Abstract
In a one year prospective study in the Trent region we examined the short term outcome (survival to discharge) of all infants who required admission to a baby care unit. Infants of less than or equal to 28 weeks' gestation who received all their perinatal care in one of five large centres (each providing more than 600 ventilator days/year) showed significantly better survival rates than infants electively treated throughout their entire course at one of the 12 smaller units (34 survivors from 65 infants (52%) compared with eight survivors from 37 infants (22%). These differences occurred despite the elective transfer of many of the sickest infants from the smaller units to the larger. Differences in survival between more mature infants were not significant. These results support the policy that there should be a more centralised neonatal service for those infants at or below 28 weeks' gestation.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Maddock C. R. A population-based evaluation of sustained mechanical ventilation of newborn babies. Lancet. 1987 Nov 28;2(8570):1254–1258. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(87)91862-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Newns B., Drummond M. F., Durbin G. M., Culley P. Costs and outcomes in a regional neonatal intensive care unit. Arch Dis Child. 1984 Nov;59(11):1064–1067. doi: 10.1136/adc.59.11.1064. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Paneth N., Kiely J. L., Wallenstein S., Marcus M., Pakter J., Susser M. Newborn intensive care and neonatal mortality in low-birth-weight infants: a population study. N Engl J Med. 1982 Jul 15;307(3):149–155. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198207153070303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Patterson C. C., Halliday H. L. Prediction of outcome shortly after delivery for the very low birthweight (less than or equal to 1500 g) infant. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 1988 Jul;2(3):221–228. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3016.1988.tb00211.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Powell T. G., Pharoah P. O., Cooke R. W. Survival and morbidity in a geographically defined population of low birthweight infants. Lancet. 1986 Mar 8;1(8480):539–543. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)90893-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Roper H. P., Chiswick M. L., Sims D. G. Referrals to a regional neonatal intensive care unit. Arch Dis Child. 1988 Apr;63(4):403–407. doi: 10.1136/adc.63.4.403. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Sidhu H., Heasley R. N., Patterson C. C., Halliday H. L., Thompson W. Short term outcome in babies refused perinatal intensive care. BMJ. 1989 Sep 9;299(6700):647–649. doi: 10.1136/bmj.299.6700.647. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Sims D. G., Wynn J., Chiswick M. L. Outcome for newborn babies declined admission to a regional neonatal intensive care unit. Arch Dis Child. 1982 May;57(5):334–337. doi: 10.1136/adc.57.5.334. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Speidel B. D. Skimping on care of the newborn is false economy. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1986 Sep 6;293(6547):575–576. doi: 10.1136/bmj.293.6547.575. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Steiner E. S., Sanders E. M., Phillips E. C., Maddock C. R. Very low birth weight children at school age: comparison of neonatal management methods. Br Med J. 1980 Nov 8;281(6250):1237–1240. doi: 10.1136/bmj.281.6250.1237. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Verloove-Vanhorick S. P., Verwey R. A., Ebeling M. C., Brand R., Ruys J. H. Mortality in very preterm and very low birth weight infants according to place of birth and level of care: results of a national collaborative survey of preterm and very low birth weight infants in The Netherlands. Pediatrics. 1988 Mar;81(3):404–411. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]