09/03/2025
September is and we have some advocacy messages!
📌Use inclusive language referring to NICU babies.
Over 50% of all NICU admissions are full term babies. The majority of HIE babies are born at or near term, and traditionally, the messaging surrounding NICU has largely been synonymous with prematurity.
📌 Name the diagnosis.
Neonatal HIE can be complex, but by not naming the diagnosis, families are left without the dedicated information and support they need to feel empowered to best help their children.
📌 Connect families to diagnosis-specific support.
Community is essential, and works hand-in-hand with advocacy and support. Families with HIE often feel alone and othered in the setting and beyond.
📌 We need more treatment options.
There are many in the pipeline, but we definitely need more treatment options for HIE to improve outcomes for babies and children facing HIE.
📌 Prevention is the best cure.
Quality improvement surrounding birth, better imaging, better prenatal care, and prenatal and birth interventions to prevent HIE are necessary to make a significant impact to decrease the incidence of HIE.
