Mothercare with a modern flair

MANILA, Philippines - At Máxima Medical Center in Veldhoven, journalists heard how Philips is helping transform the lives and pregnancies of moms and preterm babies.

Since opening in 2012 (named after Princess Máxima of the Netherlands), this 50-million euro progressive medical center has had a mission to focus on all aspects of the birthing process: prenatal, birthing, postnatal, breastfeeding and beyond. For those lucky moms who are selected for care at this center, it’s top-shelf treatment, reflecting the center’s research showing that reducing trauma for mothers during the delivery process results in more well-adjusted babies. The children delivered here are premature, and they require even more of a leg up. 

The solution for Máxima meant reconfiguring the hospital space with fewer wards, to allow expectant mothers more privacy and tranquility, as well as installing sophisticated alarm systems (purchased from Philips) that were as unobstrusive for patients as possible. According to Dr. Thilos Mohns, head of Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Máxima Medische Centrum: “One of the big problems, when you’re working in a ward with six incubators, and all the alarms are on, it’s hard to divide your staff’s attention. That was our biggest challenge.”

The role of Philips went beyond supplying equipment: they worked with Máxima as consultants during the construction phase, and continue to work with doctors and personnel to find new solutions. (All equipment is purchased from Philips; none is donated, which would violate Dutch laws.)

For those of us used to crowded delivery rooms in Manila, the Máxima Medical Center seems like a luxury resort; the private rooms are laid out with maximum access to doctors, and the goal is to have most steps of the childbirth process in a single room, instead of moving the patient from ward to ward.

Other technical advances are special ECG monitors for preterm babies that use unobtrusive sensors, rather than being attached directly to babies’ skin, as well as downloadable apps that help expectant mothers remain calm during prenatal care, birthing and breastfeeding, with encouraging graphics and images that can be screened on hospital walls.

Philips and Máxima were a good fit, said Mohns, because from the start they were focused on the mother-child care concept, not just selling hardware. “We have the same concepts,” he said. “Philips were willing to focus on our field. They have the commitment to neonatology and perinatology, and that is not the space where you earn the most money.”