Developing a Small Baby Program for the Extremely Low Birth Weight: The Wee CARE Team.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-2021

Publication Title

Neonatal network : NN

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.

Clinical Institute

Women & Children

Department

Nursing

Department

Perinatology/Neonatology

Department

Pediatrics

Link to Full Text

PSJH Full Text

Share

COinS