ProgenyHealth NICU Insights Blog

Learn How to Prevent Transmitting Infections from Mother to Infant

According to research, up to 24% of stillbirths in developed countries result from infection[1] – and up to 50% in developing countries.[2]

As states wrestle with COVID-19-related state budget deficits, Medicaid may soon find itself in the crosshairs. While the short-term impact on adult health is significant, the long-term consequences for children are even greater. Medicaid cuts could negatively impact a child over their lifetime – not only for their health but in areas of disability, education, and financial security.

In 2021, our healthcare system will face tremendous challenges but achieve promising breakthroughs. These shifts will profoundly affect the NICU families and clients we serve.

Learn more about how these five leading trends will impact your business in our 2021 brief:

Six reasons to let experts manage your NICU Care Management

Health plans increasingly outsource processes and programs to specialized partners to improve care, streamline administrative processes, establish accreditation credentials, and expand access to care coordination. Year over year, business process outsourcing by health plans has grown 22 percent.¹

November is National Prematurity Awareness Month – a time to recognize the 1 in 10 babies who are born preterm – nearly 400,000 babies each year in the United States.

Even though premature babies miss out on some of the growth and development that happens in the final weeks of gestation, advances in medical science and care support increase the odds that they will live full, productive, and healthy lives.

According to CMS, routine medical care for low-income children declined sharply during the March to May shutdown – a trend that could cause long-term harm if not reversed. The agency found that vaccinations, screening for childhood diseases, visits to the dentist, and even mental health had plummeted.

Even though school and business activity are slowly returning to normal, healthcare schedules do not show the anticipated uptick after such a shutdown.

Every year, the recognition of National Breastfeeding Awareness Month¹ seeks to educate moms on the importance of breastfeeding, and empowering them to commit to breastfeeding their children – a practice the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says improves the health and wellbeing of both mother and baby. At ProgenyHealth, we recognize the critical role that proper breastfeeding education and support plays in the lives of our NICU families. Our case managers are dedicated to ensuring that our moms have the proper connections to resources, education, and supplies for breastfeeding and nutrition.

Despite the gradual reopening of the economy, over 21 million Americans are still unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as states reopen, millions of people who have lost their employer-sponsored health coverage are turning to Medicaid.

Infants admitted to a hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are understood to be those born prematurely or with medical complexities, warranting care that, by definition, is more intensive and also more costly than that provided to a healthy newborn. However, accepting the accuracy of this scenario may lead to a significant misinterpretation regarding your NICU population. Specifically, what happens to your analysis when the care of healthy newborns is being billed as NICU services?

I am blessed and proud to be the father of two boys, Jimmy (30 weeks) and Johnny (31 weeks), and one girl, Emily (26 weeks). All three were born premature and spent a combined 139 nights inpatient in the hospital NICU. Each time was an emotional roller coaster for my wife and me. Going through it once does not make the next ride any easier, whether it is one day or several months in the NICU. They each come with much fear, uncertainty, and sleepless nights. And though I received great support from hospital staff, family, and friends, being a NICU father can leave a man feeling a bit helpless. I am sharing my story to help other dads and caregivers in my situation with some insights on what to expect.