Neonatologists and Pediatricians Highlight Progress and Barriers to Pr... (

Neonatologists and Pediatricians Highlight Progress and Barriers to Preemie Care

Date:2/19/2008

- Online Survey Examines Current Standard of Care and How It has Evolved -

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Feb. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A recent survey of 202 neonatologists and pediatricians, which examined current attitudes and practices when caring for the specialized health needs of preterm infants, revealed that most respondents (70 percent) feel the United States' healthcare system does not place enough emphasis on or dedicate enough resources to preventive healthcare for preemies. The survey was sponsored by MedImmune, Inc.

The incidence of preterm birth, when infants are born at less than 36 weeks gestation, has increased steadily in the United States since the mid- 1990s. Because these babies lack the usual complement of antibodies, which are supplied by the mother to babies in late gestation, preterm babies are at high risk of getting a host of infectious diseases, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the leading cause of infant respiratory hospitalization in the United States. That risk can be even greater among infants that have an array of complex health problems including immune deficiencies, chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease and neurological disorders.

"This survey reminds us that, while progress in preemie healthcare has been made, more still needs to be done to ensure that every preemie, regardless of his or her circumstances, receives the care he or she deserves," said Richard J. Martin, M.D., division chief of neonatology, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio.

Additional key survey findings shed light on reasons why premature infants may not receive the specialized care they require:

Preemie care practices differ among doctors with varying levels of experience.
-- More than half (53 percent) of pediatricians with 10 years of

experience or less relied on parents to find out if a patient was born

prematurely, compared with just 14 percent of pediatric
'/>"/>

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3 4
Related medicine news :

1. Parental surveys boost diagnosis abilities of pediatricians
2. Pediatricians Awarded for Innovative Approaches to Combat Childhood Obesity
3. Pediatricians Group Issues New Autism Guidelines
4. Pediatricians call for a cohesive definition of metabolic syndrome in children
5. Stanford study highlights cost-effective method of lowering heart disease risks
6. REACH Registry Highlights That Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Suffer High Rates of Heart Attack, Stroke, Hospitalization, and Death
7. Cardiovascular Technologies to be Highlighted at 5th Annual Cleveland Clinic Medical Innovation Summit, Oct. 1-3
8. Other highlights in the September 11 JNCI
9. Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, Nonprofit Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Statistical Methods, and Pay-For-Performance Highlighted In the Latest INQUIRY Journal
10. Scientists highlight benefits of genetic research in sport, but warn of ethical concerns
11. A New Interactive Consumer Experience Highlighting Successful Weight Loss Strategies is Coming to a Mall Near You

Post Your Comments:

Neonatologists and Pediatricians Highlight Progress and Barriers to Pr...( - Online Survey Examines Current Sta...),Health