Sleep and settling – from newborns to tweens

A two-part seminar by Werribee Mercy Hospital paediatricians. Firstly: unsettled babies, how to help, and when to be worried. Secondly: paediatric sleep problems, including behavioural issues and obstructive sleep apnoea.

By helping families get good quality sleep, you can have an enormous impact on everyone’s quality of life. In this two-part seminar you will learn practical strategies to help families with the very common problems of sleep and settling across the early years of life. The first part of the seminar will focus on unsettled babies. We will explore the treatment evidence and natural history of this group, as well as provide ways to support families through this stressful experience. In the second part we will cover sleep problems in children, how to diagnose them, and how to manage them. 

Learning outcomes:

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• To understand the current evidence and natural history of unsettled babies.  
• Be able to recognise the red flags that might suggest there is a medical cause 
• Be able to give some guidance and management strategies to parents 
• Know where to look for appropriate help 
• Identify factors involved in childhood sleep problems 
• Recognise different types of behavioural sleep disorders. 
• Differentiate problems based on age  
• Develop an approach to identify and manage OSA in children 
• Develop a ‘tool-kit’ for effective management and support of sleep disorders in children 

SPEAKERS

Prof Kathy McMahon is the Clinical Director of Paediatrics and Special Care Nursery at Werribee Mercy Hospital. Kathy is the Chairperson of the Director of Paediatric group for Victoria and is heavily involved with Safercare being the Chairperson of the Insight group, on the Paediatric expert working group for Covid and a Member of the Paediatric Governance group for the Paediatric Clinical Network. Prior to landing at Werribee 12 months ago Kathy, was a Paediatrician and Director of Paediatrics’ at Peninsula Health. Kathy’s passion is developing services which provide quality accessible Healthcare for all children. In her spare time Kathy enjoys trying to keep fit and keeping up with the boys in her life … husband, 3 sons and a dog … 

Dr Rachel Madhwan is a Paediatrician who works primarily in Melbourne’s west with a focus on providing comprehensive and accessible specialist care to children of all ages from birth to adolescence. She is a Consultant Paediatrician at Werribee Mercy Hospital and St Vincent’s Private hospital and also runs a busy private practice in two locations across Werribee and Williamstown. Rachel has special interests in neonatology and developmental medicine and as such also facilitates a private Autism Assessment Clinic. She has a young family of her own.