The Little Steps team

Prof Welma Lubbe – Little Steps Founder and Owner, Master training

Prof Welma Lubbe is an associate professor at the North-West University, School of Nursing Science as part of the midwifery team and responsible for neonatal training. Prof Lubbe published over 38 peer-reviewed articles, presented 72 national and 19 international conference posters and papers and a number of professional and parenting articles.

Her research focus in the field of neurodevelopmental supportive care of the preterm infant.  She is the academic advisor on the neonatal community of practice of the LIFE Healthcare group and the owner of Little Steps®, a parenting support organisation for parents with premature infants – a well-known brand, both nationally and on an international level.  Prof Lubbe is further the president of the South African Neonatal, Infant and Toddler Support Association (SANITSA) since 2004.  She is the project lead for INDeSC (Implementation of Neurodevelopmental Supportive Care) and STARFISH.  In 2017-8 she was the South African country survey leader for the 36-country survey to determine compliance with Neo-BFHI – implementation of BFHI in the neonatal wards.

Internationally, Prof Lubbe serves her third term as South African representative on the Council of International Neonatal Nurses since 2010.  She has been invited as the first member from Africa to serve on the Graven’s Developmental Care Consensus panel, and is the first person outside Europe to be invited as member of the Separation and Closeness Experiences in the Neonatal Environment (SCENE) research group, since 2014.  Prof Lubbe has been serving on the International Advisory Board of the Journal of Neonatal Nursing, since 2009 and is currently holds the position of international advisor. 

Annelie van der Westhuyzen – Master training

Mrs Annelie van der Westhuyzen is a speech-language therapist who holds a master’s degree in bio-ethics and health law titled: The use of pacifiers for non-nutritive sucking in South African neonatal intensive care units: ethical considerations. She works with preterm infants in hospital, has 15 years clinical experience, holds a part-time position with the University of Stellenbosch, Speech pathology department and is based in Cape Town.

Elise Lecuona – Master training

Me Elise Lecuona is an occupational therapist who holds a master’s degree titled: Sensory integration intervention and the development of the extremely low to very low birth weight premature infant. She is in private practice in Cape Town and have 20 years experience in her field of practice.