Search

Although the need for trained personnel to care for neonates with complex needs is recognized, there has been no systematic analysis of present or future personnel requirements. The Canadian Paediatric Society’s Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Section sponsored a symposium on neonatal personnel, inviting four Canadian experts to address issues related to future needs. Areas addressed included neonatal nurse practitioners providing increased patient care in some parts of the country as resident involvement in neonatal intensive care decreases, the extended roles of other health care personnel and increased direct patient care by neonatologists. There is no approved method to determine personnel needs, but paediatric department heads have indicated that the number of neonatologists needed is substantially greater than available funding allows. Considering economic factors and the need to educate perinatal care providers, it is important to assess present and future needs to ensure that quality care can be provided.

(2000) Cochrane Database Syst Rev (4). Symington A, Pinelli J. . Developmental care for promoting development and preventing morbidity in preterm infants. . ; . :CD001814 (latest version 28 July 2000). . QUESTION: Does developmental care (ie, interventions designed to modify the neonatal intensive care unit [NICU] environment and thereby minimise the stress experienced by preterm infants) reduce adverse outcomes in preterm infants? Studies were identified by searching Medline (1966 to July 2000), CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library ; English language conference and symposia proceedings from 1990 to July 2000; bibliographies of retrieved articles; and by contacting experts. Randomised trials were included if they compared elements of developmental care with routine nursery care in infants

(1999) Pediatrics 104, 22; Kothadia JM, O'Shea TM, Roberts D . , et al. . Randomized placebo-controlled trial of a 42-day tapering course of dexamethasone to reduce the duration of ventilator dependency in very low birth weight infants. . Jul; . : . –27 . [OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] (1999) Pediatrics 104, 15. O'Shea TM, Kothadia JM, Klinepeter KL . , et al. . Randomized placebo-controlled trial of a 42-day tapering course of dexamethasone to reduce the duration of ventilator dependency in very low birth weight infants: outcome of study participants at 1-year adjusted age. . Jul; . : . –21 . [OpenUrl][3][Abstract/FREE Full Text][4] QUESTION: Among very low birthweight infants, does a 42 day course of dexamethasone reduce duration of assisted ventilation and affect developmental outcome at age 1 year? Randomised (allocation concealed*), unblinded, placebo controlled trial with follow up at age 1 year. 2 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in North Carolina, USA. 118 infants (53% boys, 61% white) who were 15–25 days old and had birth weight