What's New!- December 2023

The Northern Maternal Child Network (NMCN), is committed to ensuring you receive timely information regarding best practices, guidelines, resources and events.

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Feel free to send information regarding professional development to info@nmcn.ca for future newsletters. 

What's New in the NMCN!

Northern Maternal Child Network: Northern BORN Data Presentation

The Northern Maternal Child Network (NMCN), in collaboration with BORN Ontario, recently presented visual representations of 29 specific maternal, infant, and midwifery indicators from the BORN Ontario data reports. Also included in the presentation was information on distance travelled for obstetrical care in the North. 

If you are interested in viewing the recording, please email Crystal Lawrence (clawrence@hsnsudbury.ca).

Next: Innovation in the North

It is important to share with partners new innovative ways to provide care especially with all the challenges faced at this time in healthcare. The Northern Maternal Child Network (NMCN) would like to provide an opportunity to share your learnings or ideas with the region and host an innovation engagement session.

We are looking for presenters who would like to share with colleagues across the North new innovations as it relates to healthcare professionals caring for maternal, newborn and/or pediatric populations.

A few examples:

• Addressing HHR management shortages: Retention and recruitment ideas, new interdisciplinary care models, shared staffing models, etc.
• Leveraging resources: Innovative collaborations with partner organizations, etc.
• New innovative care practices
• New exciting education opportunities
• Unique and novel practices that fill a void or gap

We would like to showcase as many topics as possible as a means of sharing learnings in the North.

If you have something that you would like to share and present, please email Crystal Lawrence (clawrence@hsnsudbury.ca) and the NMCN committees will review the topics to select presenters. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email as well.



What's in the news?

Maternal injuries happening at ‘absurdly high’ rate in Canada during labour. Why?: SOGC President, Dr. Amanda Black weighs in on this ongoing phenomenon.

Addressing fragmented early pregnancy care in Canada: In this issue of Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), Jain and colleagues argue for multifactorial screening for people at risk of early-onset preeclampsia, and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) initiation for those who screen positive.

Study finds women unaware of the risks associated with cannabis during pregnancy: Cannabis remains a psychoactive substance that can have undesirable effects, particularly during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Position Statement: An affirming approach to caring for transgender and gender-diverse youth

Increasing numbers of youth identify as transgender or gender-diverse (TGD). Many paediatricians and primary care providers (PCPs) will encounter this population in their practice, either for gender-related care or general health needs. This statement is intended as a resource to guide paediatricians and PCPs in implementing an affirming approach to routine health care provision for all youth.

Information Project

Because all youth deserve to shine!

The Information Project is funded by Health Canada and was created in

response to the increased spread of misinformation targeting gender-affirming care

for Two-Spirit, trans, and non-binary (TTNB) youth.

Trans Care BC is partnering with community leaders and organizations across

Canada to guide this project. Learning from TTNB youth, their families, and

healthcare providers, we will co-create resources that dispel harmful narratives

and disrupt misinformation.

Find out how you can get involved.

Webinar: Creating an Accessible Care Environment for Individuals with Physical Disabilities during Pregnancy and Birth

Nursing retention toolkit: Improving the working lives of nurses in Canada

In recognition of the acute nursing shortages across the country and internationally, the Nursing retention toolkit: Improving the working lives of nurses in Canada has been developed to support nursing retention. As a resource created 'by nurses, for nurses', the Toolkit draws on the expertise of the nursing community, evidence-based practice, and current lived experiences of front-line nurses.

The Toolkit:

• targets various phases of a nursing career and nursing roles including students, new graduates, mid-career, late-career, managers, leaders/executives and educators/faculty;
• spans the continuum of care from acute care hospitals to community, public health and long-term care, including both rural and remote settings;
• compiles current retention strategies that have been implemented across Canada, which will help to foster knowledge transfer of best practices between provinces and territories; and,
• provides employers, organizations, and health system administrators with a retention framework that includes examples of initiatives to bolster new and already existing retention strategies.