The Research Cycle: Improving Care and Outcomes for Newborn Infants.

The Research Cycle: Improving Care and Outcomes for Newborn Infants. Neonatology. 2018 Mar 22;114(1):2-6 Authors: McGuire W, Halliday HL Abstract Ensuring that policies and practice in perinatal care are informed by evidence from high-quality research is fundamental to improving outcomes for newborn infants and their families. Effective interventions in the perinatal period can have a life-long impact disproportionate to their costs. Many of the major advances in care that have transformed outcomes for preterm and sick newborn infants have been informed by empirical and applied health research. Conversely, there are examples of life-long adverse consequences for infants and families that are a legacy of practices based on poor-quality evidence. The challenge in the 21st century is to maintain the trajectory of improvements in care and outcomes. This will most likely be achieved via marginal gains from new or improved care practices underpinned by a range of research approaches, from preclinical and laboratory-based empirical studies that uncover pathogenic pathways or therapeutic mechanisms, to large-scale, applied research such as multicentre, randomised controlled trials. This will involve the coordination and collaboration of research efforts globally. Strategies to develop and prioritise research questions need to involve parents and families. Given the context in which much perinatal research is conducted, particularly in emerge...
Source: Neonatology - Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Tags: Neonatology Source Type: research