Around 1960, when the terms neonatology and neonatologist were first introduced, it would have been difficult to predict that in the following few years remarkable advances in neonatal intensive care would have substantially increased the population of very small and immature infants surviving at low gestational ages. As recently observed by Spitzer (1), we have moved from the era of survival (1960-1975), through the bronchopulmonary dysplasia era (1975-1990), to the present outcome era, where the focus is on long-term neurodevelopment outcome. Dramatic improvements in the care of the sick term infant and of the preterm infant have been made possible by a renovated medical commitment; strong ethical issues; an explosion of science, information, and resources; and the introduction of important technological advances. All of this led to the successful management of respiratory distress syndrome and of persistent pulmonary hypertension, the maintenance of body temperature and humidity, the manipulation of the ductus arteriosus, and the diffusion of parenteral nutrition. Regionalization of neonatal care, changes in parent-infant interaction, miniaturization of blood samples, and the widespread use of human milk in neonatal intensive care units are other important, remarkable advances that have contributed greatly to the survival of very and extremely low birth weight infants. (...) TEXT TRUNCATED AT 202 WORDS
Neonatology. Foreword.
VIGI, Vittorio;FANARO, Silvia
2007
Abstract
Around 1960, when the terms neonatology and neonatologist were first introduced, it would have been difficult to predict that in the following few years remarkable advances in neonatal intensive care would have substantially increased the population of very small and immature infants surviving at low gestational ages. As recently observed by Spitzer (1), we have moved from the era of survival (1960-1975), through the bronchopulmonary dysplasia era (1975-1990), to the present outcome era, where the focus is on long-term neurodevelopment outcome. Dramatic improvements in the care of the sick term infant and of the preterm infant have been made possible by a renovated medical commitment; strong ethical issues; an explosion of science, information, and resources; and the introduction of important technological advances. All of this led to the successful management of respiratory distress syndrome and of persistent pulmonary hypertension, the maintenance of body temperature and humidity, the manipulation of the ductus arteriosus, and the diffusion of parenteral nutrition. Regionalization of neonatal care, changes in parent-infant interaction, miniaturization of blood samples, and the widespread use of human milk in neonatal intensive care units are other important, remarkable advances that have contributed greatly to the survival of very and extremely low birth weight infants. (...) TEXT TRUNCATED AT 202 WORDSI documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
