The photo shows Dr Liz UK consultant neonatologist reading a story of “a day in the life” of a preterm baby. She is teaching how preterm birth profoundly disrupts normal brain development. There is good evidence that the environment the preterm baby finds itself in has a massive impact on brain development.
The doctors are holding a ball of wool – black wool for when they hear something that will impact negatively on the brain (pain, cold etc) and pink for when something positive happens (skin to skin, breast milk for mouth care etc). They ended up with a web that is very much blacker than pink! In the months ahead our challenge is to create an environment where the web is all pink, no loud voices, no sudden noises