Neonatal care has advanced rapidly in scientific knowledge, technology and precision over recent decades. Yet daily bedside practice does not always reflect this trajectory. The reasons are complex and multifactorial, but include resistance to change by practitioners and their organisations. A tendency to stick with what is familiar is firmly embedded in organisational psychology, and neonatology is not immune to these behaviours (table 1). Many of the barriers impeding successful change stem from human and system factors. However, these explanations alone do not fully capture the broader ecological and cultural forces that allow inertia to persist within neonatal systems.
Reference:van Rens M, Hugill K, Bayoumi MAA. When success becomes a barrier: tackling inertia in necessary change in clinical practice in neonatal vascular access. BMJ Paediatr Open. 2026 May 21;10(1):e004848. doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2026-004848. PMID: 42167901; PMCID: PMC13202137.