50 Percent Fewer Late Pre-Term Babies Admitted into NICU after Reduction in Early Elective Deliveries
Working with the March of Dimes and the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative, Winnie Palmer Hospital instituted new guidelines aimed at reducing “Early Elective Deliveries” (EED) for non-medical reasons prior to 39 weeks gestation (the guidelines do not apply to medically-indicated reasons for early delivery).
These guidelines were implemented in January 2012, and the results are dramatic for the second-busiest labor and delivery hospital in the country.Since initiation of the guidelines, EEDs for non-medical reasons at Winnie Palmer Hospital have decreased to below seven percent of all deliveries consistently. The changes have resulted in better care for infants and their mothers and a decrease in NICU admissions of 37- and 38-week gestation newborns. A developing baby goes through important growth during the final weeks of pregnancy. Many organ systems, including the brain, lungs, and liver need the final weeks and days of pregnancy to develop fully. You can read more about this here.