Nearly every minute another baby is born prematurely in this country. In the most extreme cases, some arrive up to three months early. Now, new guidelines are helping more of these babies survive.
A team of doctors at Nationwide Children's Hospital has developed a new set of guidelines to care for these babies. They regulate humidity levels in their cribs, oxygen levels in their blood, the way their skin is treated, and nutrients they're given.
Dr. Edward Shepherd says when the guidelines were tested on more than 200 babies, the results were impressive. Years ago the survival rate for extreme preemies was barely ten percent, but now it's 84%. That's nearly eight times more than just a generation ago.
Dr Shepherd says the guidelines also allow babies and their families to go home much sooner, cutting down on time and money spent at the hospital
A team of doctors at Nationwide Children's Hospital has developed a new set of guidelines to care for these babies. They regulate humidity levels in their cribs, oxygen levels in their blood, the way their skin is treated, and nutrients they're given.
Dr. Edward Shepherd says when the guidelines were tested on more than 200 babies, the results were impressive. Years ago the survival rate for extreme preemies was barely ten percent, but now it's 84%. That's nearly eight times more than just a generation ago.
Dr Shepherd says the guidelines also allow babies and their families to go home much sooner, cutting down on time and money spent at the hospital
