Our Clinical Psychologists, Leanna Fogarty and Dr Margaret O’ Rourke have identified a number of tools and resources to help you deal with any additional stresses in your lives. We will share some bitesize tips with you every week through the INFANT website and our social media channels.

There are no quick fixes but there are things that we can do to remain focused, calm, and positive.

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Psychological research has discovered that happiness can be built and enhanced with five core ingredients. The word PERMA is the easiest way to remember the five important building blocks of mental health and wellbeing – all things that are very helpful right now!

1. Positive Emotions

It can be hard work to be positive sometimes but the more you try the more it will become a habit. Positive emotions really help your mental health and will build and support confidence and self-belief, creativity, flexibility, optimism, perseverance, physical and mental health productivity, and energy.

2. Engagement

Being fully focused and engaged on the task at hand is very good for wellbeing. Try to be fully present in the now and the tasks and activities you are engaged in  – it doesn’t matter how simple or difficult the task may be.

3. Relationships

Positive relationships help us build resilience, reduce stress, and improve wellbeing. Regardless of what happens at work, at home, or in your life, try to ensure you work at keeping relationships positive and supportive.

4. Meaning

Belonging to and serving something bigger than ourselves is an excellent way to build wellbeing and purpose. What could be more important than the job you do as a parent? Every parent struggles from time to time so cut yourself some slack, be kind and compassionate towards yourself, and always ask for help if you need it!

5. Accomplishment

Your family, friends, and community salute you and want to congratulate you on the way you are adapting to and handling this very difficult situation. Remember we talked about the KISS technique a few weeks ago? Keep your day simple and structured!

New research led by Dr. Andrea Hemmingway, PI Prof Mairead Kiely, and the INFANT maternal and child nutrition team has been published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

The study has reported that breastfeeding rates have increased slightly over the past 10 years and mothers are breastfeeding for longer.

Breastfeeding is recommended, where possible, because it has many health benefits for mum and baby. It can promote the development of a baby’s immune system and protect against infection. For mums, breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer and may help with a gradual return to pre-pregnancy weight.

Using data from the COMBINE study – of which over 450 families from Cork and the surrounding area participated between 2015-2017 – the team analysed current infant feeding practices and explored changes in breastfeeding rates over the past 8-10 years.

The COMBINE study found that 75% of mums were breastfeeding to some extent by the time they went home from the hospital and 44% breastfed solely without formula top-ups. In comparison, INFANT’s BASELINE study – led by PI Prof Deirdre Murray between 2008 and 2011 – had a breastfeeding rate of 69% at the time mums went home and 40% breastfed solely.

Both studies had several follow-up visits with families during the first year. At two months of age, 36% of COMBINE babies were solely breastfeeding, compared with 27% in BASELINE. At six months, the rate of breastfeeding had doubled from 12% in BASELINE to 24% in COMBINE.

Current guidelines from the WHO and the HSE are to breastfeed solely for about six months and to continue breastfeeding while introducing solid foods from 4-6 months. Although our rates of continued breastfeeding are very low in Ireland, the improvement over time in these two studies is encouraging.

Interacting closely with families throughout the first six months of life, the COMBINE study team identified a link between combination feeding and stopping breastfeeding earlier. Combination feeding – using a combination of breastfeeding and infant formula – was common at hospital discharge and over the early infant period. The main reasons for combination feeding at one-month included: maternal perception of infant hunger, healthcare professional advice, and breastfeeding difficulties.

These findings highlight the need for early breastfeeding supports for mums, babies, and families, particularly in the first weeks and months after birth. The results also indicate that mums who are able to establish successful breastfeeding initially are now continuing to breastfeed for longer.

Read the full publication here. The research was supported by a grant from Science Foundation Ireland.

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, TD, today announced that twelve teams have been shortlisted to progress onto the next phase of the SFI Future Innovator Prize.

Funded by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation through Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), this competition is part of an overall government plan to cultivate challenge-based funding in Ireland. The two Challenges, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Societal Good Challenge and the Zero Emissions Challenge are run in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

AI4LIFE – led by Prof Geraldine Boylan, Prof Liam Marnane and Societal Champion Dr Mairead O’Riordan – will focus on the challenge of reducing neonatal morbidity and mortality. 

The team plan to develop a new, easy to interpret, fetal monitoring system that will use AI assisted interpretation to monitor the vital signs of mother and baby during labour to quickly identify any issues. 

The AI4LIFE project has the potential to impact current clinical practice and improve the lives of families and their babies nationally and internationally.

Minister Heather Humphreys, TD said: “I am delighted to announce that twelve teams will go forward to the next phase of the Future Innovator Prize competition. These teams are addressing key societal challenges Zero Emissions and Artificial Intelligence for Societal Good. I commend the researchers on their inspiring solution-focused ideas. Now more than ever, we need to ensure that ongoing significant national and global issues including climate change, disease diagnosis and treatment continue to be addressed. Programmes such as the Future Innovator Prize empower our innovators to deliver creative solutions to important issues where we as a society will benefit.”

Minister for International Development, Ciarán Cannon, TD added: “This important partnership between Irish Aid and Science Foundation Ireland enables innovative research into solutions for key global challenges, such as mitigating climate change.  I am delighted that Irish Aid is co-funding four of the research projects that have reached Seed phase.”

Twenty-four teams have participated to date, six teams have been shortlisted from each Challenge and at the end of the 12-month programme two overall winners will be announced.  The AI for Societal Good Challenge and Zero Emissions Challenge each have prizes of €2 million.

Minister for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development, John Halligan continued:  “It is a privilege to support the development of these great ideas, which are being co-created by interdisciplinary teams from leading institutes and organisations across the country spanning Galway, Cork, Limerick and Dublin. Best of luck to all the teams for the next phase of the competition.”

Dr Ruth Freeman, Director Science for Society, Science Foundation Ireland added her congratulations: “Well done to the twelve teams on their success, hard work and dedication. It is an achievement to progress this far in the Future Innovator Prize competition. The excellent standard of the projects illustrates the importance of continuing to embed competitive and challenge-based funding within the Irish ecosystem. Many of the projects here directly address UN sustainable development goals and can potentially help Ireland achieve these aims. I look forward to following the teams as they journey through this next phase of the programme.”

The twelve successful teams represent a diverse range of backgrounds and closely engage with societal and industry stakeholders to co-create their solutions. In the AI for Societal Good Challenge these solutions address societal concerns of both national and global significance that align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, from detection of greenwashing, to tracking climate change adaptation, and lung cancer treatment to detection of preeclampsia or endometriosis and fetal monitoring.

This week is World Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week. The aim is to raise awareness of maternal mental health issues and to promote the help and support that is available for those who require it.

Pregnancy and the period after birth can be particularly challenging and now, more than ever, it is normal to feel extra stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, or upset.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised worldwide that 15.6% of pregnant women and 19.8% of women who have just given birth experience challenges in relation to mental health.

It is important to be prepared and equipped to try and face these added stresses and what better way to do so than with the aid of a ‘TOOLBOX’.

Our INFANT clinical psychologists Leanna Fogarty and Dr. Margaret O’Rourke have put together a quick summary of the essential tools that you need in your toolbox!

Tools for you Toolbox

Tool 2: UNHOOKING: The main aim is to try and unhook yourself from unhelpful and intrusive thoughts. NOTICE that a difficult thought or feeling has hooked you. Realise that you are distracted by a difficult thought or feeling, and notice it with curiosity. NAME the difficult thought or feeling, then, REFOCUS on what you are doing.

Tool 3: ACTING ON YOUR VALUES: Choose the values that are most important to you.  You and only you can decide which values are most important to you! Then pick one small way that you can act according to these values? What will you do? What will you say? Even tiny actions matter!

Tool 4: BEING KIND : Everyone is in this together, you most importantly, realise this and respond with kindness. Unhook from unkind thoughts by noticing and naming these. Being kind to yourself will help to give you energy, motivation and positivity to help others.

Tool 5: MAKING ROOM: The aim here is to push out all those negative thoughts and feelings. This is very difficult to master, but with time and practice and the right tools you can accomplish this. Instead of fighting with the thought or feeling, allow it to move through you, acknowledge it and move on.

Useful Resources

• CUMH: Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service
• HSE: 10 Things to know about Perinatal Mental Health
• HSE: What are Perinatal Mental Health Services?
• HSE: Mental Health in Pregnancy
• WHO: Doing What Matters in Times of Stress: An Illustrated Guide

The team at INFANT would like to assure all of our community that we understand how challenging a situation we now find ourselves in.

Our Clinical Psychologists, Leanna and Margaret have identified a number of tools and resources to help you deal with any additional stresses in your lives. We will share some bitesize tips with you every week through the INFANT website and our social media channels.

There are no quick fixes but there are things that we can do to remain focused, calm, and positive and to and keep moving forward.

Please let us know if you find these resources useful!

Keep it Simple and Structured (KISS)

Maintaining a daily routine can help you preserve a sense of order and purpose in your life despite the unfamiliarity of isolation and quarantine. Try to include regular daily activities, such as work, exercise or learning, even if they must be done remotely. Integrate other healthy pastimes as needed. Spend time on things that make you happy!

Over the next few days try using the KISS approach.

1. KEEP: Make sure each day has a beginning, middle, and end. Children cope better with stress when it is introduced in predictable ways, such as daily routines and normal activities: getting up in the morning, getting dressed, breakfast, school work, fun-time, bedtime routines, eating healthy, drinking healthy, getting enough sleep and doing things that you enjoy.
2. IT: Be clear about your priorities for each day. What is important to you, what needs to be done? For most of us controlling our behaviour is easier than controlling our thoughts and feelings. So our number one aim is to take control of our behaviour, plan, structure and accomplish.
3. SIMPLE: List the tasks you need to complete and celebrate the little wins for the day. Keep it simple and focus on what is important for you and your baby.
4. STRUCTURED: Now is a time when it is particularly important to have structure to ensure a productive day. Structure your day, have a plan, try and stick to routines especially when children are involved.

Useful Apps

• Mind Shift is a mental health app designed specifically for teens and young adults with anxiety. Rather than trying to avoid anxious feelings, Mind Shift stresses the importance of changing how you think about anxiety. It can encourage you to take charge of your life, ride out intense emotions, and face challenging situations.
• Self Help for Anxiety Management might be perfect for you if you’re interested in self-help, but meditation isn’t your thing. Users are prompted to build their own 24-hour anxiety toolkit that allows you to track anxious thoughts and behaviour over time, and learn 25 different self-help techniques.
• Happify Need a happy fix? With its psychologist-approved mood-training program, the Happify app is your fast-track to a good mood. Try various engaging games, activity suggestions, gratitude prompts and more to train your brain as if it were a muscle, to overcome negative thoughts.
• Headspace makes meditation simple. Learn the skills of mindfulness and meditation by using this app for just a few minutes per day. You gain access to hundreds of meditations on everything from stress and anxiety to sleep and focus. The app also has a handy “get some headspace” reminder to encourage you to keep practicing each day.
• Calm provides people experiencing stress and anxiety with guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing programs, and relaxing music. This app is truly universal; whether you’ve never tried meditation before or regularly practice, you’ll find the perfect program for you.
• Smiling Mind is a way to practice daily meditation and mindfulness exercises from any device. Smiling Mind is a unique tool developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to your life. This is really helpful during times of stress and is a fun and unique way to help you put a smile on your mind.

We are incredibly grateful for the donations we have received over the past few weeks in response to the virtual visitation technology we have implemented in Cork Univerity Maternity Hospital Neonatal Unit.

Because of you, we were able to deploy the technology to regional hospitals in the area too!

If you would like to support our work further, please visit our ‘Giving’ page.

COVID-19 is the most significant public health crisis in 100 years. Its impact will be felt for decades and it is already changing in unprecedented ways how we live, work and carry out our lives.

INFANT, as a Maternal and Child Health Research Centre, is particularly conscious of the impact of COVID-19 with many of our colleagues and collaborators working directly in the health system in Cork, in Ireland and across the world, especially colleagues in Cork University Maternity Hospital and Cork University Hospital.

The safety and wellbeing of all our staff, students, colleagues and stakeholders, including the many families and children participating in our research studies is our main priority in this uncertain time.

So what is INFANT doing?

• Many INFANT staff remain in or have redeployed to the frontline whilst others have made the transition to working from home and continuing our vital research to improve outcomes for mums, babies and children.
• INFANT has accelerated research and innovation projects that can immediately impact staff, patients and families.

For example, we led the implementation of a novel “Virtual Visitation” solution for parents and extended families of babies in the neonatal ICU to alleviate separation anxiety and to practically support the necessary social distancing measures to protect vulnerable patients from COVID-19.

• Many of our other researchers are redeploying INFANT skills, expertise and research towards COVID-19 focused outcomes such as remote vital sign monitoring, rapid blood tests, infant, maternal and paternal mental health and the long-term impacts caused by COVID-19 stresses and anxieties on developmental and behavioural outcomes. We have also donated research space and infrastructure to facilitate COVID-19 displaced clinical activity and are collaborating with clinical colleagues to develop data registries e.g.the NPEC register and in paediatric pneumonia – both will be valuable clinical and research tools for the future.
• INFANT clinicians, allied health staff and their colleagues have led the creation of national guidelines for best practices in maternity and neonatal care under COVID-19 and INFANT staff have led the way on educating and communicating with the public on how COVID-19 is impacting maternal, newborn and child health.

– COVID-19 infection Guidance for Maternity Services National Guidelines

– The BJOG COVID-19 Resource Centre

– Neonatal Clinical Advisory Group

• We have created a dedicated COVID-19 Hub for families, researchers and healthcare professionals to collate all the emerging scientific literature and clinical guidelines that relate to COVID-19 during pregnancy, birth, newborns and early childhood and to keep you updated about what we are doing here at INFANT.

We acknowledge the tremendous efforts of our INFANT and HSE colleagues in the health service and the generous support of corporate and individual donors who have helped fund some of our COVID-19 response to date.

We welcome any other donations or supports that can help us through research, public and patient involvement, and clinical practice.

Please contact us at infantcovidresponse@ucc.ie if you wish to help, seek information, or discuss opportunities to collaborate.

The Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has issued new guidance on COVID-19 and maternity services.

The guidance was written by INFANT Centre Principal Investigator Dr Keelin O’Donoghue and Joye McKernan, National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre.

COVID-19 infection is a new disease and the impact on pregnancy remains uncertain.

Aims of the guidance document:

• To outline considerations for care for pregnant women and their infants during the COVD-19 pandemic

• To advise maternity units around the provision of safe care to women and infants with suspected/confirmed COVID-19

• To support healthcare staff working in the maternity services

• To set out a framework for managing the impact on maternity services

• To provide principles to help units develop their own response plans

As this is an evolving situation this guidance is subject to ongoing review and will be updated as further information and evidence becomes available.

Read the full document here.

We have collaborated with our colleagues in Cork University Maternity Hospital to provide virtual visiting for babies in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

The new initiative allows families to remotely check-in on their baby amid COVID-19 visiting restrictions.

The support for this initiative has been wonderful and we are delighted this video technology to support our parents is having such a positive effect!

The INFANT Research Centre at University College Cork in collaboration with Cork University Maternity Hospital, Ireland South Women & Infants Directorate have introduced a secure video messaging platform called vCreate in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Under normal circumstances, having a baby in the neonatal unit can be a time of significant emotional distress and anxiety for parents. In these very challenging times, significant restrictions on access to the neonatal unit mean that only mums can visit for limited time periods during the day. These necessary measures, put in place because of the COVID-19 outbreak, have added to the stress parents face when their newborn infant requires neonatal unit admission.  CUMH wants to help provide comfort to parents during this worrying period.

“This is a fantastic initiative which we hope will go some way to reducing the significant stress that parents are now facing. Whether it’s for a day or two admission, or indeed many months for our most immature babies, we believe this system, along with its educational material, will alleviate some of the worries that families face in these difficult times,” said Prof Gene Dempsey, Consultant Neonatologist at CUMH and Principal Investigator at INFANT, UCC.

The INFANT team supported the rapid introduction of this solution into the NICU which allows staff, coordinated by Neonatal Nurse Manager, Lucille Bradfield, to record short video messages and updates of each baby which can then be sent directly to parents via the vCreate platform.

“We were able to set this up very quickly because of the research infrastructure we already had in place in the NICU, thanks to Jerry Deasy and the excellent IT Team at INFANT. This really demonstrates the added value of research integration in hospitals which can respond with agility and speed to urgent needs” Prof Geraldine Boylan, Director of the INFANT Research Centre.

The safe and secure platform can be accessed at any time, from any device and is available at no cost to the parents. It is simple to use and parents can easily create an account that is linked directly to their baby, allowing them to download videos to share with siblings, grandparents and other family members.

This system follows on from previous research work supported by Science Foundation Ireland.  It is now being piloted with families in CUMH with the support of neonatal unit staff.

Nicola Carey is a parent whose son is in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Her family have been using the virtual visitation platform to check on his progress. “It is great, as his Dad can see the progress he is making on a daily basis. It is great to see him in the morning before I visit.  It has been amazing for the anxious grandparents to see him and know he is doing well. It has been brilliant for us”.

The multidisciplinary team at INFANT includes obstetricians, neonatologists, paediatricians, midwives and nurses, all of whom are working extremely hard during this difficult time. As always, research that helps promote a healthy outcome for mothers and babies is the top priority.