World Prematurity Day is observed on November 17 each year. It aims to raise awareness about the issues associated with preterm birth. It also spreads information about how to help and support affected families.

Around 60,000 babies are born prematurely in the UK every year.

At Tunbridge Wells Hospital, the Neonatal Unit provides care for up to 18 babies at one time. It is equipped with three intensive care cots, eight high dependency cots, seven special care nursery cots, and one isolation cot.

Last year, from January to December (2015), the unit admitted 502 babies. Babies born from 27 weeks can be cared for at Tunbridge Wells Hospital but if they are born pre 27 weeks, generally, they have to be transferred to a Level 3 Neonatal Unit, such as Medway or Ashford.

Tara Hayward, a Sister in the Neonatal Unit, said: “While the priority for us, as staff, will always be to care for the babies who are admitted, we also ensure their families are properly supported. The overall care we provide is family-centred. Having a baby admitted to the Neonatal Unit is a stressful and worrying time for anyone, whether they had a high risk pregnancy and knew there was a chance they would have a premature birth, or not.

“When you give birth, you want and expect to be able to take your baby home so the whole experience of coming in to the unit can be physically, mentally and emotionally draining. It’s vital that our staff do everything they can to help parents cope with that stress and feel well supported.”

The Neonatal Unit has three private parent rooms which can be used for quiet time, when babies are very unwell, or for parents to stay in for special occasions, or if they travel a long way to get to the hospital. The rooms are also used for ‘rooming in’ when parents are preparing to take their baby home after weeks or months in the NNU.

Tara said: “We are very lucky to work in an area that has fantastic antenatal care so many women at risk of giving birth prematurely are identified early on in their pregnancy and plans are made well in advance. Outcomes for premature babies are so much better than they used to be and the medicines used have come on enormously.

“As a team, the staff on the NNU are close-knit and we have a very good relationship with colleagues in our hospital and more widely within our neonatal network, particularly in Medway and Ashford. It really is a huge team effort from all staff, across the board, which makes the unit run as it does. We all want the very best for the babies we care for, and their families – there is nothing better than seeing a family take their baby home.”

The Neonatal Unit at Tunbridge Wells Hospital has 60 specially trained staff (a mixture of full and part time), including nurses and dedicated nursery nurses. There are also three dedicated network transport teams, with special neonatal ambulances, which transfers babies to and from hospitals in the area, according to where they are best cared for.

Julia Moat, Manager of the Neonatal Unit at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, said: “We absolutely committed to providing the very best standards of care to babies, and the best support for parents. Having already achieved the Bliss Certificate of Commitment for the Bliss Baby Charter*, we are now currently working towards the Bliss Family Friendly Accreditation Scheme to ensure a gold standard of care in our unit.”

At this time, Rachel and Andrew Wilson’s daughter, Athena, is being cared for in the Neonatal Unit at Tunbridge Wells Hospital. Athena’s twin sister, Ophelia, died shortly after she was born, on 31 August 2016.

Rachel said: “We were aware from very early on that my pregnancy was high risk and that the babies had twin to twin syndrome**. My waters broke 18 weeks into my pregnancy so I had to have observations done on a weekly basis. I went into spontaneous labour at 27 weeks and attempts were made to delay labour, it didn’t work and Athena and Ophelia were born just under seven hours after I went into labour.
“Ophelia was very small, just 780 grams and we were told that she wasn’t going to make it. We were able to say our goodbyes and she died nine hours after she was born.
“Athena, who weighed one kilo and 20 grams, was stabilised and the next day, was transferred to Medway Hospital, where there is a level three unit. On 16 September, she was transferred back to Tunbridge Wells the high dependency unit in neonatal and has been here ever since. She is growing steadily and making gradual but good progress.”

As Rachel knew her pregnancy was high risk, she and her husband were able to look around the Neonatal Unit and speak to Julia, the Unit Manager, in advance.

“It was actually really helpful,” said Rachel, “We looked at the rooms and we were given information so we knew something of what to expect. The staff here are amazing and have helped us so much – not just with the care they provide for Athena but also with our grieving process for Ophelia. They provide hugely personal support, they know if I am having a bad day and they will do all they can to help, understand and support.

“There is a good consistency with staff and everyone, including the consultants are very positive, encouraging and reassuring.

“There are lots of small details, too, which really make a difference, for example, every baby admitted under 32 weeks is given a memory box, which the nurses help to complete. I am told, although at the moment it seems hard to believe, that one day all of this will all be a distant memory so it will be lovely to have the memories to look back on and remember what a journey we have all been on.

“My advice to anyone else who finds themselves in this situation is to take one day, or one week at a time. Try not to let the little things get to you – concentrate on the bigger things, and always look at the positives. Even if you have had a really bad day, do your best to think about what has also been good about it, however small those things are.

“It’s a rollercoaster of emotions – real highs and lows, but take the support that is offered and do your best to stay positive.”

Ends

*Read more about the Bliss audit charter at www.bliss.org.uk

** Twin to twin syndrome: Twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a disease of the placenta (or afterbirth) that affects identical twin pregnancies.
TTTS affects identical twins (or higher multiple gestations), who share a common monochorionic placenta.
The shared placenta contains abnormal blood vessels, which connect the umbilical cords and circulations of the twins.
The common placenta may also be shared unequally by the twins, and one twin may have a share too small to provide the necessary nutrients to grow normally or even survive.
bullet point The events in pregnancy that lead to TTTS – the timing of the twinning event, the number and type of connecting vessels, and the way the placenta is shared by the twins are all random events that have no primary prevention, is not hereditary or genetic, nor is it caused by anything the parents did or did not do. TTTS can happen to anyone.