The population of pediatric patients with complex medical needs is growing, in part due to better survival rates among infants born prematurely, according to data from the Children's Hospital Association.
Four things to know:
1. CHA analyzed survival rates for a national sample of children's hospitals using its Pediatric Health Information System database.
2. Analysts found the inpatient mortality rate for children born prematurely decreased from 3.4 percent in 2009 to 2.4 percent in 2018.
3. Over the same time period, the number of hospitalized infants born before 32 weeks fell from 34 percent to 31 percent.
4. Last year, 92,000 children were hospitalized with complications linked to prematurity.
"Children born prematurely face health challenges and developmental delays requiring specialized and complex pediatric care," Mark Wietecha, CHA president and CEO, said in a press release emailed to Becker's. "It's essential we step up to support these kids and their families."