The hospital team saving the lives of Hull’s sickest babies has made it through to the finals of a national newspaper’s health awards after a parent told how they’d saved her twins.

Mum Leanne Whitaker, 30, nominated every member of staff at the unit in the Best Neonatal Specialist category after they saved her twins Kacy and Keira when they were born at just 26 weeks.

NICU manager Kate Lamming, Neonatal Outreach Nurse/Midwife Helen Vahey and Consultant Neonatologist Jo Preece travelled to London for the glittering ceremony, hosted by TV presenter Lorraine Kelly.

Prime Minister Theresa May, singer Rod Stewart and wife Penny Lancaster, DJ Chris Evans, musician Professor Green and broadcaster Richard Bacon were among the guests or presenting awards to the winners.

The Hull unit made it through to the final three from 127 nominations all over the country, with Dr Peter Reynolds, of St Peter’s Hospital in Surrey, named as the overall winner for saving the life of Frankie Thompson, born at 24 weeks weighing just 13oz.

Dr Preece said: “We’re so happy that our entire unit has received national recognition by making it through to the final three.

“We have a small but very dedicated team at NICU and we work so hard every day to save the lives of the babies who need our help.

“We’re very grateful to Leanne for nominating us. Hearing from the families themselves how much they appreciate us means so much to all of us working on the unit.”

Parents-to-be are being shown how to save their baby’s life if they start to choke.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has produced a video to show parents how to react in the medical emergency, giving them a step-by-step guide on resuscitation and what they need to do if their baby chokes.

Trust resuscitation officer Iain Peutrell was filmed demonstrating how mums, dads, grandparents and anyone else involved in the baby’s care should react and the DVD  is shown at antenatal classes held by the trust’s birth education team.

Parents attending a special event at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital earlier this week as part of Baby Loss Awareness Week were also able to pick up life-saving tips during practical demonstrations.

Birth education co-ordinator Melanie Lee, who is part of the HEY Baby team, said: “Babies put objects in their mouth because it’s how they explore the world around them.

“But some of these small items such as marbles and beads can get stuck in their airway and cause choking.

“While it’s always best to keep these items out of the reach of small children, we know accidents do happen and it’s important that parents, grandparents and anyone involved in their care knows how to react in an emergency.

“Learning the skills to resuscitate your baby now can stop you panicking if you are ever faced with a real-life situation where every second counts.”

Hundreds of Hull women have stopped smoking after the city was found to have one of the highest numbers of pregnant smokers in the country.

Health organisations were given £75,000 by NHS England to reduce the number of pregnant women smoking because links to stillbirth, prematurity and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) also known as cot death.

Now, the number of women still smoking by the time they give birth has dropped by four per cent to 19 per cent in just 18 months, the lowest rate for more than a decade.

Healthy Lifestyles Midwife Caroline Clark said: “Stopping smoking is the best thing you can do for your baby and we are very pleased so many women are now heeding the warning.

“To have achieved this reduction in a short period of time is a great achievement but we still remain well above the national average of 10 per cent. Our work will continue to reduce the rate to six per cent by 2022.

“However, it’s important to mark how far we’ve come already and we thank the women and parents who have taken a massive step to protecting the lives of their babies.”

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is promoting its smoking cessation campaign throughout Baby Loss Awareness Week, which runs until October 15.

With each cigarette containing more than 4,000 chemicals, smoking during pregnancy harms your baby by restricting blood supply, forcing their hearts to work harder.

Although it is better to give up smoking when you’re trying for a baby or as soon as you become pregnant, giving up at any stage of pregnancy benefits both you and your baby.

From the minute you quit, you increase your chances of having a healthier baby by reducing the risks of stillbirth or prematurity and cot death.

Babies born to smokers are more likely to have a lower birth weight than those born to non-smokers, making them more prone to needing special care. They are more likely to be admitted to hospital for bronchitis and pneumonia in their first year or have asthma.

The trust works with City Health Care Partnership CIC (CHCP), Hull City Council, the Goodwin Development Trust and Hull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to help parents give up smoking.

Grandparents are also encouraged to give up to create a smoke-free environment for the baby.

Every woman is given a carbon monoxide test at her first appointment and the test is repeated at 36 weeks, in line with NICE guidance.

Women measuring four or above undergo CO tests at every maternity appointment. They may also have additional scans because of the additional risks to their babies’ development.

The Smoke-Free team attend these appointments, ensuring women and partners get nicotine replacement therapy such as patches and vital support to help them quit for good.

Caroline Clark said hospital and community teams have had updates on smoking in pregnancy and practice nurses and health visitors will be receiving additional training so they can help parents each time they come into contact with services before and after the baby is born.

She said: “We are beginning to reap the rewards of working together to help parents stop smoking and that can only be good for Hull.

“Our children have a right to grow up in smoke-free environments and we are pleased so many Hull parents are now giving their children the best start in life.”

If you want to stop smoking, hust text QUIT to 61825, phone 01482 247111 or go to www.readytostopsmoking.co.uk.

Every family member can play a part in reducing the number of babies lost to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, a mum has said.

Jennifer Wakefield’s son Ralph died when he was just six months-old, one of 17 babies to die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in Yorkshire and the Humber that year.

Now, Jennifer works with the midwifery team at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital to give parents safer sleeping guidance before and after their babies are born.

As part of Baby Loss Awareness Week, Jennifer said it was important fathers, partners and grandparents help to reduce known risk factors around SIDS.

She said: “Safer sleeping is not just the responsibility of mothers.

“Babies die outside of their normal environments, such as when they’re visiting grandparents, sleeping in their push chairs or even when they’re in car seats.

“Following advice over co-sleeping, not sleeping with babies on sofas, not using cot bumpers and removing teddies from cots and prams are all things that can be done by all family members to reduce the risk of SIDS.

“By working together to deliver a consistent message to families, we can stop more babies dying.”

SIDS claims the lives of around 240 babies in the UK, with five dying every week.

Around 85 per cent happen in the first six months of life and boys were at a slightly higher risk than girls – 52 per cent compared to 48 per cent – in 2016, the latest available figures.

Mothers under 20 were three times more likely to lose their babies to SIDS compared to any other age group in that year.

Sleeping on a sofa can increase the chance of SIDS by up to 50 times while sharing a room with your baby for the first six months of their lives can halve the risk.

However, the number of babies dying of SIDS has reduced by 79 per cent following the Back to Sleep campaign in 1991, where parents were encouraged to put their babies to sleep on their backs following the death of TV presenter Anne Diamond’s four-month-old son Sebastian.

Parents-to-be attending HEY Baby Carousels at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital, held on the last Wednesday of every month, are given information of safer sleeping and can watch a practical demonstration so they know how to look after their baby safely.

Head of Midwifery Janet Cairns said: “SIDS is rare so it’s important not to let worry spoil your enjoyment of your baby’s first few months of life.

“However, being aware of the dangers and taking action to reduce the risk are sensible steps all parents and those involved in looking after the baby can take.

“Our team of midwives and child care experts give parents-to-be practical advice on safer sleeping so they can be assured that they are doing all they can to keep their baby safe.”

While it is not known why some babies die, it has been proved that exposing a baby to cigarette smoke or allowing them to overheat increases the risk of SIDS. Sleeping with your baby on a bed, sofa or chair has also been linked to the deaths of babies.

Parents can reduce the risk of their baby dying by following this advice.

• Place your baby on their back to sleep and keep them in a cot in the same room as you for the first six months of their lives
• Don’t smoke during pregnancy or when you’re breastfeeding and don’t allow anyone to smoke in the same room as your baby
• Don’t share a bed with your baby if you’ve been drinking, taking drugs or if you smoke
• Don’t let your baby get either too hot or too cold
• Don’t sleep with your baby in an armchair or sofa
• When putting your baby in their cot or Moses basket, put their feet at the end of the cot or basket so they can’t wriggle down under their blanket.
• Always keep your baby’s head uncovered. Tuck their blanket in no higher than their shoulders.
• Do not use cot bumpers or place teddies inside cots, prams, push chairs or car seats

Pregnant women could be putting their babies’ lives in danger by buying or renting home equipment to monitor their heartbeats.

As part of Baby Loss Awareness Week, midwives at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital are appealing to women to steer clear of hand-held Dopplers sold by private firms to check babies’ heartbeats.

Wendy McKenzie, sister of the Antenatal Day Unit and the Antenatal Clinic at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said using a Doppler at home can stop women seeking urgent medical attention when their baby may be in distress.

She said: “Midwives and doctors have regular updates on training to listen to foetal heart rates so this is not something anyone can do.

“What you could be hearing is a maternal pulse so you could think your baby is fine when you should be contacting us. You could also be measuring a heart rate of 150 which you think is fine but is actually masking something untoward.

“You can also cause yourself unnecessary anxiety which is not good for either you or your baby.

“You are the best monitor of your own baby’s movements and if you have any concerns over reduced movements or if the movement patterns of your baby are altering, you need to contact us.”

Wendy McKenzie (front) with (left to right) Rachael Jackson, Healther Holland, Sarah Green, Louise Highes and Junior Sister Carlie Gilbert

Nine babies are stillborn every day in the UK. Only one in 10 of stillbirths are believed to be linked to a fatal congenital abnormality.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is part of the national drive to halve the number of stillbirths and deaths of babies by 2025.

Wendy McKenzie said women usually feel the “flutter” or “roll” of their baby from 18 to 20 weeks. Some can experience it earlier while others first feel movement after their 20-week scan.

Between 17 and 28 weeks of pregnancy, women should to their community midwife if they are concerned about their baby’s movement.

After 28 weeks, women can referred themselves to the hospital’s Antenatal Day Unit or be referred by their GP, community midwife or health visitor.

Wendy said: “There is no specific number of ‘normal’ movements that women should experience. “However, after 32 weeks, you will be able to work out a pattern. Babies develop their own individual pattern that women will become familiar with.

“For some women, their baby could be awake throughout the night then go quiet for periods during the day. Babies do sleep for periods of time but that is rarely longer than 90 minutes.

“Importantly, women should be aware that babies should continue to move right up until labour and birth.

“It is not true that babies move less near the end of pregnancy. If this happens, women need to contact us without delay.”

Some women ring the unit at 8.30am because they haven’t felt movement in the early hours, perhaps because their baby is asleep. They are advised to lie on their left side, eat something, have a cold drink and focus on feeling their baby move 10 or more times in the next two hours.

If they don’t, they should call the unit again.

When women come to the unit, their blood pressure and urine will be checked along with their medical history.

Midwives, trained in the use of Dopplers, will check the foetal heart rate. Some women could be sent for an ultrasound and a cardiotocograph (CTG) will be used to record the foetal heart rate for around 30 minutes.

If the tests show all is well, the woman will be given guidance on what to expect with her baby’s movement and who she should contact if she had further concerns before she leaves.

Wendy said: “Women should contact us the same day if they have concerns. Women do lead busy lives but they should never be tempted to put off contacting us immediately.

“We have staff on duty around the clock who can help you every day of the week if you have any concerns. At the end of the day, we want women to be happy and reassured throughout their pregnancies.”

The Antenatal Day Unit is open every day of the week. If you are concerned over reduced movements or an altered pattern of movements, call the unit on 382729. Calls will be diverted to Maple Ward after 8pm during the week and after 5pm at the weekend.

Around 200 students are to watch a “living autopsy” performed by one of the country’s leading pathologists to understand the perils of modern living.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is inviting students aged 14 and over to watch Dr Suzy Lishman CBE perform an autopsy on a living man.

The volunteer, dressed only in their underwear, will lie on the autopsy table covered by a sheet while Dr Lishman uses their body to illustrate what happens during an autopsy.

Chris Chase, the trust’s Pathology Training Manager, said: “It is a real honour for Hull to host such a prestigious event and underlines our national reputation for the work we do in pathology.

“We hope the living autopsy will give students an insight into the work, see how post mortems inform our understanding of disease and show how we live can dictate how we die.”

Described as the “public face of pathology” by the Health Service Journal, Dr Lishman was named one of the 50 most inspirational women in health care in 2013. She was only the second women to be elected President of the Royal College of Pathologists, holding the post from 2014 to November 2017.

She is credited with initiatives such as National Pathology Week, increasing public understanding of the crucial role performed by pathology teams in the NHS.

Dr Lishman will come to the Medical Education Centre at Hull Royal Infirmary on Wednesday, November 7, as part of this year’s National Pathology Week to perform two “living autopsies”. The first session takes place in the morning for NHS staff.

Schools including St Mary’s Academy, Newland School for Girls, Hymers and Aspire Academy, which serves vulnerable students within Hull and the East Riding, and Sixth Form Colleges Wyke and Wilberforce will be invited to send students to the afternoon session.

Although no real blood or body parts will be on display, the trust is restricting the invitation to older teenagers.

Chris Chase said: “The aim is to give them a real insight into what happens during post mortems and for that to happen, we’re saying it’s not suitable for the very squeamish.

“We hope the young people will find it a valuable learning experience both from their own perspective of understanding the need to adopt healthy lifestyles and from gaining insight into the vital role pathology plays in the treatment of disease.”

She listened to health messages, advising women to check their breasts regularly. So when Pam Turner found a pea-sized lump in her breast, she knew she had to act.

She was referred to Castle Hill Hospital for tests after going to see her GP but, within days, her life was turned upside down when she discovered she had breast cancer.

Now, four years later, Pam is supporting Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month and give hope to other women facing the same situation.

She said: “I don’t feel I can ever say it’s gone. That anxiety will always be with me.

“But, in some respects, I am really grateful to cancer because I live every single day to the full and it’s given me confidence to do things I never thought I would do.”

Pam, a high-level teaching assistant at Lockington Primary in the East Riding, discovered the lump in her breast in June 2014, waited a couple of weeks to see if it would disappear and then went to her GP.

Referred to the Breast Care Unit at Castle Hill Hospital, she underwent a biopsy and was called back into the unit to be told the lump was cancerous.

“Your mind goes blank and your world turns upside down in that split moment,” she said.

After an MRI scan, Pam was introduced to Macmillan Nurses who supported her throughout her journey.

“Everyone at the unit is just amazing,” she said. “The Macmillan Nurses are fantastic for anyone in that situation.

“You come out of the consulting room with all this information and it’s so overwhelming but with them, you have the opportunity to be taken to one side and think through your options.”

Pam underwent two lumpectomies but the surgeries revealed further tumours so she had to have a bilateral mastectomy followed by chemotherapy.

She was helped staff and counsellors at the Oncology Health Centre at the Queen’s Centre, who helped her cope with what she described as the “massive trauma” of losing both her breasts at the age of 47.

“You get your last chemotherapy and everyone says how fantastic it is and it’s over but it felt to me almost liked I had been rushed through a massive whirlwind where my life had been turned upside down.”

As well as the support of the Oncology Health Centre, Pam joined Positive Note, the choir formed by the Living With and Beyond Cancer team to support those whose lives have been touched by cancer.

She said: “The choir has been an absolute lifeline for me. I’ve met such wonderful people, people affected by cancer in different ways.

“Some people have lost relatives through cancer, some have been on a similar journey as me and some have a terminal diagnosis but we all support each other. The lift you get from singing is just amazing.”

Pam underwent reconstructive surgery in October 2015 and is still on medication to reduce the risk of cancer returning.

She said: “While I don’t feel I’ll say it’s gone, I do feel like I’m in remission. Next year, I will be having a party to mark five years.

“I just try to live to the full every day and do things I never did before.

“I’ve been hang-gliding, I’ve been on the longest zip wire in the world, I’ve been rock-climbing – none of these things I had ever imagined I would do before I had cancer.”

A bus driver has raised more than £2,000 to thank hospital physiotherapists for helping his wife recover from a massive stroke.

Dave Gray, who works for East Yorkshire Motor Services (EYMS), walked more than 20 miles from the firm’s Anlaby Road depot to Hornsea bus depot with his friends and workmates Graham Franklin and Andy Cope to thank staff for saving his wife Denise.

Dave and Denise Gray

The couple’s daughter Danielle said: “We just can’t thank staff enough for all they’ve done, not just for my Mum but for all of us.

“From the emergency staff to the nurses on ICU and the staff on both wards, we are in their debt. We couldn’t have asked for better support.”

Danielle found Denise, 50, unconscious in bed when she went round to their home one morning in April after her mother failed to answer the telephone.

Denise, who worked as a cook in a care home and had been at work just two days before, was rushed to Hull Royal Infirmary where emergency doctors discovered she had suffered a massive stroke. Dave, Danielle and her brother Martin were told to prepare for the worst.

Within an hour of arriving at hospital, Denise was undergoing brain surgery and then spent 10 days in Intensive Care.

She was taken to the Hyper Acute Stroke Unit on Ward 110 and then Ward 11 to continue her recovery.

Danielle said: “Right from the start, her physio Dan Pearce was amazing and we are just so grateful to him.

“He would come and find us to tell us even the smallest bit of positive news because he knew what it would mean to us. He was so understanding.”

With Dan’s support and the care of the nursing team, Denise relearned some of the skills she had lost when she had the stroke, learning how to support herself, sit up and hold things during her 15 weeks in hospital.

(left to right) Graham Franklin, Dave Gray and Andy Cope

She has now been discharged and is continuing her rehabilitation at Rossmore Nursing Home in Sunnybank, going from strength to strength.

Dave and his friends carried out the sponsored walk between the two depots to raise money for the physiotherapy team as a way of thanking them for their help. They have now returned to the stroke unit to hand over the donation.

Danielle said: “It was just something my Dad wanted to do because of all the support and help our family has received.”

A nurse specialising in the care of patients with dementia has received “fidget bears” from Hull’s knitting community.

Lead dementia nurse Kay Brighton, who works in the Department of Elderly Medicine at Hull Royal Infirmary, appealed for help to create the bears.

The bears loop over the fingers of patients affected by memory loss, confusion or delirium, meaning they are less likely to pull out intravenous lines and drips delivering essential fluids and medication.

Kay said: “People often send us twiddle muffs which are brightly coloured knitted tubes fashioned with buttons, bows and ribbons to help us calm patients who need to keep their hands busy.

“However, these ‘fidget bears’ are also a great idea because our patients can hold them in their hands and they act as a distraction and source of comfort which can prevent the accidental removal of intravenous lines.”

From left: Kay Brighton, Sarah Rippingale, Sam Geal and Dr Yoghini Nagandran

Kay and her colleagues working in the Department of Elderly Medicine handed out around 100 patterns to knitters as part of the “knit one purl one” campaign during the Health Expo in Hull, marking the 70^th anniversary of the NHS in July.

She said: “People were very kind, asking how they could help. Our knitters are always so supportive and we’re very grateful for their help.

“With the weather turning colder, people are picking up their knitting needles again so we’re starting to receive fidget bears in the post from those who took a pattern home with them.

“On behalf of our patients, we’d just like to thank everyone for all their support.”

Midwives and child care experts will stage a special event at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital on Tuesday to mark the start of Baby Loss Awareness Week.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is supporting the 60 charities raising awareness of miscarriage, stillbirth and baby loss in the UK.

Stalls will be set up next to the Orchard Café on the ground floor of the hospital to educate families on the dangers of smoking in pregnancy or around babies, safer sleeping techniques and how to monitor babies’ movement during pregnancy.

Information will also be given out on child safety such as fire safety, how to fit a car seat correctly and how to help your baby if they are choking at the event, running from 10am to 4pm.

Head of Midwifery Janet Cairns said: “We are working hard to reduce stillbirths, miscarriages and baby deaths in the UK in line with the Government ambition to halve rates by 2025 but we understand how devastating the loss of one baby is to their family.

“We want parents to have practical advice so they know how to keep their baby safe during pregnancy and after their babies are born.

“The vast majority of women have healthy pregnancies and births so no one should feel unduly alarmed. However, understanding how to keep your baby safe and taking steps to reduce risks are essential parts of the journey to parenthood.”

According to Tommy’s charity, one in four women will experience a miscarriage in their lifetime and nine babies are stillborn every day in the UK. In 2016, there were 3,430 stillbirths and 2,136 neonatal deaths.

Baby Loss Awareness Week culminates in the “Wave of Light” global event on Monday, October 15, to coincide with International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

Candles will be lit across Hull and the East Riding at 7pm and will burn for one hour in homes, groups and communal spaces to remember all the babies who have died.

People can take part in the virtual Wave of Light by posting a photo of their lit candle on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #WaveOfLight at 7pm.