HUS Children’s Hospital excels in premature infant care
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit K7 of the Children’s Hospital at Helsinki University Central Hospital is among the 6th percentile in the intensive care of premature infants, according to a study comprising 800 neonatal intensive care units worldwide. The ranking is based on data from 2008-2010 which reveal how well the patients developed, how quickly they could move to home care, and how well they managed in home care without illness.
The neonatal intensive care units included in the study, the majority of them in the U.S., are members of the Vermont Oxford Network, which has since 1996 compiled data on intensive care for premature infants (birth weight 501-1500 grammes). Unit K7 is among the 100 largest units surveyed by number of patients.
Unit K7 treats all new born babies from the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) in need of intensive care. The unit also treats infants from outside the district. The total number of patients exceeds 500 in a year, some 150 of whom have birth weight less than 1500g and 60 less than 1000g.
The unit will acquire new, state-of-the-art facilities in 2013-2014, which will further improve the quality of care and provide parents an opportunity to participate in care 24 hours.
