[Intensive care for newborns. Evaluation of questionaires (author's transl)]

This report contains three sections: A general definition of aims and tasks of neonatal intensive care is followed by the description of four regions and four neonatal units of different structure with some relevant statistics. According to this inquiry about 1.5 cots for maximum neonatal care and 4 cots for intermediate care per 1000 live births are needed. Considering efficiency and effectivity the smallest independent intensive care unit should "cover an area" of 4000 deliveries per year; it should be closely connected to a least one obstetrical unit. Where and how this neonatal unit may be integrated into a childrens hospital can be derived from the four examples given. It should be recognized that 1) high quality intensive care depends on the availability of additional pediatric services, 2) comprehensive care of newborn infants necessitates regional organization including a newborn ambulance system. Thus, close contacts with obstetrical, but also with pediatric units offering better facilities should be established. In yearly intervals results are to be self-controlled by statistical means. The following incidences of normal survival of infants referred to childrens hospitals can be gained currently [2]: Birth weights below 1000 g: above 20%; 1000--1499 g: above 85%; above 1500 g: better than 95%. Less favorable figures call for analyses of reasons and measures to abolish them.