Neonatology in Europe. Training, accreditation, and research.
OBJECTIVE
In order to assess training, accreditation, and scientific status of neonatology in the European countries, a structured questionnaire on availability, duration, and accreditation of neonatology training programs was mailed to the pediatric and neonatal societies. A medline search was performed on the item 'infant, newborn' and the data were related to the population number, total fertility, and infant mortality.


RESULTS
In most European countries, two year training programs in neonatology exist in addition to 4 or 5 years pediatric training. Numbers of certified neonatologists ranged from 2 to 10 per million inhabitants. An inverse correlation of infant mortality and medline entry rate was found (R(s) -0.91, P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Conforming training and accreditation in Europe may help to compensate delays in infant mortality and scientific productivity and would facilitate subspecialist mobility.
Obladen
M
M
Department of Neonatology, Virchow-Klinikum, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany.
D000068:Accreditation; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016239:MEDLINE; D009359:Neonatology / Q000193:education*; D012106:Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce