What would the ideal place to have a baby look like? What innovative services would it provide? Specialists in maternal-fetal medicine have asked this question for years, and the past decade has seen the emergence of several specialized birthing hospitals throughout the country, most recently in Minnesota.
With its unprecedented commitment to improving neonatal outcomes through a comprehensive clinical approach, The Mother Baby Center is an ideal place for a newborn to start life. From the moment a child is born, he or she will have access to the most advanced care procedures possible, thanks to cutting-edge facilities and a partnership of resources between Abbot Northwestern Hospital and Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.
“Having ready access to all the benefits of Children’s Hospital becomes life-altering or even life-saving,” explained Dr. Ellen Bendel-Stenzel, the co-director of clinical research for the Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
With the opening of the Center, the neonatal care staff enjoys direct access to the NICU, used to address complicated or critical infant conditions following birth.
“When we did a drill the other day it took 90 seconds for the NICU team to get ready and be able to take care of a sick baby if needed,” said Michelle Smith, RN, director of the Center.
In addition to improving outcomes for newborns and mothers, new operating rooms at the Center offer opportunities to conduct clinical research related to innovative procedures like antenatal fetal surgery.
“With our new integrated operating rooms, we are prepared to offer improved therapies as soon as they are proven effective,” said Bendel-Stenzel. “We are currently partnering with perinatologists and pediatric surgeons as part of the Midwest Fetal Care Center, where we can provide evaluations for in-utero interventions to improve long-term outcomes in infants with complex conditions.”
Babies born at the Center will benefit from its proven model of comprehensive neonatal care. Vast clinical resources ensure that every newborn will receive the most effective treatment and advanced technology available.
“The new facility offers us the ability to expand and improve on many procedures we’ve been using for years,” said Bendel-Stenzel. “What makes us special is that we can seamlessly bridge the spectrum of care from conception to infant discharge.”