The Why and How of Family-Centered Care.

Although the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education states that neonatal-perinatal medicine fellows must demonstrate an understanding of the emotional impact of admission to the NICU on a family, few curricula are in place to teach this important competency. Family-centered care (FCC) in the NICU is an approach to health care that focuses on decreasing mental and emotional trauma for families while empowering them to reclaim their role as caregivers. FCC is deeply rooted in trauma-informed care and is crucial during transition periods throughout the NICU admission.

Family Perception of OpenNotes in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Background:  OpenNotes, or sharing of medical notes via a patient portal, has been studied extensively in the adult population, but less in pediatric populations, and even more rarely in inpatient pediatric or intensive care settings.

Objectives:  This study aimed to understand families' interaction with and perception of inpatient hospital notes shared via patient portal in a community Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Methods:  At the end of the NICU discharge education, completed in the patient portal before discharge, families were offered an anonymous survey on OpenNotes.

Implementation of a Bedside Point-of-Care Ultrasound Program in a Large Academic Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Objectives: In the adult and pediatric critical care population, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can aid in diagnosis, patient management, and procedural accuracy. For neonatal providers, training in ultrasound and the use of ultrasound for diagnosis and management is increasing, but use in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is still uncommon compared with other critical care fields. Our objective was to describe the process of implementing a POCUS program in a large academic NICU and evaluate the role of ultrasound in neonatal care during early adaption of this program.

Increasing early exposure to mother's own milk in premature newborns.

Objective: Increase the proportion of ≤33 weeks newborns exposed to mother's own milk (MOM) oral care by 12 h of age by 20% over 2 years to support a healthier microbiome.

Study Design: We implemented interventions to support early expression of colostrum and reliable delivery of resultant MOM to premature newborns. Statistical process control charts were used to track progress and provide feedback to staff.

A Clinical Monitoring Approach for Early Onset Sepsis: A Community Hospital Experience.

Background: A serial clinical examination approach to screen late preterm and term neonates at risk for early onset sepsis has been shown to be effective in large academic centers, resulting in reductions in laboratory testing and antibiotic use. The implementation of this approach in a community hospital setting has not been reported. Our objective was to adapt a clinical examination approach to our community hospital, aiming to reduce antibiotic exposure and laboratory testing.

Increasing Parent Satisfaction With Discharge Planning: An Improvement Project Using Technology in a Level 3 NICU.

Background: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) families are often overwhelmed by the discharge process. Their anxiety can inhibit learning and contribute to poor infant outcomes and increased healthcare utilization after discharge. Quality of the discharge teaching is the strongest predictor of discharge readiness, so NICUs must develop excellent discharge preparation programs.

Predictors of poor neonatal outcomes in prenatally diagnosed multicystic dysplastic kidney disease.

Objective: Multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) is one of the most common anomalies detected by prenatal ultrasound. Our objective was to identify factors associated with severe adverse neonatal outcomes of prenatally diagnosed MCDK STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of prenatally diagnosed MCDK (1 January 2009 to 30 December 2014) from a single academic center was conducted. The primary outcome was death or need for dialysis among live-born infants.