–In 2018 93% of all babies born in the Rotunda Hospital at a birth weight of greater than 700 grams (1.54lbs) survived-

– The corrected perinatal mortality rate (PMR) is at an all-time low at 3 per 1,000 babies born, marking a 40% reduction from 2015, according to Rotunda Hospital figures-
–  The Rotunda Hospital launches the first NICU ‘End of Treatment Bell’ in Ireland-

To celebrate premature infants born at the Rotunda Hospital, Ireland’s busiest maternity hospital, the Rotunda Foundation welcomed back about 70 families to host a party in their honour.

All babies born in 2017 who weighed less than 1500 grams along with their parents and siblings came together on the 14th of November to celebrate World Prematurity Day, and to also welcome back the first group of babies to complete the “Beads of Courage” programme.

The event also marked the launch of the new ‘End of Treatment Bell’ which acknowledges babies on completion of treatment and is rung in celebration of their departure from the hospital. The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Rotunda Hospital is the first in Ireland to receive a treatment bell.  The Rotunda Hospital obtained the ‘End of Treatment Bell’ through charitable donations made through the Rotunda Foundation.

This year also marked another successful year of “Tentacles for Tinies”, a pilot project launched by the Rotunda Hospital in 2017.

The Rotunda Hospital also reported that the corrected PMR is at an all-time low at 3 per 1,000. This marks a 40% reduction from 4.8 per 1,000 babies that were born in 2015. New statistics from the report also indicate that 93% of all babies born in the Rotunda at a birth weight greater than 700 grams (1.54lbs) survived. This information is contained in the Rotund Hospital’s 2018 Annual Report, which was launched today.

Commenting on these positive results, Master of the Rotunda Hospital, Professor Fergal Malone said: “I am delighted to announce the results of our 2018 Annual Report on World Prematurity Day. A notable development for the Rotunda Hospital is the significant reduction in the corrected perinatal mortality rate, which has reduced by 40% since 2015. This is a very positive and reassuring figure. The multidisciplinary approach to antenatal care, advances in maternal-fetal medicine and neonatal pathways have contributed to this significant improvement.” World Prematurity Day is one of the most important days in the year to raise awareness of the challenges that families face as a result of preterm birth. Another significant finding in our annual report this year relates to the survival rate of premature babies born weighing more than 700 grams/ 1.54lbs, in that 93% of these babies at the Rotunda Hospital survived in 2018. While this survival is likely attributed to improvements in more than one specific area, the principle of the ‘golden hour’ post-delivery and the importance of timely interventions are recognised at the Rotunda Hospital. The quality of neonatal management in the first hour of life has important effects on not only the immediate health of the baby but also on its long term outcome.”

As the number of deliveries increases at the Rotunda Hospital, the report also showed that 99% of babies admitted to the neonatal unit survived to return home with their families. Admissions to the neonatal unit for the year were 1,116.  With 8,514 overall babies delivered in 2018, the Rotunda Hospital welcomed these findings as it is now officially named the busiest maternity hospital in Ireland, for its first year.  

Professor Malone concluded: “As well as marking World Prematurity Day, we are pleased to share our 2018 annual report findings today which reveals an overall stellar year for the Rotunda Hospital. In addition to positioning ourselves as the busiest maternity hospital in the country, we have also significantly improved our patient outcomes. Our financial performance was also superb effectively yielding a break-even budget, something which is highly unusual in the public health service.”

 

To celebrate premature infants born at Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital and to applaud their strength and tenacity, the Rotunda Foundation hosted a party in their honour on Thursday 15th November.  All babies born in 2016 who weighed less than 1500 grams along with their parents and siblings will join together to celebrate World Prematurity Day and also to mark a successful year of “Tentacles for Tinies”, a pilot project launched by the Rotunda Hospital last year.

The Rotunda Hospital also announced the hospital’s 2017 Annual Clinical Report, which shows that in 2017 the survival rate of normal babies born premature at 28 weeks or later was 100%.

Commenting on these superb outcome results, Master of the Rotunda Hospital, Professor Fergal Malone said “I am delighted to announce these results on World Prematurity Day, which is one of the most important days in the year to raise awareness of the challenges that families face as result of a preterm birth. One of the main risk factors for preterm birth is having delivered preterm in a prior pregnancy followed by medical complications such as blood pressure problems during pregnancy or poor fetal growth. The team at the Rotunda utilizes the latest cutting edge research to optimize the early diagnosis of preterm birth, preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. Combined with significant improvements in integrated obstetric and neonatal care, this underpins these excellent outcome results for some of our most vulnerable babies. More families than ever now have healthy surviving babies because of continued advances in obstetric and neonatal care at the Rotunda.”

Coverage of World Prematurity Day and our celebrations

RTE Radio One Drivetime

Weekend AM

Some photos from the day!





The Rotunda Hospital and The Rotunda Foundation celebrated World Prematurity Day on Friday 17th of November.


Did you know, 1 in 10 babies are born prematurely? World Prematurity Day raises awareness of the challenges that premature babies and their parents go through all across the globe.


In honour of the day, the Rotunda Hospital, with the Rotunda Foundation and the Rotunda Knitters hosted a series of events to celebrate the strength and tenacity of the ‘premies’ and their parents that come through our doors.


From midnight on 17th November, as the hospital lit up in bright purple, (the colours of World Prematurity Day), the Rotunda Knitters donated gorgeous knitted gift packs to babies born in the hospital throughout the day. 


 


We launched our ‘Tentacles for Tinies’ initiative, which gives a crocheted octopus to babies in the NICU. The octopus tentacles replicate the umbilical cord and can comfort premature babies while they recuperate in the NICU.


You can read more about Tentacles for Tinies here.


Judy Mullane, who writes the BabyAmyAzing blog about her experiences with her Rotunda premie Amy, ran the Dublin Marathon in aid of the Rotunda NICU and raised €5000. She presented the money to Sheila Costigan, Director of the Rotunda Foundation, and Prof Afif El-Khuffash, Consultant Neonatologist, on this very important day.




To round off World Prematurity Day here in the Hospital, we invited some of our ‘NICU graduates’ from 2015 to join us in The Pillar Room, along with their mums and dads and other family members, to meet the doctors and nurses who helped them right after they were born. We showcased some of the neonatal research that the Hospital is undertaking to help provide better care and outcomes for premature babies and displayed some of the initiatives and supports we have in place for premies and their parents, like our ‘Beads of Courage’ initiative, and the Aidan and Donnachas Wings project, and our mobile intensive care unit for transporting sick infants to receive tertiary care.


		
		


These crocheted octopuses from The Rotunda Foundation and the Rotunda Knitters are helping comfort the premature babies in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit


The tentacles of the crocheted octopus resemble the umbilical cord and remind babies of being inside the womb.


The ‘Tentacles for Tinies’ initiative is due to be launched tomorrow, on World Prematurity Day 2017.





If you would like to take part in this initiative, you can view the crochet pattern on the Rotunda Knitters Facebook page, below.








Geplaatst door Rotunda Knitters op donderdag 1 juni 2017