Cocooned Health

Ep 38. Heatwaves in pregnancy debunked. Expert Guest: Dr Darshnika Lakhoo Today we explore what it means to be in a heatwave and pregnant. It can get uncomfortable but what is the current latest understanding. How important is it really to cool down, or is it all just unknown? We explore this in our latest episode with Dr Darshnika Lakhoo.  Darshnika Lakhoo is a medical doctor with a master’s in public health, serving as a research clinician at Wits Planetary Health Research, in Johannesburg. Her work is centered on understanding and mitigating the impacts of heat on maternal and child health.   

Ep 37. Heatwaves and Newborns  Heat, Pregnancy and Preterm Birth: What Does the Evidence Really Tell Us? Pregnancy during a heatwave can be uncomfortable enough but should pregnant people or parents actually be worried about the heat? There is an immune theory regarding this process and given higher temperatures can mimic infection we delve into this area as a call from parents. In this episode, we discuss mostly the impact on newborn health. We also briefly touch on the research including the Nature Medicine systematic review and meta-analysis examining how heat exposure affects pregnancy health. Bringing together 198 studies from 66 countries the research provides one of the most comprehensive assessments yet of pregnancy and extreme heat.  In September's 2026 episodes we speak to one of the researchers behind this study directly - so stay tuned We unpack what scientists actually mean by a heatwave and why there is no single temperature that defines one. We explore whether it is absolute heat or unusually hot weather for a particular location that matters most, and what the findings mean for pregnant women living in temperate countries such as the UK. We explore practical advice for parents for newborns including 1) what to wear 2) strategies in limited environments 3) why the car can be super dangerous 4) why children are more vulnerable  A conversation about climate, pregnancy and risk and about communicating emerging evidence in a way that helps pregnant women stay informed without making hot weather another source of anxiety.

Ep 36. A new meningitis vaccine for teenagers? A short recap ...  A short recap of episode 30: Why the meningitis vaccine is being introduced and why it wasn't previously offered. What strains it covers and what it does not.  In this episode of Cocooned Health, we’re joined by Dr Eliza Gil, Academic Clinical Lecturer in Infection at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Honorary Clinical Microbiologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital. She breaks down this fascinating topic. Listen to episode 30 for the full episode 

Ep 35. The Midwife Series Episode 4: Analysis - How 100 Midwives Generated A Solution To Vaccine Conversations In Pregnancy - “Sometimes It’s The Simplest Thing.” Part of the 4 part series:  The Midwife Series Episode 1: Frontline Insights - Midwives On Vaccine Conversations In Pregnancy. "It's Our Role To Guide And Support" The Midwife Series Episode 2: Emergence Of An Idea: What Do Midwives Need And Why? “The Easier It Is To Access, The More Utilised It Will Be” The Midwife Series Episode 3: Honing And Developing - The Checklist That Could Transform Vaccine Conversations. The Midwife Series Episode 4: Analysis - How 100 Midwives Generated A Solution To Vaccine Conversations In Pregnancy - “Sometimes It’s The Simplest Thing” In the fourth and final episode of our special Midwife Series, Cocooned Health co-hosts Dr Eliz Kilich and Dr Lydia Yarlott review the results of a survey with over 100 participants. 120 participants started the survey, with 102 participants completing all questions. The survey was conducted using Qualtrics XM with 37 questions. The questions included demographics, communication and confidence, innovative strategies, knowledge base and questions about the Cocooned Health podcast. During this episode co-hosts discuss each question one by one, excluding the podcast questions. They provide insights and analysis of the answers. They give their opinions about how this relates to the podcast groups conducted. It is from here they discuss the future innovative strategies that could be developed. This episode series was developed with funding support from Pfizer Ltd. Pfizer Ltd had no involvement in the content, production, review, analysis, or editorial decisions relating to this series. Funding was provided through an independent grant to support Cocooned Health's work. All views and content are those of the contributors and Cocooned Health. All other Cocooned Health podcast content is produced independently. The views expressed by participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of their institutions, employers, or affiliated organisations. This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and should not replace advice from your own healthcare professional regarding individual medical care. Midwives were remunerated for their time. DM us at cocoonedhealthpodcast or email: [email protected]

Ep 34. The Midwife Series Episode 3: Honing And Developing – The Checklist That Could Transform Vaccine Conversations. Part of the 4 part series:  The Midwife Series Episode 1: Frontline Insights - Midwives On Vaccine Conversations In Pregnancy. "It's Our Role To Guide And Support" The Midwife Series Episode 2: Emergence Of An Idea: What Do Midwives Need And Why? “The Easier It Is To Access, The More Utilised It Will Be” The Midwife Series Episode 3: Honing And Developing - The Checklist That Could Transform Vaccine Conversations. The Midwife Series Episode 4: Analysis - How 100 Midwives Generated A Solution To Vaccine Conversations In Pregnancy - “Sometimes It’s The Simplest Thing” In the third episode of our special Midwife Series, Cocooned Health co-hosts Dr Eliz Kilich and Dr Lydia Yarlott are joined by three experienced midwives to further develop the most desired intervention by midwives from our conducted survey of over 100 midwife participants. They build of the previous 2 other podcast conversation refining what is needed. By exploring the nuance of conversations, what is expected of midwives and the limitations we role play the use of the intervention and discuss how this influences midwife confidence. This episode series was developed with funding support from Pfizer Ltd. Pfizer Ltd had no involvement in the content, production, review, analysis, or editorial decisions relating to this series. Funding was provided through an independent grant to support Cocooned Health's work. All views and content are those of the contributors and Cocooned Health. All other Cocooned Health podcast content is produced independently. The views expressed by participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of their institutions, employers, or affiliated organisations. This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and should not replace advice from your own healthcare professional regarding individual medical care. Midwives were remunerated for their time. DM us at cocoonedhealthpodcast or email: [email protected] This episode has undergone additional editing with minor amendment at on 3rd August 2026 

Ep 33. The Midwife Series Episode 2: Emergence Of An Idea: What Do Midwives Need And Why? “The Easier It Is To Access, The More Utilised It Will Be.” Part of the 4 part series:  The Midwife Series Episode 1: Frontline Insights - Midwives On Vaccine Conversations In Pregnancy. "It's Our Role To Guide And Support" The Midwife Series Episode 2: Emergence Of An Idea: What Do Midwives Need And Why? “The Easier It Is To Access, The More Utilised It Will Be” The Midwife Series Episode 3: Honing And Developing - The Checklist That Could Transform Vaccine Conversations. The Midwife Series Episode 4: Analysis - How 100 Midwives Generated A Solution To Vaccine Conversations In Pregnancy - “Sometimes It’s The Simplest Thing” In the second episode of our special Midwife Series, Cocooned Health co-hosts Dr Eliz Kilich and Dr Lydia Yarlott are joined by three experienced midwives to explore an emergence of innovations to adjunct vaccine conversations in the United Kingdom. We discuss the logistics around conversations in pregnancy with our second group of midwives. We move on to share a key result from out survey and start to explore what an innovative solution might look like in practice... This episode series was developed with funding support from Pfizer Ltd. Pfizer Ltd had no involvement in the content, production, review, analysis, or editorial decisions relating to this series. Funding was provided through an independent grant to support Cocooned Health's work. All views and content are those of the contributors and Cocooned Health. All other Cocooned Health podcast content is produced independently. The views expressed by participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of their institutions, employers, or affiliated organisations. This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and should not replace advice from your own healthcare professional regarding individual medical care. Midwives were remunerated for their time. DM us at cocoonedhealthpodcast or email: [email protected]

Ep 32. The Midwife Series Episode 1: Frontline Insights - Midwives On Vaccine Conversations In Pregnancy. "It's Our Role To Guide And Support." Part of the 4 part series:  The Midwife Series Episode 1: Frontline Insights - Midwives On Vaccine Conversations In Pregnancy. "It's Our Role To Guide And Support" The Midwife Series Episode 2: Emergence Of An Idea: What Do Midwives Need And Why? “The Easier It Is To Access, The More Utilised It Will Be” The Midwife Series Episode 3: Honing And Developing - The Checklist That Could Transform Vaccine Conversations. The Midwife Series Episode 4: Analysis - How 100 Midwives Generated A Solution To Vaccine Conversations In Pregnancy - “Sometimes It’s The Simplest Thing” In the first episode of our special Midwife Series, Cocooned Health co-hosts, Dr Eliz Kilich and Dr Lydia Yarlott, are joined by three experienced midwives to explore one of the most important conversations in maternity care: discussing vaccines during pregnancy. Drawing on insights from UK real-world midwife professionals working on the frontline, this episode examines how vaccine conversations take place in practice, the challenges faced, and the opportunities to better support both healthcare professionals and pregnant women. Our guests share their perspectives on discussing maternal vaccinations, navigating questions and concerns, building trust, and balancing these important conversations within busy clinical appointments. Together, we explore what helps midwives feel confident when discussing vaccines and what practical tools could make these conversations easier and more effective. This fascinating conversation highlights the vital role midwives play in supporting informed choices and protecting the health of mothers and babies. This episode series was developed with funding support from Pfizer Ltd. Pfizer Ltd had no involvement in the content, production, review, analysis, or editorial decisions relating to this series. Funding was provided through an independent grant to support Cocooned Health's work. All views and content are those of the contributors and Cocooned Health. All other Cocooned Health podcast content is produced independently.   The views expressed by participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of their institutions, employers, or affiliated organisations. This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and should not replace advice from your own healthcare professional regarding individual medical care. Midwives were remunerated for their time. DM us at cocoonedhealthpodcast or email: [email protected]

Ep. 31: Measles - outbreaks or exposure in your child's area - what every parent needs to know What would you do if your child was exposed to measles and suddenly told to stay home from nursery for 21 days? In this episode, we tackle a real-life scenario many families are now facing. We break down what measles exposure means, why exclusion periods happen, and whether early vaccination (from 9 months) is ever an option. With measles cases rising again across the UK - especially in London - we explore the latest data and what it means for your child’s risk. In areas like Enfield, only 64.3% of five-year-olds have received both MMR doses, far below the 95% needed to prevent outbreaks. National uptake has also fallen, and the UK has recently lost its measles elimination status after thousands of cases in recent years. We cover: Early symptoms and how to recognise measles Why measles is one of the most infectious diseases in the world (and what “R0” really means) Possible complications and why this illness is more serious than many people think What to do if your child has been in contact with a case When to call your GP The role of the MMR vaccine, including early doses during outbreaks Who may need urgent protection like immunoglobulin We also discuss the science behind vaccination timing, including why the routine first dose is given at 12 months and what happens when it’s given earlier.

Ep 30. Decoding the current meningitis outbreak in the UK. Expert Guest: Dr Eliza Gil   Widespread public anxiety around the recent meningitis outbreak in Kent has raised urgent questions about how serious it is, who’s at risk, and whether we should be worried. In this episode of Cocooned Health, we’re joined by Dr Eliza Gil, Academic Clinical Lecturer in Infection at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Honorary Clinical Microbiologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital. She breaks down what we know so far about the March 2026 outbreak, including why this surge occurred despite the strain being similar to the already circulating strain in the UK since 2020. We explore how this outbreak differs from a pandemic like COVID-19, why meningitis cases can appear weeks after exposure, and what makes this particular strain (clonal complex 41/44) significant. Dr Gil also explains transmission risks from close-contact settings like club nights and discusses emerging factors such as vaping, while reassuring listeners with the latest data suggesting the outbreak is already slowing. With an additional special focus on pregnancy and newborn health, we answer key listener questions about vaccination in pregnancy, what happens if you or your child are exposed. We also cover how meningitis is treated, whether current antibiotics remain effective, and how public health agencies respond during outbreaks. Clear, evidence-based, and reassuring, this episode helps you stay informed without the panic.   References:  BMJ Article: Gil E. (2026). Meningitis B in Kent: an outbreak in the shadow of a pandemic. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 392, s547. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s547 https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s547 UKHSA Updates: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/invasive-meningococcal-disease-statistical-releases/notified-cases-of-invasive-meningococcal-disease   Summary: All of the 20 confirmed cases are meningococcal group B (MenB). 17 of these have the outbreak strain subtype P1.12-1,16-183. All cases have been hospitalised. There have been 2 deaths since the start of the incident

This accessible scientific episode clarifies what happens in the newborn's immune system when faced with infection or in the absence of it. Ever wondered how newborns and adult immune system's differ? We discuss the newborn strategy "disease tolerance" and why this is important...why they are more resilient and more able to deal with microbes.    Dr Eliz Kilich, with co‑host Dr Lydia Yarlott, are joined today by Professor Tobias Kollmann to explore newborn immunity.  Prof. Kollmann completed his MD and PhD at the Albert of Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY, followed by a residency in pediatrics and fellowship in infectious diseases at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA with Prof. Chris Wilson. He then served as Division Head for Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of British Columbia, BC Children’s Hospital before taking on the Director’s position of Systems Vaccinology at Telethon Kids Institute in Perth, Australia. He currently is Prof. of Microbiology & Immunology as well as Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS, Canada. Tobi is the CEO of the Born Strong Initiative (https://www.born-strong.org/), a global network of experts working to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes. His expertise centers around immune ontogeny as well as maternal and early life vaccine responses employing cutting edge technology and analytics to extract the most information out of the small biological samples obtainable.   Further Reading:   - Science: Vaccination strategies to enhance immunity in neonates Tobias R. Kollmann et al. Vaccination strategies to enhance immunity in neonates.Science 368,612-615(2020).DOI:10.1126/science.aaz9447 Direct Iink: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6491/612.abstract