BRISTOL COMPANY HELPS CREATE SAFER BIRTHING OUTCOMES

A product developed by Limbs & Things is helping medical teams deal more confidently with challenging birthing situations.

The PROMPT Flex birthing simulator, a lifelike model imitating labour and delivery, is already used in teaching hospitals around the world and has proved to be a game changer in improving the management of shoulder dystocia.

This is where the baby’s shoulders get stuck during birth and can lead to life changing injuries.

Now, a study carried out by obstetrician

Dr Katie Cornthwaite based at North Bristol NHS Trust and the University of Bristol, has shown that using the simulator is also helping generate confidence in dealing with a rare and challenging complication of Caesarean birth, known as impacted foetal head.

This is an obstetric emergency where the baby’s head is low and fixed in the pelvis at the time of a Caesarean section.

Dr Cornthwaite said: “The Limbs & Things trainer allows maternity sta to develop their skills in dealing with situations like impacted foetal head in a safe environment, creating a greater level of expertise and confidence if the situation comes up in real life.”

Dr Cornthwaite recently gave a demonstration of the product to the Princess Royal and the Princess of Wales during their visit to the new headquarters of the Royal College of Midwives, which is also home to the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists.

Limbs & Things was established in 1990 by Margot Cooper, a medical illustrator and member of the Medical Artists Association of Great Britain. It opened its first o ces outside the UK in 1996 and invested in a new factory in Bristol in 2018.

It’s in the post – gin bar offers a unique business concept

A gin bar in Warwick is celebrating significant growth 18 months after opening by taking its unique pick ‘n’ mix flavour concept online.

That Gin Company, which has a bar in the town’s Swan Street, is thought to be the first in the country to o er the bottled bespoke flavours by post – a theme which it has also adopted for their new gift range.

As part of a gin rebrand, the team is o ering customers anywhere in the UK the chance to create and buy their own unique flavour infusions in 50ml, 250ml and 500ml bottles – from afar.

That Gin Company owner Steve Bazell said: “There’s lots of companies which sell a selection of di erent miniatures and gins, but what makes us di erent from the rest is that we can o er unique gin flavours.

“We’re expecting our bespoke miniatures to be particularly popular as wedding favours, for example.”