Roadmapping the future of the European Standards of Care for Newborn Health: The 6th Chair Committee Meeting to take place in March

Since their initial launch and publication in 2018, the European Standards of Care for Newborn Health (ESCNH) have not only continuously grown and become widely known and referenced. There have, in fact, been several projects across Europe to implement them on a national level – most recently in Italy. In order to encourage and support projects of this kind in the future as well as to ensure that the ESCNH remain up-to-date, EFCNI has called for a Chair Committee Meeting this March.

From 1 to 3 March 2023, more than 30 experts from 16 countries will gather in Freising, Germany, to discuss the path ahead for the ESCNH. The objective of this meeting is to join forces with the experts behind the ESCNH and tap into their wide-ranging knowledge and skills to set the ESCNH up for success in the coming years.

The Chair Committee of the ESCNH is made up of a diverse group of specialists in a wide range of disciplines, including gynaecology, neonatology, and paediatrics. Parent representatives also form part of the Chair Committee and, as Parent, Patient and Public Advisory Board, enrich discussions with their unique perspective and ensure that the parental voice is always heard and considered.

During the upcoming meeting in March, sessions will discuss past, present, and future activities surrounding the implementation of the ESCNH. Dr Gina Ancora, a member of the Italian Society of Neonatology and the Italian Task Force to implement the ESCNH, will share her experiences and insights.

Moreover, 76 individual standards are up for review in 2023/2024. Each standard has a specific lifecycle functioning as an inbuilt mechanism to ensure that the ESCNH continue to represent the state of the art. Thus, the 2023 Chair Committee Meeting will also see members debating in smaller working groups strategies on how to efficiently and effectively revise and review standards as well as develop new ones.

We want to take this opportunity and thank everyone involved in the ESCNH for their continuing commitment to the ESCNH and their dedication towards improving neonatal care in Europe!