Bioethical issues in neonatal care: the case of CARPEDIEM

Several barriers determine a lack of technological transfer between adult and pediatric care. In particular, this has been the case in the field of critical care nephrology where adequate devices and machinery for neonatal dialysis were completely missing. Where industry and large hospital centers do not provide sufficient advancement in pediatric and neonatal care, the academic world must take the lead even though in some cases adequate funding or resources are lacking. Then, the role of charity events and non-profit institutions and organizations may represent the correct approach to move the field forward. This has been the case for the development of CARPEDIEM (Cardio, Renal, pediatric, Dialysis, Emergency, Machine), where a combination of charity events and academic effort led to the most modern and unique neonatal dialysis machine. This is a nice example of how technological gaps in neonatal care can be overcome.