WORLD experts in neonatal care are heading to the region to share the newest techniques and ideas about the care of newborn babies including those who are born extremely prematurely and are poorly.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust is again hosting the conference at the University of Durham's Queen's Campus, in Stockton, from tomorrow until Saturday.

The event has attracted hundreds of people in its 12-year history and this year is no exception with guest speakers from the US, Switzerland and Germany.

Conference director and professor of paediatrics and neonatology at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, Dr Sunil Sinha, said: "While this is now a key event on the international calendar, the phenomenal changes and advances made in the way we look after premature babies year-on-year never ceases to amaze me.

"The conference provides an invaluable opportunity to get together with experts in their field and share the latest ideas and research to provide the best possible care for these newborns and help to reduce any long-term complications they may have."

The three-day event will include workshops and discussions about the latest techniques of providing ventilation, nutrition and novel treatments which are likely to have a practical impact on how we care for these babies throughout the world.