Outcome and cost of neonatal intensive care

Abstract

The techniques required to provide life support and treatment for extremely preterm or otherwise sick babies are an emerging technology in health care. Twenty years ago, only tertiary referral centres provided such care, usually described as neonatal intensive care. However, it is now regarded as common practice in neonatal nurseries in richer countries. Because such care is very costly, and because of concern in most countries about health care budgets, the growth of neonatal care has raised questions about the corresponding benefits. In this paper, I shall summarise some evidence about changes in both outcomes and costs of caring for extremely sick newborn babies, and discuss how these data have been used in the debate about health care spending.