A new app that will help healthcare practitioners, educators and student midwives screen for health conditions at birth has been launched by a midwifery lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University.
The Newborn and Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) programme is a screening undertaken by UK midwives and doctors within 72 hours of the birth of every baby, and again at six weeks by the GP, to identify health conditions relating to their hips, heart and eyes, as well as testes in boys.
NIPE is usually carried out in hospital via maternity departments before the baby is discharged. However, some neonatal conditions, such as congenital cataracts, can be rare and vary in appearance among different ethnic groups.
The NIPE Textbook in a Pocket app provides photo examples of the how these issues can appear in all babies, minimising the chances of a potential issue being missed, or healthy babies being unnecessarily referred to specialists.
The app has been developed by Lindsey Rose, senior lecturer in midwifery at Anglia Ruskin University, and demonstrates how to conduct the NIPE screening. It contains a library of pictorial, audio and written information about health conditions that can occur at birth.
Originally developed as a tool to support the training of student midwives at Anglia Ruskin University, the app is now an important resource for qualified practitioners worldwide to revise and update their skills.
Rose said: “The app has been designed to ensure student midwives and healthcare practitioners are armed with all the information they need to be able to competently carry out the NIPE examination, including gaining knowledge about conditions they may not have come across while in clinical placements.”
NIPE Textbook in a Pocket is available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
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