Pre-hospital newborn resuscitation

Approximately six per cent of newborns born in Australian hospitals will require gentle assistance to make the transition from intra-uterine to extra-uterine life with about one per cent requiring advanced resuscitation. With approximately four in 1,000 births in Australia are unplanned, out-of-hospital deliveries it is important that any pre-hospital care provider understand the principles of transition to extra-uterine life and the actions required in the first 60 seconds of life. Babies who are born before arrival at hospital experience a higher proportion of adverse outcomes than babies who are born in a hospital or at home during a planned homebirth with an attending midwife.

The one-day pre-hospital newborn resuscitation course aims to provide detailed knowledge and practical instruction in the resuscitation of babies at and immediately after birth in the out-of-hospital environment.