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Saint Barnabas Medical Center Leads the State in Childbirths Livingston, NJ -- Saint Barnabas Medical Center continues to have the busiest maternity unit in the state and leads in childbirths with 7,151 babies born at the hospital in 2001. In fact, on any given day at Saint Barnabas, approximately 20 women may be delivering babies. The highest number of babies ever born at the Medical Center was in 1999, when 7,198 babies were born. In the year 2000, Saint Barnabas was ranked 14th, nationwide, in the number of live births per year in a single hospital. The largest baby delivered at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in 2001 was 11 pounds, 13 ounces in contrast to the smallest surviving infant who weighed 16 ounces. The average age of first time mothers was between 29 and 32 years of age. The month with the most deliveries was August 2001, with 659 births. Several factors make Saint Barnabas Medical Center a well-known facility for childbirths. First, it has more than 120 obstetrician/gynecologists on staff. These ob/gyns from the surrounding communities credit the Medical Center for offering distinct, specialized services for a wide range of women's health issues. Among these areas of specialization are The Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science for women seeking fertility treatment, a maternal-fetal medicine program for high-risk pregnancies, the most advanced intensive care for all premature and ill newborns through the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and a specialized gynecologic oncology program that can help women plan for their reproductive needs while undergoing treatment for cancer. Saint Barnabas is a state-designated Regional Perinatal Center. In 2001, 1,433 premature infants and critically ill newborns were cared for in its 48-bed NICU. Babies treated in the Saint Barnabas NICU receive the highest level of intensive care and sophisticated technology provided in a family-centered environment that fosters parental attachment, as well as healing, growth and development. Quality prenatal care and advances in neonatal care improve the survival rate of premature infants. Success in the treatment of extremely low birth weight infants is measured by the rate of occurrence of chronic lung disease, a particularly common phenomenon in this group of infants. Because of meticulous attention to respiratory care, the Saint Barnabas NICU is among the few hospitals nationwide with the lowest rate of this complication. Having achieved this reputation, it is not surprising that Saint Barnabas attracts couples expecting multiples. In 2001, there were 233 sets of twins, 17 sets of triplets and one set of quintuplets equaling a total of 251 multiple birth infants. Thanks to more precise reproductive technology, the rate of multiple births is down from 1999 when there was a total of 630 multiple birth infants. For more information about Saint Barnabas Medical Center's Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science, the Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, or the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, please call Women's Health Services at (973) 322-5360 or visit www.saintbarnabas.com. [ top ] |
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