Team Arlo

[p]In the UK 95,000 babies are born premature or sick, On the 26th February 2018 Arlo Michael Potter became just one of those 95,000. Arlo was born at 28 weeks weighing 2lbs 12oz and spent 9 weeks in the Neonatal Intensive care Unit at Luton and Dunstable hospital. During his time in the Hospital he had lots of ups and downs as we did as a family. Arlo, during his stay in hospital got treated for infections, had a blood transfusion, suffered from respiratory distress syndrome, gastro-oesophageal reflux, Jaundice, a collapsed lung, partial PDA closure, eventration of the diaphragm and was discharged from hospital on home oxygen.[/p][p]Thats why Adam (Dad)Alex (Uncle) and Wendy (Nanna) are running for Bliss, a charity that supports premature and sick babies along with their families. Bliss is a charity that is so close to our hearts after Arlo's early arrival and any support for this fantastic cause will be greatly appreciated. Running for this amazing charity means a lot to us as a family and we are incredibly lucky to be able to run the 26.2 miles together for an amazing charity with Arlo our motivation on the way round. [/p][p][u]What do Bliss do?[/u][/p][p]Bliss’ vision is that every baby born premature or sick in the UK has the best chance of survival and quality of life.[/p][p]We champion the right for every baby born premature or sick to receive the best care by:[/p][p]Supporting parents of babies born premature or sick to be as involved as possible in care and decision-making for their babies.[/p][p]Supporting neonatal professionals to deliver high quality baby-centred care and involve parents actively in their babies' care.[/p][p]Placing premature and sick babies' voices at the heart of decision-making to ensure that their best interests are always put first.[/p][p]Supporting research that can tangibly improve outcomes for babies born premature or sick[/p][p][u]Why is there a need for Bliss?[/u][/p][p][url=https://www.bliss.org.uk/parents/in-hospital/about-neonatal-care/neonatal-care-statistics/statistics-for-babies-admitted-to-neonatal-units-at-full-term]Over 60 per cent of babies in neonatal care are born full term but sick[/url]. The five most common conditions are respiratory problems, infection, hypoglycaemia, jaundice, and asphyxia/HIE.[/p][p][url=https://www.bliss.org.uk/parents/in-hospital/about-neonatal-care/neonatal-care-statistics/prematurity-statistics-in-the-uk]60,000 babies are born prematurely in the UK each year[/url] and most premature births are spontaneous, with no clear cause. Many of these babies will need urgent neonatal care after birth.[/p][p]Premature birth can result in life long conditions such as cerebral palsy, behavioural and long term health problems. Some research has also found that the earlier a baby is born the higher their risk of having special educational needs at school.[/p][p][url=https://www.bliss.org.uk/parents/in-hospital/about-neonatal-care/neonatal-care-statistics/the-global-picture]The UK has one of the highest rates of premature birth in the world[/url], ranking 134 out of 184 countries. This is higher than many countries in Europe and higher than Peru, Chile and Egypt.[/p][p][url=https://www.bliss.org.uk/parents/in-hospital/about-neonatal-care/neonatal-care-statistics/statistics-about-neonatal-care/the-financial-and-psychological-impact-of-having-a-premature-or-sick-baby]The emotional and financial burden of having a baby in neonatal care can be huge[/url]. Parents are more likely to suffer from post-natal depression and on average they spend an extra £282 per week while their baby is in hospital.[/p][p][url=https://www.bliss.org.uk/parents/in-hospital/about-neonatal-care/neonatal-care-statistics/neonatal-mortality-in-the-uk-how-many-babies-die-in-their-first-28-days-of-life]Premature birth is the leading cause of death among children under one in the UK[/url], and children under five worldwide.[/p][p]The average length of time a baby spends in neonatal care is eight days but babies born at less than 27 weeks of pregnancy spend an average of 93 days in hospital.[/p][p]The average cost to the NHS of a day of neonatal care is £805, meaning that if every baby spent just one day less in neonatal care a staggering £60 million would be saved each year.[/p][p][url=http://files.bliss.org.uk.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Bliss-baby-report-2015-Hanging-in-the-balance-England.pdf?mtime=20180404114235]Two-thirds of units in England do not have enough medical staff to meet safety standards[/url] and 70 per cent of intensive care units look after more babies than is safe.[/p][p][br][/p]