Leapfrog: Hospitals report major progress on early elective deliveries
Most U.S. hospitals in 2011 reduced early elective deliveries
Topics: Women's Services, Service Lines
January 27, 2012
U.S. hospitals in 2011 significantly reduced early elective newborn deliveries, which experts say cause complications in infants, according to a new Leapfrog Group report.
According to Billie Lou Short, chief of neonatology at Children's National Medical Center, complications associated with early delivery can include respiratory problems, jaundice, infection, extended hospital stays, and higher mortality. Leapfrog last year highlighted data on early elective deliveries and called on hospitals to bring the average rate of elective deliveries before 39 weeks down to 12%.
According to Leapfrog, 39% of the 757 hospitals reported an early elective delivery rate of 5% or less in 2011, up 30% from 2010. Overall, 65% of the hospitals improved their performance from the year prior. Hospitals on average said that 14% of their deliveries were early elective, down from 17% in 2010. Leapfrog also found wide variation between hospitals in different states.
Leapfrog CEO Leah Binder, says the new findings are "extremely promising news," noting that hospitals are "making a difference in the lives of women and newborns." She adds, "However, there is still work to be done. We are seeing far too many newborns delivered early and without a medical reason, and there are still a number of hospitals who refuse to make this information public" (Hobson, "Health Blog," Wall Street Journal, 1/25; Leapfrog release, 1/25).
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