Developing a Small Baby Program for the Extremely Low Birth Weight: The Wee CARE Team.
Publication Title
Neonatal network : NN
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-1-2021
Keywords
alaska; anchorage; Birth Weight; Child; Humans; Infant; Infant Mortality; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight; Infant, Newborn; Patient Care Team; Risk Factors
Abstract
The Children's Hospital at Providence (TCHaP) is a hospital within a hospital, in the heart of Alaska's biggest city, Anchorage. TCHaP admits up to 60 extremely low birth weight (ELBW) neonates per year. The ELBW population, although small in number, contributes disproportionately to rates of death or serious morbidities. Nationally, ELBW is defined as a neonate born at a gestational age between 22 and 29 weeks. In 2014, only 38 percent of neonates born in Alaska<26 >weeks, morbidity-free survival dropped to 25 percent. Discussions were held among NICU nursing leaders, clinical nurses, and physicians about current co-morbidities and potentially best practices to improve outcomes. Subsequently, the group decided to develop best practices for managing the care of the ELBW, which started by organizing a group of specialists. This group at TCHaP is called the Wee CARE team.
Area of Special Interest
Women & Children
Specialty/Research Institute
Nursing
Specialty/Research Institute
Perinatology/Neonatology
Specialty/Research Institute
Pediatrics
