Kangaroo Care w/ Alix Woldring & Sarah Coutts
02/05/21 • 60 min
A conversation about the readiness of British Columbia NICU's to employ a model of care imported from Columbia called Kangaroo Care with the project coordinator and an Independent Consultant working for Perinatal Services.
BIO: Sarah Coutts - Independent Consultant, Kangaroo Care Project
Sarah is a lactation consultant, neonatal nurse and the mother of 4 kids. She has a passion for Kangaroo Care (continuous skin-to-skin contact) with preterm infants and their parents while in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She believes Kangaroo Care can lead to improved outcomes and better experiences for parents of preterm infants. Kangaroo Care helps maintain parents as the primary caregivers and ensures they can be with their baby during their stay in the NICU – promoting zero separation is essential.
Her most recent position at Perinatal Services BC in the Kangaroo Care research and implementation project team has been a highlight for her and hopefully leads to supporting BC NICUs to fully embrace Kangaroo Care as a model of care.
Sarah is hoping to continue to promote and research Kangaroo Care locally and internationally and reduce separation between mothers and their infants after birth and while in the hospital.
Alix Woldring - Project Coordinator, Clinical Systems and Quality Improvement, Perinatal Services BC
I currently coordinate the Kangaroo Care program at Perinatal Services BC. In 2016, I completed my Masters in International Development from the University of Sydney in Australia and found myself working in the agriculture and natural resources sector on projects related to sustainability and climate change adaptation in the Asia Pacific region. My background in sociology meant that while surrounded by environmental scientists, agriculture specialists and engineers, I was always curious about the social, cultural and political conditions that contributed to the disparities that were being addressed by these projects.
Once I started at Perinatal Services BC, the Kangaroo Care program immediately caught my attention. There was a simple, low cost, low tech intervention, started in Colombia, that was hugely backed by evidence for both mother and infant. More than that, the Kangaroo Care project was about not only about the context of care in the NICU, it’s also about the context of people's lives. Involving families in the care of the infant as part of the care team involves a fundamental shift in the role of families, how they are seen by healthcare providers and how families see their own role. Maximising parental presence and participation in the NICU requires looking at the conditions that shape people's lives and the barriers and challenges they face to being in the NICU.
Discover Alix and Sarah;
Coutts, S., Woldring, A., Pederson, A. et al. What is stopping us? An implementation science study of kangaroo care in British Columbia’s neonatal intensive care units. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 21, 52 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-020-03488-5
http://www.perinatalservicesbc.ca/health-professionals/professional-resources/kangaroo-care
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Find Susannah Steers at www.movingspirit.ca and on social media @themovingspirit.
Find Gillian McCormick at https://physiogillian.com/ and on social media @physiogillian
A conversation about the readiness of British Columbia NICU's to employ a model of care imported from Columbia called Kangaroo Care with the project coordinator and an Independent Consultant working for Perinatal Services.
BIO: Sarah Coutts - Independent Consultant, Kangaroo Care Project
Sarah is a lactation consultant, neonatal nurse and the mother of 4 kids. She has a passion for Kangaroo Care (continuous skin-to-skin contact) with preterm infants and their parents while in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She believes Kangaroo Care can lead to improved outcomes and better experiences for parents of preterm infants. Kangaroo Care helps maintain parents as the primary caregivers and ensures they can be with their baby during their stay in the NICU – promoting zero separation is essential.
Her most recent position at Perinatal Services BC in the Kangaroo Care research and implementation project team has been a highlight for her and hopefully leads to supporting BC NICUs to fully embrace Kangaroo Care as a model of care.
Sarah is hoping to continue to promote and research Kangaroo Care locally and internationally and reduce separation between mothers and their infants after birth and while in the hospital.
Alix Woldring - Project Coordinator, Clinical Systems and Quality Improvement, Perinatal Services BC
I currently coordinate the Kangaroo Care program at Perinatal Services BC. In 2016, I completed my Masters in International Development from the University of Sydney in Australia and found myself working in the agriculture and natural resources sector on projects related to sustainability and climate change adaptation in the Asia Pacific region. My background in sociology meant that while surrounded by environmental scientists, agriculture specialists and engineers, I was always curious about the social, cultural and political conditions that contributed to the disparities that were being addressed by these projects.
Once I started at Perinatal Services BC, the Kangaroo Care program immediately caught my attention. There was a simple, low cost, low tech intervention, started in Colombia, that was hugely backed by evidence for both mother and infant. More than that, the Kangaroo Care project was about not only about the context of care in the NICU, it’s also about the context of people's lives. Involving families in the care of the infant as part of the care team involves a fundamental shift in the role of families, how they are seen by healthcare providers and how families see their own role. Maximising parental presence and participation in the NICU requires looking at the conditions that shape people's lives and the barriers and challenges they face to being in the NICU.
Discover Alix and Sarah;
Coutts, S., Woldring, A., Pederson, A. et al. What is stopping us? An implementation science study of kangaroo care in British Columbia’s neonatal intensive care units. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 21, 52 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-020-03488-5
http://www.perinatalservicesbc.ca/health-professionals/professional-resources/kangaroo-care
Discover Small Conversations on Social Media
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Find Susannah Steers at www.movingspirit.ca and on social media @themovingspirit.
Find Gillian McCormick at https://physiogillian.com/ and on social media @physiogillian
Previous Episode
Concussion & Optometry w/ Dr. Coralee Mueller
Concussion is a confusing, somewhat misunderstood diagnosis that impacts many individuals every day. We have an in-depth conversation about Concussion, to discuss what it is, what happens to individuals who have one and what kinds of things help to cure concussion. One intervention that can really make a difference for those who suffer concussion is Vision Therapy, and the growing field of Behavioural Optometry. We discuss how athletes who play sports with high risk of concussion can be assessed by a Behavioural Optometrist to see how well their visual systems and movement systems are coordinated, before an injury happens. This may indicate concussion suseptibility and may help to decrease the impact of a concussion on this individual.
BIO: Dr. Meuller is an Optometrist in Vision Development and Rehabilitation. She is the founder of NeuroVision Clinic, which uses neuro-optometric assessment, optometric vision therapy, and NeuroDevelopmental Movement. She is a Fellow with the College of Optometrists in Vision Development and Board Certified in Rehabilitative Optometric Vision Therapy. She is a Clinical Associate with the Optometric Extension Program Foundation, Neuro Optometric Rehab Association, and a member of Vision Therapy Canada. Dr. Mueller completed her Doctor of Optometry with Honours from the University of Waterloo in 2001. In 1997 she graduated from the University of Western Ontario with an Honours Bachelor of Science, double major in Physiology and Psychology, with Distinction. Throughout her university career she was involved in vision research.
Discover Dr. Mueller online:
Neurovisiontherapy.com
Facebook: NeuroVision TherapyInstagram: @neurovisiontherapy
Discover more about Concussions and Screening Concussions here:
cattonline.com
Discover Small Conversations on Social Media
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Find Susannah Steers at www.movingspirit.ca and on social media @themovingspirit.
Find Gillian McCormick at https://physiogillian.com/ and on social media @physiogillian
Next Episode
Inside Search and Rescue w/ Dave Steers
Do you love to play outside? How much do you know about the skilled volunteers who jump into action to help when things go south for us in the wilderness? Part outdoor adventurers, part community-minded volunteers, Search and Rescue members offer an extra layer of safety for anyone exploring the outdoors in beautiful BC. Join us for a conversation with Sunshine Coast Search and Rescue Search Manager Dave Steers about how search and rescue groups are managed and funded, how teams are trained, how call-outs work and what life is like for a SAR volunteer. Listen in for the inside scoop!
About Dave Steers
Dave Steers has been an avid outdoor enthusiast for his entire life. While living in Pemberton BC, and working in the ski industry, Dave was a founding member of Pemberton Search and Rescue, and served there as Search Manager for more than 20 years. When he retired, Dave and his wife moved to Sechelt, BC where he now serves with Sunshine Coast Search and Rescue. (And yeah, in case you were wondering, Dave is Susannah's brother.)
Important Links:
BC Search & Rescue Association (BCSARA)
Emergency Management BC (EMBC)
BC AdventureSmart on Instagram
BC AdventureSmart Trip Plan App
The Search and Rescue Series: North Shore Rescue (Knowledge Network)
Discover Small Conversations on Social Media
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Find Susannah Steers at www.movingspirit.ca and on social media @themovingspirit.
Find Gillian McCormick at https://physiogillian.com/ and on social media @physiogillian
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