Prematurity: Importance of family-centred care and unrestricted access to neonatal units

Prematurity: Importance of family-centred care and unrestricted access to neonatal units
ilustración de madre y padre junto a incubadora con bebé prematuro
Date: November 29
Time: 1:00 pm EDT

RegistER

Premature birth is an unexpected event that places prematurely born people and their families in a situation of great vulnerability, in the most sensitive period of their life course, in which, among many other aspects, the reciprocal bond is established. On this depends the strength to face the growth, development and future life of the newborn.

The unrestricted admission of families in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), Intermediate or low complexity units is a condition to achieve skin-to-skin contact, to achieve breastfeeding and to engage and encourage mothers and fathers in the care of their children. 

For this reason, this year's Prematurity Day focuses on the need for family-centred care for preterm newborns and for neonatal intensive care units to have their doors open to mothers and fathers, without restrictions and without schedules.  Mothers and fathers are not visitors. 

It is essential to give visibility to the relevance of providing care focused on newborns and their families.

PAHO/WHO has developed actions aimed at promoting the establishment and coordination of groups of families of premature newborns.

The Neonatal Alliance for Latin America and the Caribbean and its partners are committed to strengthening national capacities and building alliances and networks in the countries with the aim of eliminating preventable perinatal and neonatal deaths, promoting quality, person-centred care and promoting healthy growth and development.

Within this framework, a webinar will be developed with the following objectives:

General objective:
  • To raise awareness of the importance of family-centred care for the attentive and sensitive care of the newborn and how the policy of care in Neonatal Care Units with unrestricted admission favours this.
  • To promote multi-stakeholder work and the participation of society in the provision of care and accompaniment for preterm newborns and their families.
Specific objectives:
  • To raise awareness among neonatal intensive care unit staff of the right of families to unrestricted access and the benefits this brings for the health and development of the baby, for the well-being of the family and the attentive and sensitive care of their children.
  • To present general aspects of the work carried out by groups of families of premature babies in the region, as well as the challenges they face.
  • To present the strategic lines promoted by CLP/WR in coordination with the Neonatal Alliance for Latin America and the Caribbean to address the challenges in neonatal health towards 2030.
Target audience:
  • Families or caregivers of preterm newborns.
  • Health personnel involved in the care of newborns, in general, and preterm newborns in particular
  • People in management positions with decision-making influence.
     


Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in Spanish, English and Portuguese.


If the capacity of Zoom is exceeded, it is possible to follow the event at https://www.youtube.com/PAHOTV.

This action is part of the Improving the Health of Women and Adolescent Girls in Vulnerable Situations project, of Global Affairs Canada.