Research news

25 May 2023

Born too soon: a decade of action on preterm birth

With preterm birth now being the leading cause of child deaths before the 5th birthday, 70+ organisations in 45+ countries, including EFCNI, have worked together to develop the report 'Born...
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23 May 2023

Impact of a sensory-based intervention in the NICU on parents and their preterm born babies

35 families received the Supporting and Enhancing Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Sensory Experiences (SENSE) programme-based intervention. The preterm born babies (≤ 32 weeks of pregnancy) experienced sensory exposures like...
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17 April 2023

Preterm birth and parent-child relationships: the long-term impact for children and adolescents

The family environment influences the child's social-emotional development. Especially in preterm-born children, these influences seem to be greater than in peers born at term. O'Brien and others studied the relationship...
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12 April 2023

Heatwave-related preterm births (PTBs) linked to human capital losses in China

A recent study in China combined health impact and economic assessment methods to evaluate heatwave-related PTBs burden in dimensions of health, human capital and economic costs. Simulated scenarios showed that...
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04 April 2023

Beneficial influence of breastfeeding on Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)-associated acute lower respiratory infections in children – a systematic literature review

The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) poses a significant risk of serious infection in children worldwide, in particular in children in low-income and middle-income countries. However, previous studies indicated that breastfeeding...
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28 March 2023

Experience of a Mother‑Newborn Care Unit (MNCU) in India – A successful example of Zero Separation

In the iKMC study, the effect of immediate kangaroo mother care (KMC) was investigated. Researchers implemented new facilities where sick and small newborns resided with their mothers 24/7 and were...
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24 March 2023

A pressing need for research to reduce nutritional uncertainties in preterm infant care: Findings from a European roundtable discussion with parent representatives

Clinical uncertainties regarding best practices on preterm nutrition will be addressed in a future randomised control trial. However, researchers first sought the views and experiences of parents of preterm babies...
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21 March 2023

Protocol for the effectiveness evaluation of the antenatal parenting programme “Baby Steps” on maternal outcomes: A Born in Broadford’s Better Start (BiBBS) study

Poor mental health during pregnancy and shortly after birth can have severe consequences for parents and children, requiring public health interventions to prevent psychological distress and achieve optimal health outcomes....
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08 February 2023

Health-related quality of life in very and extremely preterm born children at the age of five years

A European study with more than 3600 participants measured how health-related quality of life in children at the age of five is affected by extreme and very preterm birth. The...
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11 January 2023

Keeping parents and their babies close – results of an international study on implementation, facilitators, and barriers in neonatal units

Family integrated care (FICare) is important for parent and infant health. A recent study gives an overview of current facilitators and barriers to parent-infant closeness and zero-separation in hospitals in...
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