The platform is created by researchers from the Midwifery and ICT departments of Odisee, University of Applied Sciences. Thanks to the ‘Neoparent’ project, they already have extensive knowledge and expertise on prematurity. In this project, various tools were created to support parents of premature or sick babies, such as a mobile application (the NeoParent-app), a discharge tool for parents to map their professional and social network, and a philosophical grief kit to help talk with children about grief, loss and sadness. This was done in close collaboration with parents, the professional field, knowledge institutions and other organizations/agencies, with careful attention for complementarity and involvement of all stakeholders. More information about research within Odisee – Health can be found at https://www.odisee.be/health.
Contact
Who are we?
Inge Tency
Inge Tency is a midwife, lecturer and researcher in the Midwifery department. Inge has been conducting research on prematurity for many years. She completed a PhD to identify predictors of premature birth in the mother’s blood. Inge was the principal investigator of the NeoParent project and coordinates the development of the digital platform ‘Too Early’.
Since 2014, she has been a member of the ‘Vereniging voor Ouders van Couveusekinderen’ (VVOC). Inge has been involved as an external expert in several publications by the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE) and the ‘Global Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants’ (GFCNI).
Davy De Winne
Davy is a lecturer and researcher in the ICT department, specifically in the field of User Experience and Web & Mobile app-development. He is involved as a user experience designer in the NeoParent project.
Anaïs Lippens
Anaïs graduated in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She then began her master’s program in nursing and midwifery at Ghent University, where she obtained her degree in 2020.
She works as a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Ghent University hospital. In addition to her job in the hospital, she is active as a researcher and guest lecturer in the Midwifery department at Odisee, University of Applied Sciences.
The advisory board
Our advisory board consists of relevant stakeholders who ensure the quality of this platform.
- Elke Moens, Head Midwife, Neonatal Intensive Care, UZ Antwerp
- Eveline Rondelez, Director, Center for Developmental Disorders Ghent
- Geert Lingier, Head Nurse, Neonatal Intensive Care, UZ Ghent
- Prof. Dr. Gunnar Naulaers, Neonatologist, UZ Leuven
- Inge Verreet, Mother-Child Psychologist, ZAS Middelheim
- Jens Detollenaere, Expert in Health Services Research, Federal Knowledge Center for Healthcare (KCE)
- Kelly Janssens, Project Coordinator for Developmental Care, UZ Leuven / Federal Public Service Health
- Dr. Kris De Coen, Neonatologist, UZ Ghent
- Marianne Peelman, Head Nurse/Midwife, Neonatal Intensive Care, UZ Brussels
- Dr. Marie-Rose Van Hoestenberghe, Head of Neonatal Intensive Care, ZOL
- Dr. Marleen Laureyns, Consulting Physician, Agentschap Opgroeien – Kind en Gezin
- Michel Collart, Noah's Ark Belgium
- Peter Swinnen, Founder of Cokoen
- Prof. Dr. Koenraad Smets, Head of Neonatal Intensive Care, UZ Ghent
- Dr. Sabrina Laroche, Neonatologist, Neonatal Intensive Care and Center for Developmental Disorders, UZ Antwerp
- Dr. Sophie Baré, Head of Neonatal Intensive Care, ZAS Middelheim
- Sylvie Van Wonterghem, Midwife, Practice Verwacht
- Tony Waterschoot, Head Nurse, Neonatal Intensive Care, AZ Sint-Jan Bruges
- Kirsten Livens, VVOC, Vlaamse Vereniging voor Ouders van Couveusekinderen
Thanks to
Perle Vervaeke
Aster Kessels (Midwifery student, Odisee, University of Applied Sciences)
Robbe Van Leemput, Lotte Du Tré, Luna De Brauwer, Sharniëlla Hart (Nursing students, Odisee, University of Applied Sciences)
Lien Keersse (Master’s student in Health Promotion, Ghent University)
Fien Smessaert (Master’s student, Ghent University)
Rosanne Rodriguez, Noor Blommaerts, Laure Vande Velde, Gitte De Rijck, Melanie Ruysschaert (Students, LUCA School of Arts)
Would you like to collaborate or have suggestions for this platform?
Are you an organization that also wants to support parents of premature babies? We’d love to connect and give your organization visibility through this platform.
Is there something missing on this platform or do you have suggestions for improvement? Let us know!