The Union of European Neonatal and Perinatal Societies (EUNPS), founded by Professor George Simbruner in 2006 in Vienna, Austria, is one of the premier international nongovernmental organizations advocating for the improvement of newborn care in Europe.
The Polish Neonatological Society, then headed by Professor Jerzy Szczapa, was one of the founders of this association. Every two years UENPS organizes a medical congress in a different European city selected by the UENPS Board and the Scientific Council. In the year in which the UENPS convention is not held, the ENPS European Neonatal Societies, organized by Pediatric Research, UENPS and EFCNI (European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants).
UENPS’s mission is to improve health care in neonatal and perinatal medicine in European countries. The main goals of UENPS are to improve the quality of perinatal and neonatal care by integrating, coordinating and adding efforts of national and scientific societies, promoting knowledge of perinatal care indicators and development of recommendations, guidelines, training for healthcare providers and any other tools to achieve the best healthcare for every newborn and the supervision of the rights of newborns, wherever they are born.
Continuing the mission of UENPS, in 2019 a department was created called “UENPS Hall of knowledge”. Its purpose is to collect all cultural experiences and activities developed over the years and offer a broader educational approach to hot topics of neonatology.
In the years 2010-2018, Prof. Katarzyna Borszewska-Kornacka was the president of the Polish Neonatal Society. During that time she organized the UENPS congress in Poland. In 2017, the UENPS Management Board choose Kraków as the venue for that year’s congress for its seat as one of the oldest universities in Europe (Jagiellonian University). The congress was held in a hybrid system that year and attracted participants from many countries in Europe and the rest of the world. Among the participants was a large group of neonatologists from Ukraine, whose participation was sponsored by CMCF.
5% of the registration fee that year was set aside for aid to Ukraine. The UENPS allocated EUR 10,000 for this assistance. Prior to the congress in Krakow, at the request of the Polish and Ukrainian representatives, From the Management Board made the decision to remove the the Russian Neonatology Society from its participation and reject the Russian woman’s lecture.
The three-day program was devoted to clinical and practical challenges in neonatology. It concerned the proceedings in the Delivery Room at the NICU and others in general neonatal issues. The congress was held in the Auditorium Maximum of the Jagiellonian University and attended by over 500 participants, including 255 neonatologists.
Many more participated in the congress virtually. The largest group of participants came from
Poland, Italy and Greece.
…And a Nice Letter of Appreciation From a Congress Attendee
Sincerely grateful for the opportunity to visit 12th UENPS Congress 2022
Everyday Practical Challenges in Neonatology, which took place on September 2-4 in the wonderful city of Krakow, Poland.
It was a good opportunity to learn about news in the field of neonatology and hear reports from professionals from all over the world.
And I am also grateful for the opportunity to meet and communicate with respected prof. Ryszard Lauterbach, President of Polish Neonatal Society, and respected prof. Maria Katarzyna Borszewska-Kornacka.
It was extremely pleasant and important to hear from them words of support for Ukraine and Ukrainians at this difficult time.
I especially want to single out the report Marietta Charakida (United Kingdom)-Fetal Congenital heart disease This topic is very relevant for our hospital, as we have a newly created department of pediatric cardiac surgery. There are great prospects in the development of this department and prenatal diagnostics in general.
Reports about the management of multiple pregnancy were also informative, especially Antenatal management of complications of monochorionic twins by Ioannis Kyvernitakis (Germany) and Long term outcomes of monochorionic twins by Enrico Lopriore (The Netherlands).
Inspiration and significant motivation to work I received from report Juliette Kamphuis (the Netherlands) Growing up as a preterm infant who herself was born prematurely and now shares her life path, difficulties and victories in adult life.
Thanks to the CMCF Foundation for the opportunity to visit 12 th UENPS Congress 2022 Everyday Practical Challenges in Neonatology, it was unforgettable.
With best regards,
Oksana Ostalska