March 14, 2024

Monthly Leadership Report

REMINDER: The February 2024 Monthly Leadership Report is due by March 15, 2024! If you need a blank Monthly Leadership Report template, you can find that HERE

LATCH scoring is a useful yet underutilized tool to enhance breastfeeding success and sustainment. It is not difficult to obtain, can be taught to the mother to further engage her in care and increase her confidence in her ability to breastfeed and can be an effective predictor of continuing breastfeeding after discharge. The LATCH score can also provide information on milk intake during feedings. Altunas et al (2015) conducted a prospective study in a tertiary care NICU to determine LATCH scores and associated milk intake volumes in feedings for term and late preterm infants. Not surprisingly, Altunas et al. found that late preterm infants were often not able to remove the expected volume per feed based on weight and age. However, LATCH scores greater than or equal to 7 predicted that an infant could remove 50% of the expected milk volume for a feeding in term and preterm infants. Given the predictive value of the LATCH score relative to breastfeeding success and sustainment, as well as milk transfer, why is it only obtained once per shift or not at all?

Regional meeting registration is open!

The PQCNC Care of the Late Preterm Infant initiative will be hosting two regional meetings in April to continue our work and collaboration in improving care for this population. The content for the meetings will be identical with a different combination of teams attending. You only need to attend one but if you feel adventurous, please feel free to attend both!

Both regional meetings will begin at 10am and will conclude around 3pm. Lunch will be served.

It is important to bring as many team members as possible. The day has been designed to give teams the opportunity to learn from the expertise of our guest speakers, hear from other participating teams and apply what you have learned to the development of your team’s ongoing PDSA cycles. A team will be required to get the most out of the day and to fully participate in the day’s activities.

The EASTERN regional meeting will be held on April 19, 2024 at the Monroe Conference Center at ECU in Greenville, NC. Register HERE.

The WESTERN regional meeting will be held on April 25, 2024 at the Forsyth Conference Center at Novant Health Forsyth in Wilson-Salem, NC. Register HERE.