Organization of neonatal care in Belgium

The objectives of this paper are (1) to describe the organization of neonatal care in Belgium; (2) to review evaluative studies aiming at assessing the availability, effectiveness and cost of care, and (3) to compare the situation in Belgium with that in other countries. In the future, basic neonatal care should be provided in each maternity unit. This means that many maternities need upgrading in staffing and equipment. For intensive care, there is only a need for 10-12 specialized centers in the country. A policy for rapid transfer of sick neonates to specialized centers should be implemented.