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!
If a fetus cries in the womb does it make a sound?
Every parent the world over waits for that moment after birth when they first hear the cry of their child. The cry is a sign of health, of vigour and a relief that all should be ok. I had never questioned when the infant cry develops but one thing is for sure, it...
Will the edge of viability be redefined before long?
I couldn’t think of a better topic for World Prematurity Day 2021 than what constitutes the edge of viability. Thinking back over my career, when I was a resident and fellow infants born at 25 and 26 weeks were deemed about as low as “we should” go but we certainly...
What strength of chlorhexidine is best in NICU?
In NICU we are always vigilant for infections. Bacterial sepsis is not uncommon and in fact in the latest 2020 Canadian Neonatal Network annual report, 9.4% of all babies across Canada born at < 33 weeks gestation experienced an infection after 3 days of age....
One drug to stop jaundice in its tracks
If you work in Neonatology then you can't help but see babies with jaundice. It is so common in the NICU that I would call it normal. While mild jaundice is part of neonatal life, sometimes levels increase to the point that it can be dangerous to the developing brain...
Getting COVID in pregnancy or vaccination. Which is better for the newborn?
I spend a bit of time on social media and when I do I come across the argument that vaccines aren't needed in pregnancy if you have already had COVID. The concept from the vaccine hesitant is based on the notion of trying to avoid any perceived risk of vaccination...
Giving lungs the DELUX treatment
Extubation is a regular occurrence in the NICU. We do our best to predict who will succeed and who will fail but it isn't always easy to figure out who they are in advance. We use techniques such as looking at oxygenation histograms and using thresholds for PIP, PEEP...