GLANCE

Joining forces in times of the pandemic

Global Alliance for Newborn Care launches its first campaign “Zero separation. Together for better care!”

In cooperation with its international network, GLANCE developed a long-term campaign to support parents of hospitalised newborns and healthcare
professionals in neonatal care units with the aim to enable infant and family centred developmental care in line with COVID-19-precautions.

The campaign’s goal is to raise awareness for the benefits of zero
separation of preterm and sick babies and their parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). “Since the global spread of the Coronavirus, and the introduction of measures against COVID-19, we saw many parents struggling with the very restricted or even prohibited access to the neonatal intensive care units due to the pandemic. They reached out to us, not only asking for help, but also for information if it was really necessary to keep parents apart from their newborns.”, explains Silke Mader, Chairwoman of EFCNI and founder of GLANCE. In exchange with international healthcare professionals and consulting the recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO), it appeared that this separation of parents and babies had been decided on no current evidence.

The campaign will focus on six topics
– breastfeeding and human milk
– lung diseases e.g. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
– former preterm infants
– mental health
– discharge from the hospital
– the role of fathers and family members.


To inform about consequences of parent and child separation, the campaign will shed light on the patients’ and the parents’ view by sharing experience reports from former patients, parents and other relatives. Besides parentand patient organisations, a significant number of international healthcare professionals and medical societies supports the campaign and provided statements and scientific data underlining the positive effect on long-term health outcomes of zero separation in NICUs. The campaign was developed, following the recommendations of the WHO in regards to the provision of newborn and maternal care in times of COVID-19.

Campaign material like social media graphics and banners are available in more than 20 languages. You find them for free download HERE

Feel free to download and post these materials, tag us @GlanceNetwork (Facebook) @glance_network (Instagram) and follow us on social media to stay updated!