A call for zero separation – restrictive policies and their impact on neonatal care in light of COVID-19

More than one year into the pandemic and we are well aware that COVID-19 is affecting neonatal care. In many places, possibly in more ways than we initially appreciated. Recent scientific research has revealed that neonatal care in low- and middle-income countries has been affected to an extent that threatens the implementation of life-saving interventions.¹ Reasons for this development are certainly plentiful, including the concerns of medical staff and parents about contracting the coronavirus – a worry that in many places had been accelerated by the immense pressure put on the health system.

Sarah Fuegenschuh
Head of Communications

Johanna Kostenzer
Head of Scientific Affairs – Maternal and Newborn Health

European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants

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Keywords

transient vasospasm; ischaemia

Key points

The arterial spasm is a well-known complication of arterial catheterisation in neonates.
Transient peripheral vasospasm may occur in the preterm baby without any obvious precipitating factors.

Also published in Infant:

VOLUME 16/ISSUE 5, SEPTEMBER 2020

Stoma associated morbidity in the preterm infant

Babies born prematurely are at risk of developing gastrointestinal complications that may require small bowel resection with or without stoma formation. The evidence base regarding the optimal initial surgical intervention and the subsequent timing of stoma closure is limited. To help inform the design of future randomised controlled trials investigating the optimal timing of stoma closure, we describe current practice and outcomes including stoma-related complications in a cohort of preterm infants who underwent stoma formation at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow.