At Northwestern Memorial Hospital, we track the number of very low birth weight (VLBW) babies cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) each year. Hospitals that care for large numbers of sick babies may be more experienced and better equipped to provide quality healthcare to infants. Studies have shown that mortality among very low birth weight infants is lowest for deliveries that occur in hospitals with NICUs that have both a high level of care and a high volume of such patients.

About this measure

This measure tracks the number of very low birth weight (VLBW) babies we admitted to and treated in the NICU each year.