Stefan Johansson
16th August 2006, 22:23
Leading article - August 2006
Björn Westrup is consultant neonatologist and director of the Danderyd Neonatal Unit of the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. Dr Westrup is the first author in our "Leading articles" series.
In 2003 Björn Westrup presented his thesis at the Karolinska Institutet entitled ”Developmentally supportive neonatal care : A study of the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) in a Swedish environment” (http://diss.kib.ki.se/2003/91-7349-504-2/).
Besides clinical research dr Westrup is the director of the Scandinavian NIDCAP center.
Please find the introduction of the article below. The complete article could be downloaded here (http://99nicu.org/articles/Westrup2006.pdf).
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Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) – Family centered developmentally supportive care
Björn Westrup, M.D., Ph.D.
Neonatal Programme, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
Introduction
The mortality among infants prematurely born has dramatically decreased during the last decade in developed countries. The survival of very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBW: <1500 g) has increased from 50% to more than 85% since the initiation of neonatal intensive care in the early 1970’s. However, a concomitant decrease in morbidity has not yet been conclusively shown to take place. Pulmonary morbidity and neurodevelopmental outcome are the two major issues of concern. Employing the 1980 WHO definition of disability, follow-up studies of VLBW infants have reported the incidence to 15-25%. A recent meta-analysis revealed that at school-age, cognitive scores of former VLBW infants are approximately 10 points lower than those of matched control children due to difficulties with attention, behavior, visual-motor integration and language performance.
Important factors related to mortality and morbidity are gestational age, birth weight, gender, premature rupture of membranous, chorioamnionitis, and brain white matter injury. However, also the impact of environmental factors and family involvement on neurodevelopmental outcome has been underlined.
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You may comment the article directly below.
Discussions about NIDCAP could also be posted in the forum "nursing the neonate".
Björn Westrup is consultant neonatologist and director of the Danderyd Neonatal Unit of the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. Dr Westrup is the first author in our "Leading articles" series.
In 2003 Björn Westrup presented his thesis at the Karolinska Institutet entitled ”Developmentally supportive neonatal care : A study of the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) in a Swedish environment” (http://diss.kib.ki.se/2003/91-7349-504-2/).
Besides clinical research dr Westrup is the director of the Scandinavian NIDCAP center.
Please find the introduction of the article below. The complete article could be downloaded here (http://99nicu.org/articles/Westrup2006.pdf).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) – Family centered developmentally supportive care
Björn Westrup, M.D., Ph.D.
Neonatal Programme, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
Introduction
The mortality among infants prematurely born has dramatically decreased during the last decade in developed countries. The survival of very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBW: <1500 g) has increased from 50% to more than 85% since the initiation of neonatal intensive care in the early 1970’s. However, a concomitant decrease in morbidity has not yet been conclusively shown to take place. Pulmonary morbidity and neurodevelopmental outcome are the two major issues of concern. Employing the 1980 WHO definition of disability, follow-up studies of VLBW infants have reported the incidence to 15-25%. A recent meta-analysis revealed that at school-age, cognitive scores of former VLBW infants are approximately 10 points lower than those of matched control children due to difficulties with attention, behavior, visual-motor integration and language performance.
Important factors related to mortality and morbidity are gestational age, birth weight, gender, premature rupture of membranous, chorioamnionitis, and brain white matter injury. However, also the impact of environmental factors and family involvement on neurodevelopmental outcome has been underlined.
* * * * * * * *
You may comment the article directly below.
Discussions about NIDCAP could also be posted in the forum "nursing the neonate".