Remarkable improvement in neonatal survival rates at MITERA. Sharp drop in infections at the NICU.
MITERA Hospital has recorded a dramatic increase in the survival rates of neonates who were either born at the Hospital or were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the last 35 years. During the same time, there was a record drop in perinatal and neonatal mortality rates, as well as a sharp decrease in infections at the NICU. These remarkable results have placed MITERA’s NICU – the first fully organized NICU to operated within a private maternity hospital in Greece – among the best units globally.
The above impressive results were discussed during a one-day meeting held at the N. Louros Conference Center, located within MITERA Hospital, honoring the 35 years of operation of MITERA’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The meeting was attended by pediatricians, neonatologists, obstetricians and physicians of other specialties. Many distinguished guests from Greece and abroad delivered speeches on interesting scientific matters in neonatology.
During her speech, Dr Melpomeni Saklamaki-Kontou, Pediatrician/Neonatologist and Director of the MITERA NICU, noted, “A total of 436,500 babies (12% of the births nationwide) have been born at MITERA in these 35 years, from 1979-2014, while 77,000 neonates were treated in the NICU. Perinatal mortality (i.e. the number of stillbirths and neonatal deaths in the first 7 days of life per 1,000 births) has dropped significantly from 13.3‰ in 1980 to 5.17‰ in 2013. Neonatal mortality (i.e. the number of neonatal deaths in the first 4 weeks of life per 1,000 live births) has decreased more than ten-fold, from 8.1‰ in 1980 down to the record rate of 0.86‰ in 2013. By the same token, the survival rate of neonates born at MITERA increased dramatically in 2013, reaching 99.92%, while the survival rate of neonates admitted to the NICU skyrocketed to 99.64% in 2013”.
Dr Saklamaki further added, “The rate of infections has decreased significantly in the last few years, while in the 3-year period 2011-2013, no infection-related deaths of premature or full-term newborns were recorded in the NICU. Moreover, no multi-drug resistant bacteria have ever been isolated during the 35 years of NICU’s operation.”
Upon concluding, Dr Saklamanaki noted, “Our achievements at the NICU encourage us to continue our efforts and demonstrate the same enthusiasm and self-sacrifice so as to offer top-level healthcare services to our young patients.”