Guest post by Beth Corcoran

INFANT was host to HRB NEPTuNE’s third Study Day last Thursday June 6th. Scholars, Tim Hurley, Megan Dibble and Chelo del Rosario travelled to Cork to participate in the day’s workshops and presentations.

As always, our Study Day schedule aspires to provide our scholars with an exciting and challenging series of workshops; to give them insight into each other’s disciplines, and to provide them with additional skills, both technical and transferable, that will support and enhance their research.

The day began with a CASTOR Software training workshop hosted by Mike Cunneen and Mairead Murray. This workshop was timely for the scholars as they are beginning to collate and organise their research data. All scholars had been sent ‘prep work’ in advance of the Study Day which enabled them to get the most out of the day. Mike’s workshop provided them with excellent examples and support resources, and he will provide answers to future questions when necessary!

After a quick lunch, our scholars gave their individual project presentations. Fiona Quirke dialled in from Galway to join this session and to make her own project presentation. Each scholar provided an insight into the progress of their research. Professors Geraldine Boylan, Eleanor Molloy and Declan Devane had questions and feedback for each of the scholars. We were also very grateful to our PPI, Paul Ryan who joined us again for the afternoon session. His contributions, observations and questions continue to provide excellent support to the scholars.

Finally, Dr Sean Mathieson, hosted an introductory workshop on EEG and aEEG. This workshop gave scholars an insight into how to read and interpret EEG and aEEG graphs.

The sunny day in Cork made for intensive but exciting learning! It was great to visit our UCC partner and to meet its staff who make such positive contributions to this centre of excellence.

Newborn babies in Tanzania die at a rate of 40 per 1000, a shocking 4% of all births.

INFANT PI, Dr Deirdre Murray is raising money to send experienced nurses and doctors from Cork University Hospital to spend time with the staff in Kilimanjaro and to work with them to provide basic equipment for newborn care.

We are looking for donations, no matter how large or small to help us achieve this goal!

Visit the Go Fund Me page

Almost €40,000 has already been raised for bubble CPAP machines, oxygen monitors, and resuscitation training for staff in Kilimanjaro.

With your help we can raise money for phototherapy to treat jaundice and arrange further nursing staff to work with local midwives in helping to look after babies at birth.

Recently a team from INFANT travelled to the Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute in Moshi, Northern Tanzania.

Our centre’s Global Health Program is committed to translating the centre’s innovations into affordable, accessible interventions in countries where the clinical need is greatest and will have the highest impact.

In 2016, INFANT signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute (KCRI), the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), and the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUC) establishing a collaborative research partnership in a number of scientific and clinical areas. This partnership is currently working on a project to enhance the KCMC birth registry – a vital source of information for healthcare providers, funders and policymakers.

Eventually, we want to work with them to build a Kangaroo Care Unit where mothers can stay with their preterm infants; something which has been shown to greatly increase a small baby’s chance of survival.

Launched today pregnancyandinfantloss.ie is a first-of-its-kind website for Ireland.

A valuable resource for parents who experience pregnancy loss or perinatal death, the website provides accurate and accessible information on a sensitive and often stigmatised subject, shares the latest research into the causes of baby loss, promotes emotional well-being, and offers details on how to access the appropriate support services.

“The website is a step forward in our commitment to consistent quality care for parents, as well as education and support for maternity staff while raising awareness of pregnancy loss and recognising its wide impact,” said Dr Keelin O’Donoghue, Consultant Obstetrician at Cork University Maternity Hospital and Principal Investigator at INFANT, Ireland’s only dedicated perinatal research centre.

Dr O’Donoghue and her team at INFANT, UCC, are leading investigations into the causes of pregnancy loss and perinatal death.

Pictured: Riona Cotter and Dr Keelin O’Donoghue

Supported by funding from the Irish Hospice Foundation, the website is an initiative of the Implementation Group for the National Standards for Bereavement Care Following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death. The programme of implementation of the Standards was led by Dr O’Donoghue and HSE Programme Manager Riona Cotter.

The Standards, launched in August 2016, defined the care parents and families should receive following a pregnancy loss or perinatal death in all Irish maternity hospitals.

“This is an example of the excellent resources available through the INFANT centre at UCC that have a real-world impact and will make a difference to grieving parents and families,” commented INFANT Director, Professor Geraldine Boylan.

Irish Hospice Foundation CEO Sharon Foley acknowledged the impact that pregnancy loss and infant death has on families in Ireland.

“The IHF is very proud to support the new national pregnancy loss website. The loss of a child is devastating to any parent. Grieving parents should be able to access sensitive and consistent bereavement care at every stage of their journey and in every location throughout Ireland. Maternity hospitals play a vital role in supporting parents whose child dies following pregnancy and post birth. It is vital we support staff with tools and information which will equip them to give this bereavement care to parents. This new website will play a major role, I believe, in providing vital information to parents and staff following pregnancy and perinatal death in our hospitals.”

Pregnancy loss is the most common complication of pregnancy. The end of a pregnancy or the death of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal and infant death can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on the woman, her partner, her other children and her extended family.

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) has announced the recipients of the 2019 BNF Drummond Early Career Scientist Award – recognising early career excellence in nutrition science.

Our postdoctoral researcher Dr Elaine McCarthy received the runner-up title. Elaine has been recognised for her work in the field of paediatric and neonatal nutrition, with iron nutrition in young children being the focus of much of her research.

The BNF Drummond Early Career Scientist Award is an annual scheme run by the BNF. Applicants are judged on their contributions to nutrition science to date, their potential to become future leaders in the field, and the scientific merit and clarity of communication in their work.

Well done Elaine!

Congratulations to our PhD researcher Gillian Maher who was selected for the Pfizer-SRI President’s Presenter’s Award.

She received the award at the Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI) 66th Annual Scientific Meeting in Paris, last week.

Gillian’s presentation at the meeting was titled ‘Association between Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Population-Based Study’.

The award was established to recognize the 25 most exemplary oral abstracts submitted by individuals still in training.

INFANT was well represented at the conference. INFANT investigators Dr Fergus McCarthy and Dr Ali Khashan, along with PhD students were also in attendance; presenting an impressive seven posters and two oral presentations.

Dealing with the loss of a baby or pregnancy is a very difficult time for parents and families and providing bereavement care is an integral part of any maternity service.

Led by INFANT PI Dr Keelin O’Donoghue and with significant input from the INFANT/CUMH Pregnancy Loss Research Group, the accumulation of two year’s work on the HSE National Standards for Bereavement Care Following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death was presented to 130 attendees at the Bereavement Forum at University College Cork last Saturday.

Members of the Pregnancy Loss Research Group, comprising staff from INFANT, UCC College of Medicine and Health and the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre

Dr Keelin O Donoghue, INFANT PI and Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, CUMH pictured with HSE programme manager Riona Cotter.

The HSE National Standards for Bereavement Care Following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death was implemented to enhance bereavement care services for parents who experience a pregnancy loss or perinatal death. Used as a resource for both parents and professionals – it provides the template for maternity units to develop a compassionate, caring service for parents who lose a baby due to miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death.

Speaking on behalf of the National Implementation Group, Dr Keelin O’Donoghue said: “As we reach the end of the second year of the Implementation Programme we are delighted to see that progress has been made in the implementation of the Bereavement Standards nationally. We are grateful to all who have been involved in our programme of work. Putting these Standards into practice demonstrates our commitment to compassionate and high-quality care for parents while raising awareness of pregnancy loss and recognising its wide impact. We hope that this important work, which we know enhances care for bereaved parents and families, will now continue in all the 19 Maternity units, overseen by the Health Service Executive’s National Women and Infants Health Programme.”

Throughout the day, doctors, midwives, researchers, parent and patient groups shared their insights and learnings from the two-year implementation programme. It was of particular importance to the National Implementation Group that the National Bereavement Standards be informed and influenced by parents who have experienced pregnancy loss, and parent representatives have been key to its success.

Keelin and HSE programme manager, Midwife Riona Cotter travelled all over Ireland, visiting all 19 maternity hospitals where there is now a dedicated bereavement team in place implementing these standards.

The Pregnancy Loss Research Group at CUMH includes INFANT PhD students, Indra San Lazaro Campillo, Stacey Power, Aenne Helps and Tamara Escanuela Sanchez, INFANT research midwife AnnaMaria Verling, NPEC staff researcher Dr Sarah Meaney, UCC Lecturers Dr Margaret Murphy and Dr Daniel Nuzum, alongside MSc, medical students and other clinicians. Working collaboratively with the common goal – to provide support and information to parents bereaved by early and late pregnancy loss, promote their emotional, psychological, spiritual and physical well-being, as well as improving professional practice and facilitating research in this area.

Copies of the HSE National Standards for Bereavement Care following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death are available to download online.

The INFANT centre is made up of world-leading researchers from a variety of disciplines. Our engineers are involved in various research projects and their highly acclaimed work has been widely recognised.

Our engineers are working collaboratively with a number of academic and industry partners from all over the world to improve the health of mothers and babies and to prevent poor outcomes.

We asked them to tell us a little about the projects they are working on and what excites them about their role.

Held annually in over 30 countries across the globe, FameLab is the world’s largest science communication competition.

The Cork event took place at Triskel Arts Centre on Wednesday night.

Armed only with their wits and a few props, the newest voices from the world of science and engineering across the county delivered short 3-minute presentations on a range of science topics.

Representing INFANT, PhD student Sam Manna presented a fun and engaging talk on ‘Anti-Ageing 101’.

Well done Sam and to everyone involved.

A team from INFANT travel to Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute in Moshi, Northern Tanzania this week.

As Ireland’s first and only perinatal research centre, INFANT is focussed on making pregnancy safer and improving health outcomes for mothers and babies worldwide. In particular, the centre’s Global Health Program is committed to translating the centre’s innovations into affordable, accessible interventions in countries where the clinical need is greatest and will have the highest impact.

In 2016, INFANT signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute (KCRI), the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), and the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUC) establishing a collaborative research partnership in a number of scientific and clinical areas.

Mike Cuneen, INFANT Software Developer presenting the new cloud-based birth registry to KCMC clinicians.

This partnership is currently working on a project to enhance the KCMC birth registry. Birth registry data is a vital source of information for healthcare providers, funders and policy makers as it contains data on maternal and infant outcomes from each baby born every year. INFANT engineers and software developers initiated and developed this project to enhance the KCMC Medical Birth Registry, making this hugely valuable data accessible to researchers beyond KCMC and INFANT.  This week INFANT will pilot the new high quality, cloud-based birth registry, provide essential training to staff and implement improvements to the system based on local feedback at KCMC.

KCMC staff undertaking bubble CPAP training.

The week-long visit will also include a number of meetings with research and clinical colleagues, tours of the Maternity Ward and Birth Registry Offices, a visit to a regional community health centre, discussions on collaborative funding opportunities and the initiation of a postgraduate student exchange programme.

Speaking about the trip, INFANT Director Prof Geraldine Boylan said that the collaboration between INFANT, UCC and KCRI has gone from strength to strength and she acknowledged the important role that support from ESTHER Ireland had played in enhancing this important collaboration.

Professor Helen Whelton, Head of College of Medicine and Health commented “The partnership to date has been a huge success and we look forward to strengthening our relationship with KCMC in the coming years. International engagement is a priority for UCC and partnerships like these enhance our mission of creating, understanding and sharing knowledge and applying it for the good of all”.

This week, INFANT Director and Associate Investigators presented at ‘The Future of Machine Learning’ Conference at the Maryborough Hotel, Cork.

The event organised by MIDAS, in conjunction with Qualcomm and UCC brought together experts in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning to encourage collaboration and innovation that leverages machine learning in Ireland. The day included discussions on why machine learning is important to Ireland and how Ireland’s machine learning research and development is establishing and pushing the research vision.

Prof Geraldine Boylan presented ‘Big ideas for little brains – using AI to help identify brain injury in newborn infants‘. Using artificial intelligence, INFANT has developed the world’s first AI algorithm that can detect seizures in newborns and the centre is continuously looking at ways to integrate AI into its healthcare research.

INFANT has a large portfolio of projects for AI in healthcare research and last year won the AI Ireland National Award for ‘Best Appilication of AI in an Acaedemic Research Body’.

Speaking after the event Prof Boylan said, “I was delighted to present at this high calibre event and for the opportunity to network with colleagues in academia, industry and Government. We are really at the start of a revolution in the use of AI for health care that will shape the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the future. Partnering with AI and machine learning experts throughout Ireland will allow INFANT to further develop innovative technologies in healthcare and to make it a reality for all”.

INFANT and UCC was well represented on the day with INFANT Associate Investigators Dr Andriy Temko and Dr Emanuel Popovici also presenting at the event.