📢 99nicu Meetup: Best Poster Award + reflections on the (possible) future of neonatal care

“The 99nicu Meetup:The Future of Neonatal Care” has concluded, and as the 99nicu Team wraps up our post-meetup tasks, one of the most challenging was selecting the best poster from the Poster Session. I must admit, it was no easy feat.

Listening to the presentations during the 99nicu Meetup, I couldn't help but ponder: What will the real future of neonatal care be? Will it be driven by new technologies, AI-based diagnostic algorithms, novel monitoring devices, or perhaps new applications of "old" drugs?  Surprisingly, the future of neonatal care might be less futuristic than I naively expected.

Regardless of new technologies, it seems that the cornerstone of effective neonatal care will remain rooted in honing our soft skills- communication, empathy, collaboration and active listening. As we navigate the future of neonatal care, stepping out of our comfort zones becomes imperative. As we strive to push the boundaries of neonatal care, we need to remember that our efforts ultimately aim to benefit families and their precious infants- and we need to learn to listen to their needs, sometimes help them to ask the right questions, and empower them to truly become parents while still in the NICU.

These soft skills need to be utilized not only while communicating with parents, but also within healthcare-providing teams. Innovation often involves navigating a winding and bumpy path, and it's crucial to support those leading the charge. In this journey toward progress, let's stand united in supporting our colleagues, movers-and-shakers, out-of-the-box thinkers. Pushing boundaries isn't easy, especially when faced with resistance from all sides. We could all benefit from a kinder and more supportive work environment.

With this longish intro, I would like to announce that the winner of the Best Poster Award is dr Roser Porta from Spain, who presented “Artificial Intelligence in the survival prediction of preterm newborns at the limits of viability in Spain”. We congratulate you for your work within this project and wish you further success in your AI-powered journey towards the Future of Neonatal Care!