A State Level Training Conducted for the Staff of District Early Intervention Centres in Gujarat Shrimad Rajchandra Hospital played a lead role in conducting a training session for 200 participants from District Early Intervention Centres across Gujarat, organised by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Gujarat. The participants included senior paediatricians, physiotherapists and staff nurses from about 47 Sick Newborn Care Units. The team from Shrimad Rajchandra Hospital delivered presentations on four core topics – ‘Self-regulation in newborns’, ‘Neuroplasticity’, ‘Epigenetics’, and ‘Role of Team Members in NICU’. The first session stressed on the importance of self-regulation in newborn babies and the correct methods to help babies in faster recovery and brain growth. Self-regulation is critical at an early age to prevent future disabilities and defects such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The session on ‘Neuroplasticity’ explained that the newborn brain is malleable and can be moulded through early intervention and neuroprotective measures in the NICU, in order to help a baby reach its highest potential. On the complex topic of ‘Epigenetics’, the team emphasised the role of a newborn’s environment as well as the importance of genetics in adult diseases or conditions. Epigenetics has varied potential medical applications such as explaining the mechanisms of aging, human development, origins of cancer, heart disease, mental illness, and several other conditions. The team from Shrimad Rajchandra District Early Intervention Centre elaborated on the responsibility of each member of the early intervention team and the child’s family to ensure the survival of the child during the NICU period. Shrimad Rajchandra Hospital continues working towards implementing highest standards of neonatal care and is also augmenting the skills of other such centres towards a larger national goal.
