Morgan, AS;
(2015)
Care of extremely premature babies in England, 1995 – Present.
Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
This thesis, arising from the EPICure studies into extremely preterm births, seeks to explain demographic, clinical and organisational factors associated with a large increase in admissions to neonatal intensive care. Using six pre-existing data sets, long with a repeat Unit Profile Study of English perinatal centres conducted in 2011 as part of this thesis, three studies were performed: • Validation of the 44% increase in the number of admissions to neonatal intensive care at 22–25 weeks gestation seen between 1995 and 2006 in England was attempted using three methods of probabilistic record linkage with Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data. • The effects of antenatal steroid administration, tocolysis and Caesarean delivery on perinatal outcomes in the extremely preterm population were investigated. • Changes in organisational characteristics – staffing and “activity” (expressed as throughput and intensity) – that have occurred in England were examined using data from three time points. An increase was seen in the number of extremely premature babies in HES data. Linkage with EPICure data demonstrated that routine data are insufficiently precise for use in epidemiological investigations at the margins of viability. Tocolysis was associated with improved outcomes. Antenatal steroids were associated with improved outcomes at birth following vaginal delivery. No effect was demonstrated for Caesarean delivery on birth outcomes but there was evidence of case selection at gestations below 26 weeks. Organisational data (from 1997, 2006 and 2011) demonstrated reduced numbers of cots between 1997 and 2011 with increases in both throughput and intensity of workload. Staffing levels increased, but still failed to meet recommended standards. Current knowledge of extremely low gestational age births is inadequate for national policy or health care reorganisation. Suggestions were made for how knowledge could be improved.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Title: | Care of extremely premature babies in England, 1995 – Present |
| Event: | UCL (University College London) |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL EGA Institute for Womens Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL EGA Institute for Womens Health > Neonatology |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1470086 |
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