World first neonatal research

New Zealand researchers have released the findings of a world-first study on premature babies. Twenty years of data from 1.2 million babies was used in the research, helping parents and doctors make better decisions about how to care for premature babies.

Using Stats NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure”, Wellington Regional Hospital neonatologist, Dr Max Berry, and her team have been able to see that even for the most premature babies there is hope. In fact, outcomes for these babies are better than in many other countries around the world.

“Now for the first time we’ve got this tremendous ability to say, in New Zealand, within our context, within our culture, this is what it looks like for these children growing up, and that’s an incredibly powerful resource to have.”

“We took 1.2 million babies that were born and were able to look at early life survival, early life medical needs, what their educational needs were and their grades, so it gives us that holistic start of life picture not just for the first few years of life but all the way through childhood and into early adulthood,” says Associate Professor Nevil Pierse, University of Otago, Wellington.

The data helps assess risk factors years in advance and will help implement best practice and policy change.

To learn more, check out the full article from Newshub here:
www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/11/world-first-kiwi-research-giving-new-hope-for-prem-babies

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If you wanted to read more about the research team, check out this piece that featured in an issue of One Percent Collective #Generosity Journal – a great insight: www.thegenerosityjournal.co.nz/stories/the-tiny-patients (If you wanted a PDF copy, click here)

To learn about a number of other neonatal research programmes, head to littlemiraclestrust.org.nz/research

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The Little Miracles Trust provides support to families of premature or sick full-term babies as they make their journey through Neonatal Intensive Care, the transition home, and onwards. We do not receive any Government funding and are entirely reliant on the generosity of individuals, companies and organisations in the form of donations, value-in-kind donations, grants, sponsorship and fundraising events to supplement operating costs and fund our services and initiatives.
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