Neonatal Therapeutic Hypothermia in Ireland: Annual Report: 2018 Aggregate Report 2016–2018

Abstract

This is the Neonatal Therapeutic Hypothermia in Ireland report for 2018. It is a collaborative initiative undertaken by the National Clinical Programme for Paediatrics and Neonatology (NCPPN), the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre (NPEC) and the National Women and Infants Health Programme (NWIHP). The Therapeutic Hypothermia steering committee has overseen the governance of the project.

This report serves as a valuable resource to Medical, Midwifery and Nursing staff who are striving to make quality changes in the services we deliver to mothers and their babies. The recently formed National Neonatal Encephalopathy Action Group reflects this. The group comprises representatives from the Department of Health, the States Claims Agency, and the Health Service Executive, the NWIHP, the NPEC, Clinical Leads and patient advocates. The group acknowledges the long-lasting consequences caused by Neonatal Encephalopathy. The group aims to reduce avoidable instances of Neonatal Encephalopathy through the identification of known causes and risk factors and plans to drive initiatives to eliminate or mitigate them. The aspiration is a reduction in cases requiring therapeutic hypothermia intervention in our national maternity units/ hospitals. This working group has been endorsed by the Minister for Health Mr Simon Harris.