Perinatal & Newborn Health

Neonatal follow-up plays a critical role in Ontario’s healthcare system, monitoring and offering early intervention for high-risk infants with varying diagnoses. The Neonatal Follow-Up Program (NFUP) refers to neonatal follow-up clinics collectively that are part of a larger collaborative provincial system. PCMCH has developed NFUP resources with the aims of reducing variations in practice among […]

In 2018, PCMCH reviewed low-volume, rural and remote intrapartum services and completed an analysis of access to safe and high-quality intrapartum care services in lower-volume centres (less than 500 births a year) across Ontario. The gap analysis used a mixed-methods approach, including: An environmental scan Interviews with representatives from lower volume intrapartum care sites Data

In 2021, the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health (PCMCH) worked in collaboration with expert advisors from across Ontario to strengthen existing levels of care accountabilities for newborn level 1 and all labour and delivery units. The definitions and criteria for each level of care were revised to reflect updated practices and to provide

The OPR replaces the Ontario Antenatal Record 1 and 2. Please order the new OPR and destroy remaining Antenatal 1 and 2 forms. The updated Ontario Perinatal Record is the 5th revision and replaces the 2005 version. The OPR update and User Guide development was undertaken in 2017 by a provincial committee representing practitioners using the current

In 2017, PCMCH, in partnership with Health Quality Ontario and the Champlain Maternal Newborn Regional Program, developed recommendations for emergency department (ED) healthcare providers and staff in providing compassionate care to people experiencing an early pregnancy loss in the ED. It is estimated that one in five pregnant individuals will experience an early pregnancy loss, defined

Fetal Fibronectin (fFN) testing helps clinicians to determine if a pregnant person who may be at risk of pre-term birth should be admitted to hospital and/or transferred to a high-risk perinatal unit. Evaluation of the testing protocol revealed significant cost savings to health provider organizations and the system as a whole, and suggested increased quality

What was originally developed as a Quality-Based Procedure (QBP) for Hyperbilirubinemia has been revised and updated into a best evidence Clinical Pathway for Hyperbilirubinemia in Term and Late Pre-Term Infants (> 35 weeks). The contents of this Clinical Pathway Handbook provide guidance to clinicians to ensure all newborns receive bilirubin screening between 24 and 72