• Daniele Trevisanuto, Irene Satariano, Nicoletta Doglioni, Giulio Criscoli, Francesco Cavallin, Camilla Gizzi, Claudio Martano, Fabrizio Ciralli, Flaminia Torielli, Paolo E Villani, Sandra Di Fabio, Lorenzo Quartulli, Luigi Giannini, and Neonatal Resuscitation Study Group, Italian Society of Neonatology.
• Children and Women's Health Department, Medical School University of Padua Azienda, Padua, Italy.
• Acta Paediatr. 2014 Jun 1;103(6):605-11.

AimTo evaluate any geographical variations in practice and adherence to international guidelines for early delivery room management of extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants in the North, Centre and South of Italy.MethodsA questionnaire was sent to all 107 directors of Italian level III centres between April and August 2012.ResultsThere was a 92% (n = 98) response rate. A polyethylene bag/wrap was used by 54 centres (55.1%), with the highest rate in Northern Italy (77.5%) and the lowest rate in Southern (37.7%) areas. In Northern regions, one centre (2.5%) said it used oxygen concentrations >40% to initiate positive pressure ventilation in ELBW infants. These proportions were higher in the Central (14.3%) and Southern (16.2%) areas. A T-piece device for positive pressure ventilation was more frequently available in the Northern (95%) units than in those in the Central (66.7%) and Southern (69.4%) regions. A median of 13% (IQR: 5%-30%) of ELBW infants received chest compressions at birth in Italy: 5%, 18% and 22% in Northern, Central and Southern units, respectively.ConclusionIn Italy, delivery room management of ELBW infants showed marked geographical variations. Implementation of national training programmes could increase adherence to the guidelines and reduce such discordance.©2014 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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