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25.01.2022 I was asked by some concerned parents to identify if exposure to food products in infant skin care products increases the risk of food allergy later in life. This may be useful to support informed choice for families about infant skin care products, specifically moisturisers and cleansers containing nut oils and cow or goat products. Read the post here: http://kennygresearch.com.au/parental-decisions/

25.01.2022 Today is a very special day It is World Prematurity Day I have been thinking about the parents and the babies all day and send my heartfelt love to you all

23.01.2022 Our bodies carry our experiences and a felt sense of everything that has happened to us. Stillbirth has an enormous psychological impact on parents, their families, care providers and society at large. How families and their baby are treated and cared for during this time matters deeply. Everyone experiences traumatic grief differently. Mothers have described it as an invisible blanket between the world and them, hard to take in what anyone says and not wanting to take it in...... Trauma doesn’t sit in the verbal, understanding part of the brain but much deeper. Grief has a definite physical manifestation and is carried through life triggered by external stimulus often not recognised by those around them. Be kind, always be gentle and remember just because someone does not speak of loss, they may hold it deep within and carry with a heaviness you cannot comprehend. This week an expert in grief and loss Stacey O'Brien (Kiss from an Angel) came to share her personal insights following the loss of her son Finn with future midwives on the Sunshine Coast. Stacey provides a rare insight into the bereaved mother’s mind and journey aiming to build confidence when caring for grieving families and ways to support with compassion. The rate of stillbirth in Australia is 6.7 per 1000 births, which equals almost 2,200 families each year (AIHW 2019). More than 2.6 million stillbirths continue to occur globally every year. Half of all stillbirths occur during labour and birth. Yet most of these 1.3 million deaths could be prevented with improved quality of care. The Lancet series on Ending Preventable Stillbirths was published in January 2016 and aims to maintain momentum and build on strategies to prevent stillbirths and provide better care to women and families following stillbirth. Important research through a compassionate lens is happening and continues to be a priority. Take care always. See links below: https://www.stillbirthcre.org.au//key-publi/lancet-series/ https://youtu.be/1yLE0Xi5p_A

23.01.2022 Big love to all the NICU dads

22.01.2022 New BLOG POST: Stop breaking babies Infant sleep and crying concerns: What is normal and evidence-based interventions that are supportive of the infant’s mental and emotional health. http://kennygresearch.com.au/infant-sleep-and-crying-conce/

22.01.2022 Just a mumma, sleeping with her baby...no big deal. I have received some requests to put together some evidence around infant sleep, choices and how to manage the night shift whilst supporting the infant's emotional and biological needs. Will get onto this asap.....Dr Kxx

20.01.2022 The magic of breast milk A study analysing breast milk samples from mothers recovered from COVID-19 indicate that there is strong COVID-19 immune response in the milk after infection in the majority of individuals. 15 breast milk samples from women who've recovered from COVID-19 were analysed. 80% (n=13), of the COVID-19 survivors had an antibody in their breast milk specific to the illness. The antibody was in "the most dominant class" of milk antibodies called immunoglobulin A (IgA). While the findings don't mean the antibody can protect against COVID-19 in babies or in a therapy for adults, it does mean there's good reason for researchers to explore it further. View article here: https://www.medrxiv.org/conte/10.1101/2020.05.04.20089995v1

20.01.2022 Research update - COVID-19 and impact on newborn, management and ways to reduce maternal transmission whilst promoting close infant care and breastfeeding. BLOG POST HERE : http://kennygresearch.com.au/?p=916&preview=true As COVID-19 is rapidly spreading, maternal management and newborn safety have become a major concern. Current limitations in the evidence about the effects of the disease in pregnancy and on the newborn contribute to heightened stress for pregnant women, th...eir families and the healthcare team. This post aims to share findings that may help form a picture of what has been found and what to look out for in relation to the impact on the newborn. Newly published research aiming to inform the management of newborns testing positive to the virus highlight preparedness, vigilance and an awareness of symptoms requiring treatment are vital. See more

20.01.2022 Keep promoting and supporting physiological birth and breastfeeding and don’t separate mothers and babies at birth in response to COVID-19! See link below to research: Conclusions Neonatal COVID19 infection is uncommon, rarely symptomatic, and the rate of infection is no greater when the baby is born vaginally, breastfed or remains with the mother.

19.01.2022 I love this post Coming off #birthtraumaawarenessweek respecting the first family interaction is freaking important

18.01.2022 It’s World Mental Health Day Here’s to all the parents out there doing their best each day. You got this, be gentle with yourselves, ask for help and seek help if you need it. Don’t wait for this shit to feel unmanageable #mentalhealthmatters #askforhelp

17.01.2022 COVID-19 World Health Organization statement for birth: Don’t exclude the partner or chosen support person from the birth room. They are considered vital to the woman and contribute to a safe and positive experience

17.01.2022 Who doesn’t love a decision tree? Breastfeeding in current context guidance

15.01.2022 Midwife and Obstetrician friends, we need your input for an important PhD research project

13.01.2022 A win for mum’s mental health Funding announcement NSW will open its first public mother and baby unit that will provide specialist mental health care desperately needed. Two dedicated mother baby units located at Royal Prince Alfred hospital and Westmead hospital have been confirmed as part of the mental health funding.Each unit will be able to accommodate up to 120 women and their infant (s) a year who are suffering with acute or ongoing severe mental illness. The much-...needed units will enable mothers and babies to stay together whilst the mothers receive specialist care. This is invaluable during the formative months when the crucial bond between this dyad is developed. Any mental illness present during pregnancy or the first 12 months after birth is considered a ‘perinatal mental illness’, regardless of whether the person has experienced the illness before. At least one in every five women experience anxiety, depression, or both during pregnancy and/or following birth. Women may also experience other less common but still important mental health disorders. These may include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Postpartum psychosis is very rare, occurring in 1-2 women per 1,000 giving birth. These numbers however may be an underestimate as some women may be treated at home. Despite improvements, perinatal mental health screening is not yet universal. A recent Australian study (link below) found oneinfive women are not screened both antenatally and postnatally, including women in highrisk populations such as those who have reported emotional distress. Antenatal mental health is also one of the strongest predictors of postnatal mental health, with symptoms likely to continue for up to 70% of women. Considering women are in regular contact with health professionals in the perinatal period the opportunity to detect women at risk of perinatal mental health issues is too important to be missed! https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com//f/10.1111/1753-6405.12999

13.01.2022 How the mothercraft movement stuffed everything up including lowering breastfeeding rates and creating disconnected little souls. Choose your advice givers wisely....xx

12.01.2022 New baby feels No guidance needed

11.01.2022 I love this post Coming off #birthtraumaawarenessweek respecting the first family interaction is freaking important

10.01.2022 Dear healthcare superstars. I know you are all worried and stressed about the increased risk to you and your loved ones. An Anaesthetist Dr. Morgan Edwards has created an info-graphic that may help you minimise the risk of bringing the virus home. Sending strength and love to you all.

10.01.2022 So many possible emotions you may be feeling on this day. Maybe you have deep gratitude and love for your mother or feel separated, distant and sad. Maybe you are surviving the soul destroying loss of a child and want to hide today. Maybe you are gazing lovingly at you baby/ies as they go about their day. All I know is mothering and motherhood shapes us in every way and I send all of the love and kindness to you on this day

09.01.2022 Keep well infants and COVID-19 positive mothers together! COVID-19: Impact on the postnatal mother and her baby. All cases that tested amniotic fluid, cord blood, neonatal throat swabs and breastmilk samples tested negative to the virus. Transmission is therefore most likely to be as a neonate. Given the current limited evidence it is advised that women and healthy infants, not otherwise requiring neonatal care, are kept together in the immediate post-partum period. All babie...s born to COVID-19 positive mothers should have appropriate close monitoring and early involvement of neonatal care, where necessary. Literature from China has advised separate isolation of the infected mother and her baby for 14 days. However, routine precautionary separation of a mother and a healthy baby should not be undertaken, given the potential detrimental effects on feeding and bonding. Please note guidance may change as knowledge evolves. Chen H, Guo J, Wang C, et al. Clinical characteristics and intrauterine vertical transmission potential of COVID-19 infection in nine pregnant women: a retrospective review of medical records. Lancet 2020 doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30360-3 Swartz D, Graham A. Potential Maternal and Infant Outcomes from Coronavirus 2019-nCoV (SARSCoV-2) Infecting Pregnant Women: Lessons from SARS, MERS, and Other Human Coronavirus Infections. Viruses 2020:1-16. Zhu H, Wang L, Fang C, et al. Clinical analysis of 10 neonates born to mothers with 2019-nCoV pneumonia. Transl Pediatr 2020;9(1):51-60. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tp.2020.02.06

08.01.2022 My colleague and I have contributed to this important topic in The Conversation. It's too early to draw conclusions about Covid and the impact on preterm birth rate.

07.01.2022 This is my amazing colleague who is looking for pregnant women to participate in her PhD research project. If you or someone you know meets the criteria your views will be invaluable

06.01.2022 It’s World Mental Health Day Here’s to all the parents out there doing their best each day. You got this, be gentle with yourselves, ask for help and seek help if you need it. Don’t wait for this shit to feel unmanageable #mentalhealthmatters #askforhelp

06.01.2022 This is not new news, we just need to realign current practice with historical knowledge.

05.01.2022 Parental concern about infant sleep and unsettled behaviour is at the top of the list when searching for help.There needs to be alternative evidenced-based interventions offered other than behavioural sleep interventions that use a range of techniques to extinguish infant signals or cries on waking. These strategies fail to support responsive, sensitive and affectionate care practices and have the potential to cause emotional harm to the infant. Upcoming blog will address this issue and highlight ways parents can develop confidence in their capacity to respond and read infant cues. #nocontrolledcrying NHMRC Recommendation: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au//promoting-social-and-emotional-d

05.01.2022 Put healthy newborn babies skin to skin as soon as possible following birth and leave them there: A recent Cochrane Review found early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and healthy newborn infants not only improved breastfeeding rates at 4mths but also supported the infant’s ability to thermoregulate, calm the stability of their cardio-respiratory system and improve blood glucose levels. In skin-to-skin contact (SSC), the newborn infant is placed naked (with nappy only) on the... mother's bare chest at birth or soon afterwards. Immediate SSC means within 10 minutes of birth while early SSC means between 10 minutes and 24 hours after birth. Babies are often separated from their mothers at birth. In standard hospital care, newborn infants are usually held wrapped or dressed in their mother’s/father's arms, placed in open cribs or under warmers. Many midwives advocate, mums and dads need to as well. Check out the research here: https://www.cochranelibrary.com//14651858.CD003519.p/full See more

05.01.2022 This is a positive move in the right direction to stop this extremely damaging and barbaric traditional practice https://www.sbs.com.au//sudan-makes-female-genital-cutting

04.01.2022 Journal article is out Parental involvement and voice matter when designing interventions or support programs targeting them. Collaborative research integrating user feedback in partnership with experts in the field increases the likelihood the intervention or program will be of value and prove supportive and useful to the target audience.

03.01.2022 So proud to be a part of this research team! New publication can be viewed here: https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1bc7X1M28BQNhu Aim: To explore existing qualitative research to identify what facilitates and enables parents' experiences of emotional closeness to their infants while cared for in a neonatal unit. Conclusion: Parent-infant closeness evolves and is facilitated by multifaceted biopsychosocial factors. Practice implications include creating private and uninterrupted ...family time, strategies for parents to maintain an emotional connection to their infant when separated, and neurobiology education for staff. See more

02.01.2022 If any of my fellow midwife, obstetrician or GP colleagues are interested in improving approaches to postpartum care please click on link in below post to register your interest and support an amazing honours student. This study has ethical approval and would require you to complete 2-3 10 min online surveys.

01.01.2022 Today is a very special day It is World Prematurity Day I have been thinking about the parents and the babies all day and send my heartfelt love to you all

01.01.2022 There is a lack of evidence demonstrating improved maternal and infant outcomes (decreased crying, prevention of sleep and behavioural problems in later childhood or protect against postnatal depression) when behavioural interventions for infant sleep are employed. Failure to address the complexity of the problem poses potential risks including; increased problem crying, cessation of breastfeeding and worsening maternal anxiety. There are alternatives that don't promote biased scientific mothering. (Douglas & Hill, 2013).

01.01.2022 Happy International Day of the Midwife May you feel cherished and appreciated on this special day