Perhaps a research project needs to be started on the care of your 'near
term babies'
1) how are these babies identified?
2) do the medical staff and other health care staff beleive/undersand  that
these babies are 'near term' and at may be at some risk? I asume they must,
otherwise they would not be so concerned as to intervene with  Blood
glucocse estimeates etc
3) Are the evidence based established benifits/effects of  skin contact well
known amongst all staff?
4) Are mothers informed about these  in the antenatal period of time and
instructed how to used skin contact care.
5) do people really know how to use skin contact care propely to receive the
full benfit or do they think it is just a  brief 1 hour after birth magiclly
makes everything right?

I'd present the  research literature on point 3 above at the perinatal
conference (eg improved milk ejection, increased milk supply, neurological
adjustment of baby, temperature control, blood glucose  stability, growth,
effective  positon for breastfeeding attachment, etc etc etc the list is
extensive and the  evidence is clearly well established)
and then challenge the audiacne to  consider  setting up a research project
that will show cost savings and improved health outcomes for mothers and
babies  who are cared for in  kangaroo mother care.

This would mean educationg everyone as to what KMC means ... it means  like
Nills Bergman proposes that the baby is cared for  by being held most of the
time ... particulrly in the first 10 days or so. Not  hours ...  but days.

Begin with the resource on  near term infatns presented at  International
ILCA conference held in Chicago last year and I am sure I have read a
journal article article the describes some very successful outcomes for such
babies (right now can't remember where  and what).
By the way, what do you mena by "Skin to skin reads well, but it has it's
time limit" ???
I would say if  the underpinng research evidence is clearly and correctly
understood, the main time limit is peoples willingness to really try it out
which may mean changing some of their percieved ideas.
All the very best with the work and presentation Veronica.

Ruth Cantrill
Brisbane QLD Australia
RN Midwife IBCLC

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