The Ramsay Way 2018 | 01 11
HOSPITAL NEWS
First aid for babies
Greenslopes Private Hospital is expanding
its offering of maternity services following
a successful trial of Baby First Aid and CPR
classes.
For the first time in Brisbane, parents had the chance to
attend two CPR Kids classes in October and November
2017. They learned life-saving skills taught by expert
paediatric nurses and midwives who specialise in
children’s health.
The three hour sessions focused on emergency
situations including choking, drowning, fever, burns,
head injuries, and more.
All class content is evidence-based and all CPR and first
aid learning comes from the Australian Resuscitation
Council, ILCOR, ASCIA and APLS.
Greenslopes Private Hospital will now host monthly
classes in 2018 following positive feedback about the
initial two sessions.
“We are pleased to offer these classes to empower
parents to respond to any difficult situations that may
arise,” said Terry McLaren, Director of Clinical Services at
Greenslopes Private Hospital.
“This course adds to our already diverse and high quality
range of maternity services, making us the hospital
of choice for many mums and dads in Brisbane and
beyond.”
R-L: ORIGINS lead co-investigators Professor Susan Prescott
from Telethon Kids Institute and Professor Desiree Silva from
Joondalup Health Campus get ready to use the Pea Pod to
measure the body composition of three-day-old baby Stevie
Cavalli, one of the 10,000 babies who will make up the birth
cohort for the ORIGINS Project.
Baby's
weight
under the
spotlight
Women giving birth at Joondalup Health
Campus (JHC) have the opportunity to
participate in a ground breaking research
project called ORIGINS.
A collaboration between JHC and the Telethon Kids
Institute, the ORIGINS project will track thousands of WA
children from the womb until they are five years of age
with the aim of preventing chronic disease, in childhood
and later in life.
We know now that the onset of many childhood and
adulthood diseases are associated with environmental
influences early on - even as early as conception - and our
greatest potential for improving future health lies in early
intervention.
Detailed information relating to health, diet, physical
activity and a range of environmental factors, will be
collected from the expectant mother and partner during
pregnancy.
If the parents elect to join the project, the child will then
undergo a series of health checks until the age of five. As
part of the ORIGINS project, researchers will look at the
pattern of weight loss and weight gain in newborn babies
and any potential long term implications.
Every baby in the ORIGINS project will have a pea pod
assessment which measures their body composition
which will help researchers understand the body fat
percentage of babies at birth and compare this with future
measurements to understand the pathways to obesity.
JHC paediatrician and Head of Neonatology, Dr Ravisha
Srinivasjois, said it was common for new parents to
worry about the weight of their newborn often leading to
specialist appointments.
“It is normal for a newborn baby to lose about seven to
10 per cent of their birthweight in the first few days after
birth,” Dr Srinivasjois said.
“However, if everything is on track, the baby should start
regaining weight five to seven days after birth and within
seven to 10 days the baby should have reached their
original birth weight.
“After that, normal weight gain is approximately 150 grams
a week for the first few weeks.”
Dr Srinivasjois said it was important to plot your baby’s
weight on the growth chart in the purple book (provided
by the hospital) at every child health nurse, GP or
specialist appointment.
“It can certainly be a cause for worry if the baby does not
regain its birthweight quickly or gains weight at a very
slow rate - for example, less than 100 grams per week.
“If this is the case, a review should be recommended to
identify the underlying reasons for poor weight gain, also
known as “failure to thrive”.
“The review will help establish if poor weight gain is
due to problems with milk intake or whether there is an
underlying medical cause."
Dr Srinivasjois said weight loss and weight gain patterns
differed depending on many factors, such as gestational
age at birth and whether the baby was born preterm (less
than 37 weeks) or full term (more than 37 weeks).
Other factors included growth status in the foetus,
pregnancy-related conditions and post-delivery medical
conditions.
“Parental stature and ethnicity, to some extent, also
determine the subsequent growth of the infant,"
Dr Srinivasjois said.
“Importantly, weight gain also depends on the type of
feeding, with formula-fed babies gaining more weight
than breastfed babies.”
Dr Srinivasjois said that while generally the focus is
on weight loss after birth, too much weight gain in the
first few months is also unhealthy and can be cause for
concern.
“In fact, the latest research shows that babies who gain
too much weight quickly in the first few weeks of their life
are at an increased risk of future diabetes, cardiac and
metabolic problems,” he said.
“We are hoping through the ORIGINS project we can
learn more about the implications of weight loss and
weight gain patterns in newborns.”
One of Australia’s largest philanthropic organisations, the
Paul Ramsay Foundation, is co-funding the project. The
Foundation is contributing $13m over ten years and the
Australian government has agreed to match this dollar-for-dollar.
OUTDOOR FUNCTIONAL
THERAPY NOW AT FIGTREE
PRIVATE HOSPITAL
Figtree Private Hospital has completed construction
of a new outdoor mobility therapy area, transforming a
disused courtyard into a modern, functional therapy space.
The outdoor mobility area was specially designed by the
hospital’s allied health team to provide patients with a safe
and realistic alternative space to practice functional therapy.
It allows patients to practice navigating ramps, stairs and
walking on different surfaces, helping
them to adequately prepare for the
obstacles of everyday life.
The newly created specialist space hosts
a number of daily activities including:
• One-one one therapy with
physiotherapists and occupational
therapists to practice specific skills needed by patients on
discharge
• Group exercise sessions with a focus on functional mobility
• Diversional therapy including relaxation and Tai Chi classes
• Falls prevention
Nine News Qld covers the launch of the CPR Kids classes at GPH