Risk Factors Contributing to the Development of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.

Background: Despite advances in medical care, the incidence and severity of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) among infants born at less than 32 weeks' gestation have not decreased. Also, BPD prediction tools have been criticized for containing too few variables, not being validated beyond their initial development, and having a lack of generalizability. To develop a comprehensive prediction tool for postnatal use, a broad evaluation of BPD risk factors is needed.

No Place Like Home: Improving the Transition From NICU to Home Through the NICU to Nursery Program.

Background: Boston Children's Hospital's Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) discharges about a third of its medically complex infants home. Parental feedback indicated a need for more education and training in discharge preparation.

Purpose: The NICU to Nursery (N2N) program was created to better prepare parents to care for their medically complex infants following Level IV NICU discharge.

An examination of characteristics, social supports, caregiver resilience and hospital readmissions of children with medical complexity.

Background: Children with medical complexity (CMC) account for 1% of children in the United States. These children experience frequent hospital readmissions, high healthcare costs and poor health outcomes. A link between CMC caregiver social support, resilience and hospital readmissions has never been fully investigated.

Transferring With TACT: A Novel Tool to Standardize Transfer Decisions From a Level IV NICU.

Background: Neonatal patients who no longer require level IV neonatal intensive care unit care are transferred to less acute levels of care. Standardized assessment tools have been shown to be beneficial in the transfer of patient care. However, no standardized tools were available to assist neonatal providers in the assessment and communication of the infants needs at transfer.