A mother whose baby has a prenatally diagnosed condition that requires immediate intervention after birth may find the physical separation from her baby to be emotionally difficult and stressful. This set-up allows mothers to remain close to their babies during this critical period while still receiving expert postpartum care and support.
Wilmington, Del. – Focused on providing the highest level of care for infants in the most vulnerable circumstances, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children and Christiana Care Health System are partnering to provide the Nemours & Christiana Care Advanced Delivery Program. This program – the first of its kind in Delaware – is designed to help care for mothers and babies with prenatally diagnosed conditions that require swift intervention after the birth.
Currently, babies with prenatal diagnoses requiring surgical/non-surgical intervention are delivered at Christiana or other regional hospitals and transferred to Nemours duPont Hospital for Children. This brings both health risk to the baby and emotional distress as mother and infant are separated soon after birth.
The Nemours & Christiana Care Advanced Delivery Program will allow both the delivery and the specialized care the baby needs afterward to occur in one location at Nemours duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington. Delivery will be led by the obstetrical team from Christiana Care, while post-delivery intervention will be managed by pediatric subspecialists from Nemours. The two teams will be fully integrated every step of the way, from initial diagnosis through post-intervention care.
The family’s obstetrician, who plays a critical role in the care and comfort of expectant mothers, is an integral member of the care team, before and after delivery. Together, all of these physicians and surgeons can optimize outcomes for babies with congenital abnormalities, while enhancing the experience for mothers. Referrals from clinicians have begun, with deliveries starting in September 2019.
The program will be co-led by medical directors representing both organizations: Joanna Costa, MD, Nemours neonatologist and Margaret R. Chou, MD, Christiana Care Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Clinicians in the unit expect to treat about 30 expectant mothers in the first year of operation.
Quotes from Nemours and Christiana Care Leaders
“We are proud to partner with Christiana Care to advance and promote the health and well-being of mothers and babies,” said Roy Proujansky, MD, chief executive officer, Nemours Delaware Valley. “As regional leaders in health care, we look forward to working together on programs that positively impact our community.”
“We are excited to partner with our colleagues at Nemours. Together, we will continue our long legacies of providing innovative care to our community,” said Janice E. Nevin, MD, MPH, Christiana Care president and chief executive officer. “As we serve together, the collective expertise of our blended caregiver teams will offer a unique and loving experience for moms and their babies.”
“A mother whose baby has a prenatally diagnosed condition that requires immediate intervention after birth may find the physical separation from her baby to be emotionally difficult and stressful,” said Dr. Costa. “This set-up allows mothers to remain close to their babies during this critical period while still receiving expert postpartum care and support.”
“This level of collaborative care is a real game-changer in our area and has the potential to make a real difference in the lives of the tiniest patients we are privileged to serve,” said Dr. Chou.
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About Nemours Children’s Health System
Nemours is an internationally recognized children's health system that owns and operates the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., and Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando, Fla., along with outpatient facilities in six states, delivering pediatric primary, specialty and urgent care. Nemours also powers the world’s most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, KidsHealth.org, and offers on-demand, online video patient visits through Nemours CareConnect. Nemours ReadingBrightstart.org is a program dedicated to preventing reading failure in young children, grounded in Nemours’ understanding that child health and learning are inextricably linked, and that reading level is a strong predictor of adult health. Established as The Nemours Foundation through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, Nemours provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to families in the communities it serves. Online at www.Nemours.org.
About Christiana Care Health System
Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, and continually ranked by US News & World Report as a Best Hospital, Christiana Care is one of the country’s most dynamic health systems, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs. Christiana Care includes an extensive network of outpatient services, home health care, medical aid units, two hospitals (1,227 beds), a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in cardiology, cancer and women’s health. Christiana Care is a not-for-profit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. With our unique, data-powered care coordination service and a focus on population health and value-based care, Christiana Care is shaping the future of health care. Learn how we deliver greater quality and value at https://christianacare.org.
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