Small Baby Program
Paving the Future of Care So the Tiniest, Most Fragile Babies May Thrive
Small Baby Program
The survival rate for extremely premature babies is improving dramatically. A decade ago, it was only 10 percent for babies born at 23 weeks. Today, the survival rate at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is 78 percent for these babies.
The Small Baby Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is helping improve extremely premature babies’ outcomes. It’s a dedicated approach to small baby care. It embraces the needs of both the premature baby and the family that loves him or her.
As a result of the dedicated, multidisciplinary care they receive, premature babies at Nationwide Children’s are doing more than surviving. They’re catching up to their peers. They’re thriving.
Nationwide Children's Hospital is ranked by U.S. News & World Report for Neonatology.
What Makes Us Different
The Small Baby Program is dedicated to the care of babies born at less than 27 weeks. It follows standard protocols for care – bedside tested and family centered.
These protocols for neonatal care are called Small Baby Guidelines (SBG). Nationwide Children’s interdisciplinary team of pediatric physicians and nurses, who are devoted to the care of premature babies, developed them.
These guidelines outline care regarding:
- Newborn intensive care
- Development
- Nutrition
- Cardiovascular functioning
- Infection
- Any other potential health concerns
Babies treated according to the SBGs require shorter hospital stays. They are less likely to experience intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
Our Small Baby Program and its neonatology experts have attracted interest from neonatal centers from across the country.
Follow-Up Care
The day baby goes home is a great day for everyone. But the Small Baby Program doesn’t stop there.
The babies continue to receive care from the Small Baby Program. Families return home with specific, continuing treatment plans for their babies.
In addition, there is a commitment to ongoing consultation between Nationwide Children’s staff and the patient’s primary care physician.
Make a Referral
Call the Physician Direct Connect Line toll free at (877) 355-0221, for physician consults and to coordinate a patient transport, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
