length of stay in the hospital and the need for medical management for withdrawal symptoms with no documented short-term adverse effects. Learn more about the components of the the Eat, Sleep and Console Assessment and the reasoning behind them and how to approach changing the model of care in your own unit.

Live Presentation Schedule Jun 11, 2024

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11-06-2024 19:00 11-06-2024 20:00 35 Implementing Eat Sleep Console: Improving Outcomes for Substance Exposed Infants Worldwide, the use of illicit substances is increasing, including in the pregnant population. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is an unintended consequence of this phenomenon. Recently, several institutions adopted a novel approach to managing Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, focusing on functional assessments and supporting the newborn exposed to substances to achieve normal eating, sleeping, consoling, and weight gain milestones. Peer-reviewed studies strongly suggest that this new model of care decreases the length of stay in the hospital and the need for medical management for withdrawal symptoms with no documented short-term adverse effects. Learn more about the components of the the Eat, Sleep and Console Assessment and the reasoning behind them and how to approach changing the model of care in your own unit. GOLD Neonatal Online Conference false DD/MM/YYYY

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While the limit for possible survival for premature neonates has improved over the past few decades, the knowledge of how these special patients handle medications has not kept up. This can lead to possible sub-optimal as well as toxic drug concentrations and subsequent adverse drug effects. Most of the literature does not venture into the premature ( 40 weeks gestation), let alone those that are extremely ( 28 weeks) premature neonates and clinicians are faced wih decisions based on limited information.

Drugs that are affected by the major CYP enzyme systems are poorly studied and mature at different rates, making assumptions on drug therapy common. As only 40% of the most commonly used medicaions have FDA labeling in infants, information on the premature is even less so. The challenges of performing pharmacokinetic studies in this population does not make this a simple solution. We will discuss what is known and what challenges lie ahead.

Live Presentation Schedule Jun 17, 2024

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17-06-2024 19:00 17-06-2024 20:00 35 Our Evolving Knowledge of Drug Metabolism in the Neonate While the limit for possible survival for premature neonates has improved over the past few decades, the knowledge of how these special patients handle medications has not kept up. This can lead to possible sub-optimal as well as toxic drug concentrations and subsequent adverse drug effects. Most of the literature does not venture into the premature ( 40 weeks gestation), let alone those that are extremely ( 28 weeks) premature neonates and clinicians are faced wih decisions based on limited information. Drugs that are affected by the major CYP enzyme systems are poorly studied and mature at different rates, making assumptions on drug therapy common. As only 40% of the most commonly used medicaions have FDA labeling in infants, information on the premature is even less so. The challenges of performing pharmacokinetic studies in this population does not make this a simple solution. We will discuss what is known and what challenges lie ahead. GOLD Neonatal Online Conference false DD/MM/YYYY

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Small Steps, BIG Gains is a breastfeeding toolkit geared to NICU breastfeeding dyads. This toolkit was developed by a neonatologist, neonatal nurse partitioner, and neonatal nurse that understand the challenges, culture, workflow of the NICU in juxtaposition to the immense benefits of a mother's own breastmilk to reduce NEC, promote growth, and decrease length of stay. This toolkit starts the minute a NICU mom is identified to have a premature delivery and goes beyond into the the outpatient world. This toolkit is a form of transparent communication between NICU moms/families and the NICU team in achieving the goals of breastfeeding.

Live Presentation Schedule Jun 11, 2024

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11-06-2024 17:00 11-06-2024 18:00 35 Small Steps, BIG Gains: A New Toolkit for Supporting Breastfeeding in the NICU Small Steps, BIG Gains is a breastfeeding toolkit geared to NICU breastfeeding dyads. This toolkit was developed by a neonatologist, neonatal nurse partitioner, and neonatal nurse that understand the challenges, culture, workflow of the NICU in juxtaposition to the immense benefits of a mother's own breastmilk to reduce NEC, promote growth, and decrease length of stay. This toolkit starts the minute a NICU mom is identified to have a premature delivery and goes beyond into the the outpatient world. This toolkit is a form of transparent communication between NICU moms/families and the NICU team in achieving the goals of breastfeeding. GOLD Neonatal Online Conference false DD/MM/YYYY

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Young parents with an infant in the NICU are coping with multiple transitions, including to adulthood and parenthood within the context of the stress of having an ill infant. Adolescent and young parents have also historically experienced stigma and age-related discrimination in the health system. Health care providers can contribute to positive adaptations through providing care that is strengths-based, family-centered, developmentally-appropriate, non-stigmatizing, and trauma-informed.

Live Presentation Schedule Jun 10, 2024

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10-06-2024 17:00 10-06-2024 18:00 35 Supporting Adolescent and Young Parents in the NICU Setting Young parents with an infant in the NICU are coping with multiple transitions, including to adulthood and parenthood within the context of the stress of having an ill infant. Adolescent and young parents have also historically experienced stigma and age-related discrimination in the health system. Health care providers can contribute to positive adaptations through providing care that is strengths-based, family-centered, developmentally-appropriate, non-stigmatizing, and trauma-informed. GOLD Neonatal Online Conference false DD/MM/YYYY

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Cardiac issues are common in preterm infants which means it’s crucial for care providers to be knowledgeable about the presentation and clinical management of arrythmias and heart defects. Learn more about common neonatal dysrhythmias (e.g., supraventricular tachycardia, heart block), their clinical presentation and how to treat them. We will also look at the common neonatal heart defects, how to stabilize the neonate before intervention, and perioperative clinical care.

Live Presentation Schedule Jun 17, 2024

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17-06-2024 21:00 17-06-2024 22:00 35 The Heart of the Problem: Cardiac Monitoring in the NICU, When to Worry and What to Do Cardiac issues are common in preterm infants which means it’s crucial for care providers to be knowledgeable about the presentation and clinical management of arrythmias and heart defects. Learn more about common neonatal dysrhythmias (e.g., supraventricular tachycardia, heart block), their clinical presentation and how to treat them. We will also look at the common neonatal heart defects, how to stabilize the neonate before intervention, and perioperative clinical care. GOLD Neonatal Online Conference false DD/MM/YYYY

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Nurturescience is derived out of developmental neuroscience, and the key aspects that constitute nurture will be presented, followed by the adverse consequences of maternal-infant separation. The key deliverable is that Nurturescience expressed as Zero Separation optimizes the development of resilience, which is fundamental for health and better outcomes. In contrast, parental absence is the essence of “toxic stress”, and the currently understood mechanisms for maladaptation will be described. To highlight the novelty of nurturescience to current neuroscience, a direct comparison will be provided.

Nurturescience is the underlying theoretical and scientific rationale for the Immediate Parent-Infant Skin-TO-Skin Study (IPISTOSS) conducted in high income countries, and the Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care Study (iKMC), conducted in middle and low income countries: both will be described. IPISTOSS provides direct clinical evidence of mechanisms, and iKMC study lowered mortality by 25%, with decreased sepsis as primary secondary outcome. The results are profoundly challenging to the current paradigm of health care, and a way forward will be suggested.

Live Presentation Schedule Jun 3, 2024

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03-06-2024 15:00 03-06-2024 16:15 35 The Power and Impact of Nurturescience and Immediate Skin-to-Skin Contact Nurturescience is derived out of developmental neuroscience, and the key aspects that constitute nurture will be presented, followed by the adverse consequences of maternal-infant separation. The key deliverable is that Nurturescience expressed as Zero Separation optimizes the development of resilience, which is fundamental for health and better outcomes. In contrast, parental absence is the essence of “toxic stress”, and the currently understood mechanisms for maladaptation will be described. To highlight the novelty of nurturescience to current neuroscience, a direct comparison will be provided. Nurturescience is the underlying theoretical and scientific rationale for the Immediate Parent-Infant Skin-TO-Skin Study (IPISTOSS) conducted in high income countries, and the Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care Study (iKMC), conducted in middle and low income countries: both will be described. IPISTOSS provides direct clinical evidence of mechanisms, and iKMC study lowered mortality by 25%, with decreased sepsis as primary secondary outcome. The results are profoundly challenging to the current paradigm of health care, and a way forward will be suggested. GOLD Neonatal Online Conference false DD/MM/YYYY

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) moves through the world each year. What do we know about it's impact on babies and children and what can be done to minimize the impact on babies and their families? This talk will cover information on the impacts on the health of our population and importantly cover recent updates on the management of RSV bronchiolitis including preventative vaccination programs available to ameliorate the impact of this condition.

Live Presentation Schedule Jun 17, 2024

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17-06-2024 17:00 17-06-2024 18:00 35 The Return of RSV in the NICU: New Management & Mitigation Strategies Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) moves through the world each year. What do we know about it's impact on babies and children and what can be done to minimize the impact on babies and their families? This talk will cover information on the impacts on the health of our population and importantly cover recent updates on the management of RSV bronchiolitis including preventative vaccination programs available to ameliorate the impact of this condition. GOLD Neonatal Online Conference false DD/MM/YYYY

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Preterm infants spend a significant amount of time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) mastering the intricacies of both enteral tolerance and oral feeding skills. The prerequisite for discharge often hinges on achieving independent feeding, typically through bottle-feeding. The journey toward oral feeding is a developmental continuum, contingent upon the maturation of the intricate suck-swallow-breathe coordination.

Presently, the methods employed in transitioning premature infants to oral feeds exhibit heterogeneity, lack standardization, and heavily rely on the cultural and experiential background of the caregiver. Notably, breastfeeding tends to be accorded lower priority and is infrequently employed during this transitional phase. The discharge of an exclusively breast-fed infant from the NICU is an even rarer occurrence.

This lecture delves into the developmental milestones that mark the transition to oral feedings, explores current best practices supporting the shift to full oral feeds, and outlines effective strategies for promoting direct breastfeeding during an infant's hospitalization. By gaining insights from current literature on effective oral feeding practices and integrating supportive breastfeeding measures, we strive to elevate breastfeeding rates for the preterm infant.

Live Presentation Schedule Jun 10, 2024

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10-06-2024 19:00 10-06-2024 20:00 35 The Transition to Oral Feedings and Establishing Direct Breastfeeding in the NICU: Literature Review and Best Practices Overview Preterm infants spend a significant amount of time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) mastering the intricacies of both enteral tolerance and oral feeding skills. The prerequisite for discharge often hinges on achieving independent feeding, typically through bottle-feeding. The journey toward oral feeding is a developmental continuum, contingent upon the maturation of the intricate suck-swallow-breathe coordination. Presently, the methods employed in transitioning premature infants to oral feeds exhibit heterogeneity, lack standardization, and heavily rely on the cultural and experiential background of the caregiver. Notably, breastfeeding tends to be accorded lower priority and is infrequently employed during this transitional phase. The discharge of an exclusively breast-fed infant from the NICU is an even rarer occurrence. This lecture delves into the developmental milestones that mark the transition to oral feedings, explores current best practices supporting the shift to full oral feeds, and outlines effective strategies for promoting direct breastfeeding during an infant's hospitalization. By gaining insights from current literature on effective oral feeding practices and integrating supportive breastfeeding measures, we strive to elevate breastfeeding rates for the preterm infant. GOLD Neonatal Online Conference false DD/MM/YYYY

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Because preterm very low birth weight (VLBW) infants are too immature to orally feed, they require a feeding tube (FT) for weeks to months to meet their nutritional needs. These FTs are a reservoir for pathogenic and antibiotic resistant bacteria that may increase the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis, late onset sepsis and feeding intolerance. In the neonatal intensive care unit, guidelines regarding FT dwell time are non-existent and FTs are often not replaced for weeks following insertion. As with other external devices, such as central venous lines and urinary catheters, the risk of bacterial contamination increases the longer the device remains in place. Contaminated FTs can cause gastrointestinal microbial dysbiosis and inflammation, thereby increasing the risk of complications including necrotizing enterocolitis, late onset sepsis and feeding intolerance.

This presentation will provide an overview of FT contamination and the evidence surrounding the optimal FT dwell time to decrease FT contamination and improve infant health.

Live Presentation Schedule Jun 11, 2024

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11-06-2024 15:00 11-06-2024 16:00 35 Time for A Change: Feeding Tube Dwell Time and Contamination in the NICU Because preterm very low birth weight (VLBW) infants are too immature to orally feed, they require a feeding tube (FT) for weeks to months to meet their nutritional needs. These FTs are a reservoir for pathogenic and antibiotic resistant bacteria that may increase the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis, late onset sepsis and feeding intolerance. In the neonatal intensive care unit, guidelines regarding FT dwell time are non-existent and FTs are often not replaced for weeks following insertion. As with other external devices, such as central venous lines and urinary catheters, the risk of bacterial contamination increases the longer the device remains in place. Contaminated FTs can cause gastrointestinal microbial dysbiosis and inflammation, thereby increasing the risk of complications including necrotizing enterocolitis, late onset sepsis and feeding intolerance. This presentation will provide an overview of FT contamination and the evidence surrounding the optimal FT dwell time to decrease FT contamination and improve infant health. GOLD Neonatal Online Conference false DD/MM/YYYY

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Neuroprotective Care and inclusion of families as care partners, has been around for years, yet with COVID, restrictions were put in place regarding a family’s presence in a newborn intensive care unit. Post-pandemic some of these policies have not changed. Zero Separation is the goal and developmentally supportive infant- and family-centered care is the frame. This care is essential for positive growth, development, and emotional family support.

Join us to learn more about what developmental care is and the impact of the NICU environment on infants and families. We'll also look at current standards, competencies, and frameworks that support developmental care and parents as care partners and how you can work towards implementing them.

Live Presentation Schedule Jun 24, 2024

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24-06-2024 16:00 24-06-2024 17:15 35 Zero Separation in the NICU: Implementing Neuroprotective and Family-Centered Care Neuroprotective Care and inclusion of families as care partners, has been around for years, yet with COVID, restrictions were put in place regarding a family’s presence in a newborn intensive care unit. Post-pandemic some of these policies have not changed. Zero Separation is the goal and developmentally supportive infant- and family-centered care is the frame. This care is essential for positive growth, development, and emotional family support. Join us to learn more about what developmental care is and the impact of the NICU environment on infants and families. We'll also look at current standards, competencies, and frameworks that support developmental care and parents as care partners and how you can work towards implementing them. GOLD Neonatal Online Conference false DD/MM/YYYY

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