Clinics in perinatology
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Prematurity is one of the leading causes of infant morbidity and mortality globally. Over the years, however, advances in medicine and technology have enhanced the ability to care for babies at very early gestations. ⋯ These changes have added to the burden of premature births. The focus of this article is to present both sides of the story, one that highlights the many problems and morbidities faced by this subgroup of premature infants and the other that justifies their early delivery.
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Clinics in perinatology · Sep 2011
ReviewQuality improvement opportunities to prevent preterm births.
Quality improvement initiatives have been successfully employed in many areas of medicine, but few have been implemented in preventing prematurity (or preterm birth), which continues to be one of the most common complications in obstetrics, and the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality in the United States. Due to the complex nature of the causes of prematurity, developing and instituting a quality improvement program to prevent prematurity can be challenging. However, using proven quality improvement principles and techniques, along with institutional will and commitment, are invaluable in rapidly implementing evidence-based initiatives for the prevention of preterm births.