Publication: The critical role of technologies in neonatal care
Wednesday 3 January 2024
NIHR CYP MedTech supports the development of early stage health technology and prioritises innovations that fit within seven key themes. One of our themes is dedicated to creating and improving neonatal technologies to ensure that children and young people have the best start in life.
Professor Don Sharkey, Professor of Neonatal Technology and Medicine, works alongside NIHR CYP MedTech as the Clinical Lead of the Neonatal Technologies theme by providing invaluable clinical expertise and guidance for a range of projects. Proof of concept funding provided by NIHR CYP MedTech has supported a number of brilliant projects led by Professor Sharkey that aim to develop novel technologies to improve neonatal care. Promising data provided by the proof of concept work has been paramount in securing further funding for these incredible projects.
We’re delighted to share that while Professor Sharkey and his colleagues continue to lead the fantastic ongoing work, they recently published an article in Early Human Development that discusses the importance of technology in neonatal care.
This publication provides an in-depth review of technologies that are currently used in neonatal care and discusses the evidence to support how they can be adapted for improvement. The highlights include:
- Neonatal medicine relies heavily on advances in medical technology to optimise care and improve survival.
- The majority of medical devices used for newborn infants have not been specifically validated for use in this population.
- Promising new technologies are emerging with the potential to improve neonatal morbidity and mortality.
- Further investment is required for research into medical devices specifically designed for newborn infants.
The article is available via the link below.
