Winter is now upon us and as the heating is turned up, the cold and flu season begins. Over recent years, hospitals in England have coped with significant seasonal spikes in hospital admissions for bronchiolitis, a common respiratory infection, which affects vulnerable infants. Rising by around 50% over the last 10 years, bronchiolitis creates an annual burden on paediatric services and is now the most common cause of infant hospital admissions (Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network, 2013).
Premature babies can find it difficult to fight off coughs and colds and are at increased risk of infections like bronchiolitis. Multiples are particularly at risk, with more than half of twin pregnancies and over 90% of triplets born before full-term (March of Dimes, 2009).
Supporting families together
The sad truth is that while bronchiolitis admission rates continue to rise, so too do the numbers of parents forced to endure the heartache, worry and confusion that comes with having a baby readmitted to hospital so soon after being discharged in the first place. Almost half of all babies born as multiples will need to spend some time in special care, and we at Tamba want to help parents keep their babies healthy and out of hospital so they don't have to go through the stress of visiting the hospital again. Midwives have a vital role to play in helping to manage bronchiolitis risks as they help prepare expectant families for their journey ahead.
The parent journey
Any pregnancy brings with it a mixture of worries and positive emotions for women, partners and their families. With multiple pregnancies, it is particularly important that parents are well prepared not only for the changes that will take place during the pregnancy but also after the babies’ birth and some of the risks and complications that could arise. Although premature births are a common result of multiple pregnancies—and are often planned as such—labour and birth are unpredictable and when babies come early many parents feel underprepared, worried and confused.
This is the start of an incredibly emotional journey that many parents who experience a premature birth can face, and in the midst of such a complex mix of feelings it can be challenging to ensure that the most important health care messages are being received by parents so that they feel equipped and ready to deal with any possible complications that may arise as their babies develop and grow. While neonatal hospital teams do a great job at working with parents while they spend time in special care, midwives can help to set parents on the best possible course right from the start by helping them to be aware of simple things they can do to prevent complications like bronchiolitis.
When is a sniffle more than a cold?
Symptoms of bronchiolitis include a runny nose, cough and mild fever and can often be mistaken for a common cold. However, severe cases can lead to complications and bronchiolitis is the most common cause of infant hospital admissions in winter. ‘More Than A Cold’ is an annual campaign led by AbbVie that we support in collaboration with Bliss (the special care baby charity), which launches on the cusp of each winter season to help parents understand the risk factors for bronchiolitis and inform them of simple steps they can take to help mitigate this risk. GPs and health visitors have an important role to play in helping to educate expectant parents—especially those whose babies may be at higher risk—but the role midwives can play is central.
A survey for ‘More Than A Cold’ showed that 58% of parents had not heard of bronchiolitis, but there are resources available that midwives can share with expectant and new parents to help them spot the signs of bronchiolitis and to take steps in the home to reduce the risk. This year we have looked closely at the emotional rollercoaster that parents experience when they are affected by bronchiolitis and the stress, worry, anguish and fear that parents go through is reason enough for us all to work together to help prevent hospital admissions for bronchiolitis.
A recent Royal College of Midwives survey (RCM, 2014) showed that 36% of midwives and maternity support workers said that they would like to be able to do more for mothers and babies. By helping to educate parents and midwifery peers about simple steps for preventing bronchiolitis and the emotional implications for the whole family, midwives have an opportunity to fulfil that ambition.
To download useful educational resources about bronchiolitis including a winter illness checklist, a bronchiolitis information leaflet and an infographic about parent experiences, visit www.morethanacold.co.uk.