Survival of Premature Infants Royal Maternity Hospital, Belfast, 1952-1963

GENERAL MANAGEMENT The Special Care Baby Unit contains approximately 40 cots and incubators. It has its own senior nursing staff, and consultant paediatric medical staff who also hold appointments at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. Babies admitted to the nursery are nursed either in cots or in incubators with high humidity at a temperature of 85-95°F. depending on their weight and condition. Initial feeding has always been carried out in the first 24 hours provided there are no obvious contraindications. Cyanosed or dyspnoeic babies are given oxygen, and intramuscular vitamin K is administered routinely. Except where necessary (in the case of cyanosed babies), the concentration of oxygen has not exceeded 40 per cent., since the reports of retrolental fibroplasia in the early fifties; and the dose of vitamin K has not exceeded 1-2 mg. following reports of kernicterus with higher dosage in the same period. Penicillin and streptomycin have been given in conventional neonatal doses whenever there was a history of rupture of the membrances for more than 48 hours. To reduce the possibility of infection the following measures are taken: 1. The wearing of masks, clean coats and overshoes by all entering the unit. 2. Hand washing before and after the examination of each infant. 3. No visitors (infants may be viewed in cot or incubator from corridor beside nursery). 4. All feeds are dispensed in autoclaved bottles and prepared under sterile conditions in the hospital milk room. 5. Individual gowns, bedding and toilet equipment for each baby.