USA Health NICU Unit selected to join international research group

Pat O'Donnell
·2 min read

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — The neonatal intensive care unit at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital has been selected to join an exclusive international research group called, “The Tiny Baby Collaborative.”

The group’s goal is to improve health outcomes for extremely premature newborns. It is composed of about 25 hospitals across four countries that routinely resuscitate children born at 22-to-23 weeks’ gestation and have a track record of successful outcomes.

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“We are honored to be invited to be part of this exclusive international collaborative effort,” Maran Ramani, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.H.A., M.S.H.Q.S., chief of the Division of Neonatology at Children’s & Women’s Hospital said. “Not many centers in the U.S. routinely offer resuscitation for babies born between 22 and 23 weeks’ gestation. Our NICU has been resuscitating 22-23 weekers for the past 25 years, and our outcomes for 22 weekers are some of the best in the United States.”

Ramani said USA Health will share its experiences caring for 22-23 weekers with the rest of the world and gain knowledge from the other centers participating.

Kalsang Dolma, M.D., a neonatologist at USA Health and professor at the University of South Alabama will serve as The Tiny Baby Collaborative MINI study’s primary investigator. MINI stands for a multicenter inventory of neonatal-perinatal interventions.

The study will serve as a registry detailing the outcomes and practices for all deliveries and infants admitted to the NICU at 22-23 weeks’ gestation at participating hospitals.

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The collaborative has two main goals, according to the release from USA Health:

  • Share experiences among hospitals with expertise in treating preterm infants

  • Find better ways to care for the most premature babies and their families

“Specifically, The Tiny Baby Collaborative focuses on the unique needs of babies born at or before 23 weeks’ gestation,” the release said. “Until recently, many hospitals around the world did not report survival of babies born this early. Now, more hospitals report that most of these patients can survive with specialized care.”

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