Babies with breathing difficulties to benefit from machines allowing them to stay with mum
A Wolverhampton baby with breathing difficulties has become the first in the West Midlands to benefit from an innovative care package that meant he could stay with his mother rather than be admitted to the neonatal unit.
Called Think FIRST – Family Integrated Respiratory Support Together – the project run by The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust involves a treatment called Vapotherm, given at the bedside, skin to skin, which provides the baby with high velocity nasal ventilation to relieve mild breathing problems.
It means a baby struggling to breathe after birth can stay with its family, rather than be immediately admitted to the Neonatal Unit at New Cross Hospital.
Oliver Hill was the first baby to benefit from the care package when he was born at the hospital at 12.33pm on September 21.
Weighing 9lbs 3oz, Oliver arrived via caesarean section at 39 weeks because of concerns about his size.
Mum Tarryn Hill, 30, said Oliver soon adapted to Vapotherm.
“He took to it really well. I was worried because he was making funny noises and when the midwife came over she said something was wrong and briefly took him away,” said Tarryn.
Tarryn, who is a complaints team manager at a bank, has been married to Dan, 32, a director of Hills Coaches in Wolverhampton, for five years and the couple, from Perton, have a four-year-old son, Leo.
All three were born at New Cross Hospital.
“It’s an upsetting time to have your baby taken away but then to have him lying with me and having that bonding time is brilliant,” added Tarryn.
“I felt really lucky and I am really thankful to all the staff.
“Within half an hour they got him breathing right and they brought him up to me. They explained all about Vapotherm to me and I had a doctor with me for six hours, which was very reassuring. I was really impressed and I couldn’t believe it.”
Leading the trial is Shelley Rose, advanced neonatal nurse practitioner.
She said: “Although the baby did get admitted to the neonatal unit in the end, an important time for the family to bond was facilitated and mum was supported to provide colostrum and hold her baby skin to skin the entire time. So there was still a very good outcome.”
It has been identified over 20 per cent of admissions of full-term babies to neonatal units could be avoided. By providing services and staffing models that keep mother and baby together, it can reduce the harm caused by separation.
Avoiding admission is important because there is overwhelming evidence that separation of mother and baby so soon after birth interrupts the normal bonding process, which can affect maternal mental health, breastfeeding and long-term morbidity for mother and child.
Admission also means the occupation of neonatal cots which might be needed for other unwell babies.
This process allows mother and baby to stay together and improvement to the baby’s lungs over a four to six hour period. During this important time, mothers can be supported to provide colostrum and families can practise skin-to-skin care without worrying about compromising the therapy.
Breathing difficulties affect about one per cent of term babies, mainly due to the delayed clearance of lung fluid. Once this is absorbed into the blood stream, they recover completely.
This can take up to six hours, during which time these babies require oxygen and air under pressure through a device like Vapotherm.
Women’s and Neonatal services has two machines for ward use, and one portable unit for the project. One baby is treated at a time.
Shelley said: “The intervention runs over four to six hours – this period is felt acceptable for the newborn to stabilise. Not all babies will avoid admission.
“During the intervention the baby is continually monitored by an advanced neonatal nurse practitioner, registrar or senior neonatal sister present throughout, monitoring for hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar level) and temperature. This is essentially the same care as they would have on the neonatal unit but with their family.”
Richard Heaver, neonatal consultant and clinical director, neonatal services, said: “We are very proud to be delivering this option to families which will hopefully reduce the need for newborns to be separated from their parents at this crucial bonding time.”
