Quality Reports - Children's Hospital of Wisconsin-Fox Valley

Necrotizing enterocolitis

Why we measure it - Necrotizing enterocolitis is a condition that causes inflammation in the digestive system that can result in tissue death and the development of holes in the large and small intestines. It primarily affects premature and low birth weight infants. The percentage of babies who develop NEC can be an important indicator of the nutrition and feeding practices and patient safety procedures. Providing breast milk in early feedings has been shown to reduce the risk for NEC.

	CHW-Fox Valley	Vermont Oxford
2008	0.40 percent	Not available
2007	0.40 percent	2.0 percent
2006	0.40 percent	1.70 percent
2005	1.30 percent	1.80 percent

What this means - Children's Hospital of Wisconsin-Fox Valley consistently has fewer babies that suffer from necrotizing enterocolitis, which demonstrates excellent care, reduces the number of days of hospitalization and medical costs, and results in better overall outcomes.

About the data - This graph shows the percentage of babies who suffered from necrotizing enterocolitis, compared to other Vermont Oxford hospitals.

Learn about what we're doing to provide the best care.

Related dimensions of care:

Patients/families:

• Be an advocate for your child. Participate in daily bedside clinical discussions, andæprovide any information about your child that may be helpful to staff.
• Follow medical instructions fully and carefully.
• Ask questions if you don't understand the plan of care or if you are not sure how to care for your child.
• Attend any and all follow-up appointments.

If you have questions about this data or information, e-mail us or call (414) 266-6726.