A guest article by Dr Gina Ancora and Dr Roberta Arena Viola is born too early, after only 6 months of gestation. She suddenly left the warm and protective environment of her mother’s uterus. She is not ready for the external environment, but she has courage and strength to spare. In May 2022, the Italian Society of Neonatology (SIN), chaired by Dr Luigi Orfeo, decided to set up a Task Force with the aim to ensure the maximum chance of survival and quality of life for children like Viola, through the dissemination and the application of the European Standards of Care for Newborn Health (ESCNH), initiated by the European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI). These updated standards embrace a new model of care, aiming not only to treat diseases but also to guarantee the global health of preterm infants and to protect brain development, in collaboration with the family, combining the use of high technology with the power of the relationship. Italy welcomed the ESCNH with enthusiasm, translating them in a few months, thanks to the synergy between the Italian Society of Neonatology and Vivere Onlus, the national network of organizations of NICU parents. The newly established Task Force wants to raise awareness among professionals and families on the existence of this powerful, cultural and organizational tool, facilitating its application in all NICUs throughout the country. The Task Force joins several professionals from different disciplines, together with the representatives of the parents’ organizations. The Task Force desires to collaborate with other parents and professionals from all Europe, with the support of the EFCNI. One of the ambitious objectives of the Task Force is to co-construct criteria for the definition of a “Preemie Friendly Hospital”, i.e., a hospital able to empathize with the newborn family, where  “zero separation” between newborns and their parents is implemented, where NICU is opened 24/7 to parents, where care is based on the best scientific evidence and is multidisciplinary, where a partnership with parents is promoted, skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding are supported, and as far as possible, where NICU is designed to maximize comfort for newborns, families and staff. Other important goals of the Task Force are to promote ESCNH diffusion, among professionals and at the institutional level, and to include them in academic and post-academic education. It has been largely demonstrated that the delicate and rapid development of the newborn’s brain is linked to the experience provided by the maternal uterus, up to 40 weeks. The premature birth causes an abrupt interruption of this “nourishing” experience for the brain, therefore it is essential to recreate a sensory environment favourable to brain development. The tight and widespread adherence to the ESCNH leads to prevention and reduction of future cognitive, motor, and sensory disorders, school difficulties, incidence of autism, anxiety, depression, and social difficulties that affects more frequently preterm babies, despite improved survival rates. If the care is performed in collaboration with the family, as the ESCNH declare, post-traumatic stress disorder in parents and attachment disorders are less frequent, thus further improving the future health of the infants. The “newborn, center of the future” is the slogan of the Italian Society of Neonatology and the members of the Task Force will act to make this slogan an everyday reality. A press release was done in June announcing the new Task Force and more than ten print and online newspaper have spread the news; interviews were done. Members of the Task Force: Gina Ancora, neonatologist, member of SIN Board 2021-24, Director NIDCAP Center Rimini Fabio Mosca, neonatologist, Past President SIN Paola Cavicchioli, neonatologist, President Care Study Group of SIN Monica Ceccatelli, parent, Vice-President Vivere Onlus Fabrizio Sandri, neonatologist, member of SIN Board 2021-24 Alessandra Coscia, neonatologist, member of SIN Board 2021-24 Andrea Dotta, neonatologist, member of SIN Board 2021-24 Roberta Arena, neonatologist, member of SIN Board 2021-24 Martina Bruscagnin, parent, President Vivere Onlus Natascia Simeone, nurse, NIDCAP trainer

We are happy to announce that the information brochure about the European Standards of Care for Newborn Health (ESCNH) is now also available in Portuguese. Translating the brochure to Portuguese is an essential step to further promoting the implementation the ESCNH across Portugal. EFCNI would like to sincerely thank Dr Carmen Carvalho, Dr Eurico Gaspar, Dr Gabriela Mimoso, Dr Abílio Oliveira, Dr Edmundo Santos, Dr Fátima Clemente, Dr Cláudia Calado, Elsa Silva, Sara Paiva and Adriana Guerreiro for their great efforts to translate the brochure. A special thanks goes to our partner parent organisation XXS – Associação Portuguesa de Apoio ao Bebé Prematuro for coordinating and strongly supporting the translation. The information brochure is currently available in English, Bulgarian German, Greek, Portuguese, Ukrainian and Romanian. You can download these, and other materials at: https://newborn-health-standards.org/downloads/ © EFCNI Download your copy in Portuguese

We are very delighted to formally announce that the European Standards of Care for Newborn Health (ESCNH) can now draw on the expertise of four new Chair Committee members. Dr Marina Cuttini, PhD, from Italy, is the new co-chair for the Topic Expert Group (TEG) Ethical decision-making & palliative care. Dr Marije Hogeveen, PhD, from the Netherlands, is the new chair for the TEG Patient safety and hygiene practice. DDr Eva Schwindt, from Austria, is the new co-chair for the TEG Patient safety and hygiene practice. Dr James Webbe, PhD, from the United Kingdom, is the new chair for the TEG Data collection and documentation.   © Fauxels / Pexels   Our new Chair Committee members are a valuable resource specifically for the ongoing revision of the standards as well as the introduction of newly developed standards. We are sure that the respective TEGs – but also the ESCNH as a whole – will benefit from their experience and knowledge. We want to take this opportunity to also thank our former chairs, Professor Bréart (former chair, Data collection and documentation), Professor Greisen (former co-chair, Ethical decision-making & palliative care), Professor Tissières (former chair, Patient safety and hygiene practice) and Dr Helder (former co-chair, Patient safety and hygiene practice). With their exceptional work during the development of the European Standards of Care for Newborn Health, they helped to reduce inequalities in newborn health across Europe. For more information about our new and former chairs, please visit our Chair Committee page here. Once again, we want to thank our new Chair Committee members for joining. We are looking forward to further improving the quality of care for newborn infants together.