Welcome to the new and improved All Things Neonatal! We have graduated to our own domain name and I think you will appreciate the enhancements on this blog.
June 2020 – My Facebook page has moved! If you were a follower of the old site please click the link to find the new one and contribute to the discussion! Facebook as an accompaniment serves as a better means of expanding dialogue on a variety of topics and posts
I am a Neonatologist trained in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Edmonton, Alberta. My current position is Section Head of Neonatology in Manitoba and over my career my interests have meandered from time to time. I have been a past Program Director of Neonatology and Medical Director for a level II Intensive Care Unit prior to relocating to Winnipeg become a Section Head. My current positions also include Co-Director of the Neonatal Telehealth program and assistant Medical Director for the Child Health Transport Program.
We live in the era of social media and that means that the days of turning to Medline and other medical search engines for all the latest information are behind us.
Starting in January 2020 I have added a Parents Corner section which can be found in the menu at the top of the page. The goal of this new section is to help parents understand in plain language the journey of their baby through the NICU.
We live in a global village so to speak and in that spirit I welcome you to my blog which I hope will provide a forum for discussion on topics that are of interest to Neonatologists, trainees, all health care professionals and in some cases parents of those we care for. My intent is to post opinions and analysis on both items from the media and literature that pertain to neonates. While I have many interests, my particular motivation is to find ways to reduce discomfort for the patients that we care for. Whether it is through the use of non-invasive testing or finding a way to improve the patient experience this is where I find myself most energized.
If you like what you see and would like updates to be sent to you as they are published feel free to follow the site by clicking the follow button on the sidebar to the bottom right. You can also follow both my Twitter (@NICU_Musings) and Facebook feeds for additional content and discussion by clicking the additional links found there.
Medical videos can be found on the accompanying YouTube channel. Subscribing to the channel will give you access to new videos as they come up.
Please “share” and “like” to help expand the circle of knowledge. You never know who might be out there with a tidbit of information that might change your practice for the better!
Canadian COVID-19 Practice Resources
We are living in challenging times but, as a community caring for neonates and their families, we will get through this together. Canadians and others around the world are digesting a great deal of information in order to come up with a best...
Cord milking and IVH. What you need to know.
Delayed cord clamping has been written about before on this blog. In fact between the blog and facebook posts I think it has been discussed many times. What hasn’t really been touched upon whether one type of cord management is superior to another. Is delayed cord...
How much does rate matter with NIPPV?
When it comes to non-invasive ventilation the field has become a little more crowded in recent years at least in our institution. In the recent past if one decided to extubate an ELGAN the biggest decision was what CPAP pressure to use. These days we have the option...
When it comes to HIE, keep your eyes on the CO2!
Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy is a very scary condition for both families and health care providers. In my career as a Neonatologist one of the greatest accomplishments has been the recognition that 72 hours of moderate hypothermia can make a big difference to...
Surfactant administration: LMA vs INSURE
Over the last number of years clinicians have sought more and more to limit the experience of babies to painful stimuli. In the area of surfactant administration this has focused on “less invasive” strategies such as use of small catheters while on CPAP (LISA or...
Skull fractures after birth. Don’t be so quick to blame.
Anyone who has watch the delivery of a baby knows that in some cases things go very smoothly and in others every care provider in the room would likely have tachycardia themselves. In some cases where labour is quite prolonged and some degree of cephalopelvic...
Can we time a hypoxic event by meconium staining?
This is one of the most difficult things to determine. Families being given a diagnosis of asphyxia in their baby often ask the question when did this happen? For sure this is not an exact science and in my opinion it is often difficult to answer the question with...
In hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy might the bloodwork fool you?
Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy or HIE is a condition in which a baby presents with cord blood gases, a gas at one hour of age, low apgar scores and neurological findings which point to an event occurring that has interrupted blood flow to the brain. The...