Bluewater Health has expanded neonatal care, allowing more newborns who require specialized treatment to remain in Sarnia-Lambton.
Paediatrics Chief Dr. Tom Lacroix said the Sarnia hospital has achieved Level 2B Special Care Nursery designation through Critical Care Services Ontario.
"It allows people to deliver their children here if they're more than 32 weeks [gestation]," said Dr. Lacroix. "But, also for families who may have delivered a very premature child, in a place like London, they'll be able to come back to their local community after 32 weeks of age."
Dr. Lacroix said the new service came into effect on June 1.
"It allows [the families] to live at home, to still take care of their other children, attend their jobs, visit the child much more frequently and it's a win-win-win for everybody," he said.
Previously, infants born younger than 34 weeks gestation were routinely transferred to a regional neonatal centre.
"We're typically dealing with kids who were born two to three months prior to their due date, and the impact on families when you don't have this type of service is enormous," Dr. Lacroix said. "Families end up having to relocate for two or three months, leaving the family split, sometimes with children still in Sarnia."
Dr. Lacroix said the designation reflects years of planning, including enhanced staff education and training, equipment upgrades and close coordination with neonatal specialists throughout the region.
"Typically, our hospital has about 1,200 deliveries a year, and usually we know that about six per cent are going to need NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) services," said Dr. Lacroix. "So by doing this, we're going to be able to keep children who otherwise would have had to be transported, either by helicopter [or] ambulance, to places like London or Windsor."
Dr. Lacroix said individuals at risk of pre-term labour will also be further supported.
"We'll be able to do a lot more expanded obstetrical management. We won't have to transfer people to London, because we're going to be able to do all of the services here in case there's a delivery," Dr. Lacroix said, while reiterating, the greatest effect the service will have is on families.
"We've heard it time and time again, that even the hour long trip down [Highway] 402 is very disruptive to a lot of families' lives and having these types of services closer to home is going to be hugely impactful to local families," Dr. Lacroix said.
