← NZ Child & Youth Clinical Network

Newborn Clinical Network

The Newborn Clinical Network is a national multidisciplinary group that supports the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective, and integrated newborn treatment programmes for babies and their whānau.

The New Zealand Child & Youth Newborn Clinical Network aims to provide clinical leadership in developing and maintaining a sustainable nationwide clinical service for newborns, delivered as close to home as possible.

This is achieved through a multi-pronged approach, including the appointment of a national, multidisciplinary Clinical Reference Group (CRG) supported by medical, nursing, and allied health professionals. The CRG fosters collaboration across neonatal units, disseminating information, discussing treatment advances, and implementing national guidelines.

Additionally, the CRG provides service and treatment advice to the Paediatric Society of New Zealand | Te Kāhu Mātai Arotamariki o Aotearoa (PSNZ), the NZCYCN Programme’s Advisory Group, and the Ministry of Health.

Network Priorities

The network’s priorities for the coming year include:

Equity and Te Tiriti Ensuring that the Newborn CRG’s Terms of Reference follow the PSNZ equity plan, with Te Tiriti and equity as central pillars.

Whānau Information Developing more content for the newborn section on the KidsHealth website to ensure up-to-date, easy-to-understand information is available for whānau.

Benchmarking Neonatal Units Benchmarking neonatal units across New Zealand using ANZNN data.

Family-Integrated Care (FiCare) Producing an endorsement document advocating for the implementation of FiCare in neonatal care nationwide.

National Cot Status Review Preparing a framework paper for Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, outlining key considerations for neonatal care, including transitional care requirements.

Practice Recommendations Review Reviewing the top three practice recommendations: neonatal care at 23-24 weeks gestation, skin care of neonates less than 28 weeks gestation, and the New Zealand Consensus Statement on the care of mother and baby(ies) at periviable gestations. The latter will be informed by data from the National Mortality Review Committee and ANZNN.

 

Clinical Resources and Guidelines

Whānau Resources

KidsHealth, supported by the Paediatric Society of New Zealand, is the go-to source for whānau seeking trusted child health information and resources.

Here are some links to relevant pages on the KidsHealth website:

Newborn babies

Spend time with your new baby to get to know them, and as you develop a bond they get to know you too. This lets your baby feel safe and free to learn and explore, and helps them to form relationships throughout their life. 

Check out the information and advice about caring for your newborn baby.

Crying

Crying is your baby's way of communicating. Pēpi (babies) often need a lot of calming, soothing and holding when they are upset.

What You Can Do When Your Baby Cries 

Safe sleep

Every year, too many New Zealand pēpi die suddenly during sleep. Find out about the best ways to reduce the risk. Make every sleep a safe sleep for your baby.

Safe Sleep For Your Baby

Vitamin K

Pēpi have low levels of vitamin K in their bodies at birth. Without vitamin K, pēpi are at risk of getting a rare bleeding disorder. A single vitamin K injection at birth is the most effective way of preventing this.

Vitamin K For Newborn Babies To Prevent Serious Bleeding

Tongue tie

Tongue tie is a condition that involves a small piece of tissue connecting the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. This is called the frenulum. When a baby's frenulum is short or tight it can stop their tongue from moving properly. This is called a tongue tie. Tongue tie may cause a problem with breastfeeding for some pēpi.

Tongue Tie

Heel prick test

The heel prick test is a blood test - it involves collecting a sample of blood from your baby's heel 48 hours after their birth.

Heel Prick Test For Newborn Babies

Hearing and vision checks

Your baby's eyes should be checked soon after birth. If you have concerns about your baby's vision or hearing at any time, take your baby for an assessment.

Hearing And Vision Checks For Babies

Vaccination

Vaccination on time is the most effective way to protect hapū māmā (pregnant women), pēpi and tamariki (children) from preventable disease.

Immunisation Overview

Rotavirus vaccination

Vaccination protects against rotavirus - a common tummy bug that pēpi and tamariki catch easily. Rotavirus causes vomiting and diarrhoea (runny, watery poo).

Rotavirus Immunisation

Whooping cough vaccination

Whooping cough can make pēpi very sick and some pēpi can die. Having whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy protects pēpi in their first weeks of life. Start vaccinating pēpi the day they turn 6 weeks old to keep protecting them.

Whooping Cough Immunisation

Jaundice

Mild jaundice is common in pēpi, but baby jaundice is not always normal. If your baby has yellow skin or eyes and pale poo or dark (yellow or brown) wee, your baby needs a special blood test. See a health professional or midwife as soon as possible.

Jaundice In Babies

Network Members

 

Role Name Area
Project Coordinator Claire Annan Northern
Chair Malcolm Battin Northern
Member Andrew Kelly Te Waipounamu
Member Angelica Fletcher Central
Member Anita Lala Te Manawa Taki
Member Bronwyn Dixon Te Waipounamu
Member Helen Miller Central
Member David Barker Northern
Member Debbie O'Donoghue Te Waipounamu
Member Julie L’Anson Northern
Member Juliet Manning Te Waipounamu
Member Jutta Van Den Boom Te Manawa Taki
Member Lindsay Mildenhall Northern
Member Mariam Buksh Northern
Member Megan Ashton Northern
Member Michelle Robertson Central
Member Nathalie deVries Central
Member Paula Dellabarca Central
Member Peter Fowlie Te Waipounamu
Member Rosemary Escott Central
Member Tracy Sollitt Te Waipounamu

 

Network News and Updates