Journal of Pediatric Care

Vulnerable pregnant women in Antwerp

Joint Event on 22^nd Edition of International Conference on Neonatology and Perinatology & 3^rd International Conference on Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery
May 07-08, 2018 Frankfurt, Germany

Luka Van Leugenhaege

Artesis Plantijn University College, Belgium

ScientificTracks Abstracts: J Pediatr Care

DOI: 10.21767/2471-805X-C2-008

Abstract

Vulnerability among patients has always been difficult to define. Especially during pregnancy, vulnerability needs extra attention and care because of the impact and adverse effects on mother and child. As a healthcare professional, it�s imperative to gain insight into obvious and less obvious characteristics of vulnerability during pregnancy. An interdisciplinary team of midwives, social workers and nurses mapped the characteristics of vulnerability focussing on pregnancy. They developed a screening tool as for healthcare workers to determine whether a patient is in need of extra individualised care. The next step in this research project is to develop a perinatal trajectory to provide adequate care for their specific medical, psychological and social needs. This abstract offers results of a pilotstudy conducted in Antwerp to test and adjust the screening tool and an overview of different trajectories that exist to provide care for women in this situation.

Biography

Luka Van Leugenhaege has completed her Bachelor’s degree in Midwifery in 2012 from the University College Artesis Antwerp, Belgium. She worked as a Midwife at the Fertility Clinic of GZA St. Augustinus Wilrijk. She graduated as a Master of Science in Nursing and Midwifery in 2014. In September 2016, she got the opportunity to teach and conduct research at the Artesis Plantijn University College, Antwerp. Alongside she started working as an Assistant at the University of Antwerp. On behalf of the University she started participating in a local network to help poor pregnant women get the medical and psychosocial help they need, called PANZA.
Email:luka.vanleugenhaege@ap.be