Evolution of neonatal intensive care in a district general hospital.

Before 1975 in Blackburn in the Premature Baby Unit monitoring facilities were limited. Ambient oxygen monitoring, blood gas analysis, and ventilation were not being performed. Gradually, special care was introduced and from 1978-80 all babies requiring intensive care and long term ventilatory care were transferred to the Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Not all babies with incipient or established respiratory failure, however, could be accepted, and those declined had unfavourable outcomes. In 1981 local intensive and ventilatory care was begun, and since then the survival of all babies has improved considerably. Our early neonatal mortality and neonatal mortality have fallen below the regional levels. In a district general hospital it is possible to achieve survival figures comparable with those of a regional centre.