Our NICU fund is used to pay for high-tech specialist equipment, which is over and above what the NHS provides, to help care for our tiniest patients.
Eight years ago MCH Charity was proud to fund the creation of the new Neonatal Unit at Leighton Hospital through the hugely successful 'One in Eleven' Appeal.
Since then the charity has continued to support the unit to further enhance the care and experience for very poorly babies and their parents.
Your donations make a huge difference to what we're able to do to support the amazing team here at Leighton. No matter how large or small we appreciate your donation, thank you.
CMAC Video laryngoscope
If a baby has a difficult airway, they are likely to require intubation. There is a process for intubation, and equipment such as Oropharangeal airways, iGels, medication to sedate the baby for intubation, can all help to manage a difficult airway.
A video laryngoscope is a piece of equipment that enhances patient care, by potentially facilitating successful endotracheal intubation and decreases the adverse consequences of a delay in airway stabilisation.
By having a display screen connected to the video laryngoscope, not only can the Doctor performing the intubation see clearly, but this could also be used for educational purposes by observing the intubation on the display screen. The equipment can also be used with a manikin to teach intubation and so helps with staff training too.
This year MCH Charity approved a request for £13,000 to pay for this kit which will soon be arriving on the unit.
Memory boxes and baby diaries
We fund memory boxes and baby diaries for babies who are going into foster care or on to adoption from the neonatal unit. We can now ensure that each baby in the care of social services, without parental involvement has their very own special items from birth, including: a lovely blanket, first soft toy, bottle, bag and items of clothing, plus a keepsake box. Donations to the NICU Fund enable us to provide a baby diary for every baby going into foster care, documenting their early days, with photos and foot/hand prints for them to look back on.
It can not be overstated how invaluable these items will become to any looked after child as part of their life story work, ensuring they know their entire story from birth and that someone cared to provide them with their own things to keep.
Future Plans
Tecotherm Infant Cooling System
The team is hoping to purchase a 'cooling mattress' which is a specialised treatment used for extremely poorly babies. The kit costs around £36,000 and will be funded from a major donation gifted to the NICU fund by a grateful family whose baby was cared for on the unit.
Bilibed Blankets
Currently the unit uses phototherapy lights that go over an incubator when a baby needs treatment for jaundice. The baby has to be nursed in an incubator, which can be very stressful for parents having that physical barrier between them and their baby. The baby can come out for skin to skin and feeds, but the team have to limit the amount of time that the baby is out of the incubator for, as they are not receiving phototherapy treatment when this happens.
Having a bilibed on the unit will mean that baby is still able to continue phototherapy treatment whilst being held by mum or dad for skin to skin and feeds because it wraps around the baby like a blanket.
The system costs around £8,000
Breast Pumps
The unit already has a number of breast pumps but they have asked the charity to fund additional pumps to ensure there are always enough to go around and so they have spare pumps for when others are being cleaned or maintained.
8 new pumps cost £17,000
If you would like to fundraise for the unit please contact us first and we'll give you all the information & resources you need.
Call us: 01270 273248
Email: charity@mcht.nhs.uk
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Donate to the NICU Fund
Message from the NICU team
'Thank you so much to everyone who attended our Prematuritea Party on Saturday 12 November to celebrate World Prematurity Day.
We loved seeing all our NICU graduates growing up! A special thank you to all the staff who helped on the day and made cakes too.'
We rely on our supporters to fundraise for the NICU fund. If you would like to do something amazing for poorly babies cared for at Leighton Hospital contact us today. We will provide resources and support to make your fundraising the best it can be.
Email: charity@mcht.nhs.uk
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