Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is the birth of a baby at fewer than 37 weeks gestational age, as opposed to full-term delivery at approximately 40 weeks. Very early preterm birth is before 32 weeks, early preterm birth occurs between 32–36 weeks, late preterm birth is between 34–36 weeks' gestation. These babies are also known as premature babies or colloquially preemies or premmies. Symptoms of preterm labor include uterine contractions which occur more often than every ten minutes and/or the leaking of fluid from the vagina before 37 weeks. Premature infants are at greater risk for cerebral palsy, delays in development, hearing problems and problems with their vision. The earlier a baby is born, the greater these risks will be.
A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), also known as an intensive care nursery (ICN), is an intensive care unit (ICU) specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants. Neonatal refers to the first 28 days of life. Neonatal care, as known as specialized nurseries or intensive care, has been around since the 1960s.
Newborn transport is used to move premature and other sick infants from one hospital to another, such as a medical facility that has a neonatal intensive care unit and other services. Neonatal transport services such as NETS use mobile intensive care incubators fitted with mechanical ventilators, infusion pumps and physiological monitors capable of being used in a mobile environment. These transport systems seek to emulate the environment of a neonatal intensive care and permit uninterrupted care to occur in a referring hospital and then during the journey by road or air ambulance. Power and medical gas supplies are carried within the system as well as making use of external supplies; as available. Infant transport systems commonly weigh over 100 kg and present a challenge to vehicle operators in terms of weight, manual handling, crashworthiness and power consumption.
B.C. Women's Hospital & Health Centre, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), is a Canadian hospital located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, specializing in women's health programs. It is the only facility in Western Canada dedicated to the health of women, newborns and families, and is the largest maternity hospital in the country. It is a teaching hospital and major provincial health care resource, and is a key component in women's health research.
McMaster Children's Hospital (MCH), in Hamilton, Ontario, is one of Canada's largest pediatric academic tertiary care teaching hospitals affiliated with McMaster University. It is operated by Hamilton Health Sciences and is within the McMaster University Medical Centre. MCH became a children's hospital in 1988. The hospital was recently ranked 2nd in Canada for research according to Research Infosource Inc.
Sharp HealthCare is a not-for-profit regional health care group located in San Diego. Sharp includes four acute-care hospitals, three specialty hospitals, three affiliated medical groups and a health plan. Sharp has approximately 2,600 physicians and more than 18,000 employees.
Neonatal nursing is a sub-specialty of nursing care for newborn infants up to 28 days after birth. The term neonatal comes from neo, "new", and natal, "pertaining to birth or origin". Neonatal nursing requires a high degree of skill, dedication and emotional strength as the nurses care for newborn infants with a range of problems, varying between prematurity, birth defects, infection, cardiac malformations and surgical problems. Neonatal nurses are a vital part of the neonatal care team and are required to know basic newborn resuscitation, be able to control the newborn's temperature and know how to initiate cardiopulmonary and pulse oximetry monitoring. Most neonatal nurses care for infants from the time of birth until they are discharged from the hospital.
Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital is a pediatric acute care children's teaching hospital located in Cleveland, Ohio. The hospital has 244 pediatric beds and is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The hospital is a member hospital of University Hospitals and is the only children's hospital in the network. The hospital provides comprehensive pediatric specialties and subspecialties to infants, children, teens, and young adults aged 0–21 throughout northern Ohio. Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital also sometimes treats adults that require pediatric care. Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital also features the only ACS verified Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in the region. The hospital is one of the largest providers of pediatric health services in Ohio. The hospital is attached to University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and a few blocks away from the Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland.
Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford (LPCH) is a nationally ranked women's and children's hospital which is part of the Stanford University Health system. The hospital is located adjacent to the campus at 725 Welch Road, Palo Alto, California. It was founded in 1991 and is staffed by over 650 physicians with 4,750 staff and volunteers. The hospital specializes in the care of infants, children, teens, young adults aged 0–21, but sometimes treats older adults and expectant mothers. Lucile Packard Children's Hospital is an ACS verified Level 1 regional pediatric trauma center, 1 of 7 in the state.
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island is a women and infants' hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the primary teaching hospital in obstetrics, gynecology, and newborn pediatrics of the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. In 1996, Women & Infants Hospital was a founding member of the Care New England Health System.
Danat Al Emarat Hospital (DAE) or Mother of Pearl is a hospital dedicated to women and children in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Sharp Memorial Hospital is a hospital in San Diego, California, in the United States. Opened in 1955, Sharp Memorial is Sharp HealthCare's largest hospital and the system's only designated Level II trauma center. Located in Serra Mesa, the hospital has 656 beds, including 48 for intensive-care services.
The Woman's Hospital of Texas is an HCA Affiliated Hospital established in 1976 by a group of physicians who recognized a need in Houston for a facility focused solely on women in all stages of life. Its founders, Dr. Stanley Rogers, Dr. Jack Moore and Dr. Warren Jacobs, specifically chose to name the hospital Woman's – not Women's – in honor of each patient as an individual and the personal attention each woman receives. Located near the Texas Medical Center in Houston Woman's has been one of the state's premier care providers for women and newborns for more than 30 years. The hospital also received accolades from U.S. News & World Report's annual survey ranking it one of the nation's top 50 hospitals for gynecologic care since 2007.
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, formerly Saint Barnabas Medical Center (SBMC), is a 577-bed non-profit major teaching hospital located in Livingston, New Jersey. An affiliate of RWJBarnabas Health, it is the oldest and largest nonprofit, nonsectarian hospital in New Jersey.
Tri-City Medical Center, founded in 1961, is a full-service, acute-care public hospital in Oceanside, California. Located 40 miles north of San Diego, Tri-City serves three major cities in the North County section of San Diego County: Oceanside, Vista, and Carlsbad. The hospital also owns and operates nearby outpatient services, as well as the Tri-City Health and Wellness Complex in Carlsbad, home to the Tri-City Wellness Center, a 58,000-square-foot medically integrated training facility.
Dr. Karthik Nagesh is a neonatologist in India. He has been practicing neonatal intensive care since 1992 at the Manipal Hospital in Bangalore. He is well known in India for his pioneering work in intensive care for sick neonates especially, Surfactant Therapy and ventilation for sick babies with respiratory distress. He is currently the Chairman of the Manipal Advanced Children's Center and Chairman and HOD of Neonatology and Neonatal ICUs at the Manipal Hospitals Group as well as an adjunct professor of paediatrics, KMC at Manipal University.
A neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) with at least 2 years experience as a beside registered nurse in a level III NICU, who is prepared to practice across the continuum, providing primary, acute, chronic, and critical care to neonates, infants, and toddlers through age 2. Primarily working in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) settings, NNPs select and perform clinically indicated advanced diagnostic and therapeutic invasive procedures. In the United States, a board certified neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP-BC) is an APRN who has acquired Graduate education at the master’s or doctoral level and has a board certification in neonatology. The National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (NANNP) is the national association that represents neonatal nurse practitioners in the United States. Certification is governed by the National Certification Corporation for Obstetrics, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing Specialties (NCC).
Cheluvamba Hospital for Women and Children in Mysore, India, was established in 1889 by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. It is a tertiary referral center and teaching hospital attached to the Mysore Medical College and Research Institute. It is located on Irwin Road, in Mysore opposite the medical college and in the same campus as Krishnarajendra Hospital.
Oklahoma Children's Hospital at OU Health formerly known as The Children's Hospital of Oklahoma and The Children's Hospital at OU Medicine is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care women's and children's hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It is affiliated with the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. The hospital features all private rooms that consist of 246 pediatric beds. The hospital provides comprehensive pediatric specialties and subspecialties to infants, children, teens, and young adults aged 0–21 throughout the region. The hospital also sometimes treats adults that require pediatric care. The hospital has a rooftop helipad and is an ACS verified level I pediatric trauma center, the only one in Oklahoma. The hospital features a regional pediatric intensive-care unit and an American Academy of Pediatrics verified level IV neonatal intensive care unit.
Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital (CMHH) is a nationally ranked women's and pediatric acute care teaching hospital located in Houston, Texas. The hospital has 234 pediatric beds and 76 beds for women. CMHH is affiliated with the John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and is a part of the Memorial Hermann Health System. The hospital provides comprehensive pediatric specialties and subspecialties to infants, children, teens, and young adults aged 0–21 throughout Houston and surrounding regions. Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital also sometimes treats adults that require pediatric care. CMHH also features an American College of Surgeons designated Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center, 1 of 5 in the state. The hospital is located within the vast Texas Medical Center.
