Bliss (charity) a story on neonatal intensive care units. The article said that no hospital had all the equipment it needed to safely care for the premature and sick babies in their care. Allan Chilvers suggested setting up a society to raise funds for life-saving equipment like incubators for premature babies and Bliss (Baby Life Support Systems) was born. In five years Bliss raised £750,000 and donated equipment to 82 hospitals. The 1990s saw the introduction of artificial pulmonary surfactants and antenatal steroids which reduced infant mortality and meant more premature babies began to survive. During this decade, Bliss was chosen as
Neonatal intensive care unit over 18% of newborn babies in Britain were being admitted to NICUs. Some hospitals admitted all babies delivered by Caesarian section or under 2500 g in weight. The fact that these babies missed early close contact with their mothers was a growing concern. The 1980s saw questions being raised about the human and economic costs of too much technology, and admission policies gradually became more conservative. NICUs now concentrate on treating very small, premature, or congenitally ill babies. Some of these babies are from higher-order multiple births, but most are still single babies born too early. Premature labour, and how