Oklahoma Infant Alliance
Funding for the Oklahoma Infant Alliance provided by MedImmune, Inc
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS RESPOND TO AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS NEW GUIDELINES ON RSV PROTECTION
Health care professionals are responding to recent changes in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines on immunoprophylaxis (passive antibody protection). Last week the National Medical Association (NMA) and National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) released a consensus report on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Concerned that AAP's new guidelines may leave some infants unprotected from RSV, the NMA/NBNA panel recommended that additional research be conducted to ensure that physicians provide maximum protection to children at risk for RSV.
Additionally, the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN) and the National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (NANNP) are leading a petition effort calling on members and friends to join forces in advocacy, with a statement that reads, in part, "We believe that recent changes in the AAP guidelines...leave many fragile infants vulnerable by reducing the number of doses they can receive during the RSV season. We believe that denial of full seasonal coverage on the basis of gestational age, without consideration of other risk factors, is discriminatory to a select population of ex-premature infants." NANN and NANNP plan to forward the final petition to CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
(Source: Monday Morning Memo - Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition November 1, 2010)
Oklahoma Infant Alliance Releases New Late Preterm Infant Toolkit for Providers and Families
Although late preterm infants often appear outwardly similar to full term infants, they require much of the same care as their early preterm counterparts. In order to address this topic effectively, the OKIA developed Late Preterm Infant (LPI) Guidelines to create a protocol for caring for the late preterm, along with the development of a family component that will provide education and awareness for families on caring for the late preterm.
The family component, featuring “Casey the Caterpillar”, allows parents of late preterm infants to follow along with their infant on the journey while in the hospital, through the discharge process and once they are at home. Examples of topics addressed are breathing, feeding, and infant cues (signals) for parents.
The family component, featuring “Casey the Caterpillar”, allows parents of late preterm infants to follow along with their infant on the journey while in the hospital, through the discharge process and once they are at home. Examples of topics addressed are breathing, feeding, and infant cues (signals) for parents.
CLICK HERE to view samples from the LPI Toolkit