Infant Journal
for neonatal and paediatric healthcare professionals

Infant journal is the leading UK publication for the multidisciplinary team that cares for vulnerable sick or premature babies in their first year of life. Published bi-monthly, the journal contains authoritative articles with a clinical or practical bias written by experts in their field.

Abstracts of all articles are freely accessible by using the site search, or by browsing back issues. The full text of articles published from 2005 until January 2022 are available free of charge.

Recent issues are available on subscription via our online shop.

Current issue: January/February 2024

Preterm weaning guidance in the UK: background to the updated Bliss parent information
King C, Cairns L, Aloysius A, Tagani S, Hodgson A, Hurlston R, Xanthidis C
The weaning process, also known as introduction of complementary foods, is much more than just a change in the type of food a baby takes to obtain nutrition. It also has social, developmental, psychological, physical and medical connotations. Food and meals are the centre of many celebrations and often define cultural identity. Therefore, guiding parents to help their babies build a healthy and pleasurable relationship with food and eating is a key objective during weaning, and this can be aided by having comprehensive and unified guidelines. Such weaning publications have been provided by Bliss (a national independent parent support organisation) since 2002. The most recent update of the Bliss preterm weaning guidance features some adjusted recommendations;1 this article provides a summary of the history of Bliss weaning recommendations to date and provides an insight into the rationale for the adjusted recommendations.

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The National Neonatal Audit Programme: improving standards of care and driving quality improvement
Rachel Winch, Sam Oddie
Since 2006, the National Neonatal Audit Programme (NNAP) has assessed whether neonatal unit babies receive consistent, high-quality treatment. The summary report on 2022 data showed that variations persist in the rates of key outcomes of neonatal care. These variations are seen between units and networks.

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Perinatal emergency multidisciplinary simulation: identifying latent errors and improving communication between teams
Catherine J Douch, Eleanor Sein, Li-Yan Chow, Anne-Sophie Bayer, Angela M Quiambao, Deena-Shefali Patel
Perinatal medicine requires a multidisciplinary approach with teams working in synchrony to achieve optimal outcomes. In the wake of the Ockenden report,1 a multidisciplinary perinatal simulation programme was designed and introduced at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, aiming to improve teamworking, interdisciplinary communication and ultimately, patient outcomes. The design and implementation of the programme followed by preliminary findings are presented in this article. These include the key learning outcomes, latent errors and the influence on teamworking and current practice.

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Widening access to SHINE (Simulation to Help in Neonatal Emergencies) to include QIS students
Jessica Groucutt, Jennifer Bradford, Matthew Nash
Simulation is known to improve clinical skills and team communication. This article describes how an existing full-day simulation and workshop-based course, originally designed for post-graduate doctors-in-training, was adapted to provide educational opportunities and experiential learning for nurses undertaking the qualified in specialty (QIS) course. This also gave the doctors-in-training a more authentic multidisciplinary approach to clinical scenarios.

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Full articles available from the current issue ...

Open access:

From the January 2022 edition

 FREE  A midwifery-led newborn discharge pathway: an effective and innovative way of workforce management
Pahuja A, Mishra G, Mills L, D’costa W, Kaur D

Midwifery-led newborn discharge (MLND) is an effective way of reducing the length of hospital stay for well babies on IV antibiotics for suspected infection. A comprehensive protocol for MLND was designed and implemented on the postnatal ward following midwifery training in newborn discharge. Data were collected on the timings of chasing blood cultures and discharge from the time of starting antibiotics. The MLND pathway reduced the length of stay on the postnatal ward by 18.5 hours.

 FREE  Neonatal herpes simplex virus infection: maternal risk stratification and management of at-risk neonates
Monica Arend-Trujillo, Lauren Dhugga

 FREE  Developing newly qualified nurses’ confidence within neonatal intensive care
Jessica M. Beynon

 FREE  ‘GO to Mum’: a QI project to keep mothers and babies together
Lavinia E. Raeside, Rhona Wilson, Julie Gallagher, Lesley Jackson

Use our site search to find more 'open access' Infant articles

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Embrace neonatal MRI system: mitigating infection risk in the NICU

Published in Volume 16/Issue 3, May 2020

Supplier Guide

Our supplier guide provides a searchable database of companies involved in supporting the care of sick and premature infants, grouped by product or service category. You can search by an area of activity, company name or by a combination of these.

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In the latest news...

Government launches baby loss certificates to recognise parents’ grief

March 8, 2024
The Department of Health and Social Care has announced a scheme to formally recognise the devastating loss of a baby during pregnancy. Parents can now choose to receive a certificate as a record of their loss.

Government wants your help for its inquiry into preterm birth

March 8, 2024
The House of Lords Preterm Birth Committee is asking for your opinions on the prevention and consequences of preterm birth. Interested individuals and organisations are invited to share their views by 27 March.

Charity funds high-tech cots for neonatal unit

March 8, 2024
With funds raised by the Oliver Fisher Special Care Baby Trust (OFSCBT) charity, Central Medical Supplies has provided 12 Kanmed BabyBeds for a neonatal unit in Kent.