Neonatal Med.  2023 Feb;30(1):10-13. 10.5385/nm.2023.30.1.10.

Neonatal Research Network of Japan and Neonatal Database

• Kusuda S

• KMID: 2540094
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5385/nm.2023.30.1.10

Abstract

In 2004, the Neonatal Research Network of Japan initiated a database registration system for high-risk infants in Japan. Currently, 65% of all very low the birth weight infants or infants born at <32 weeks of gestation are registered in the database. Approximately 4,000 new cases are registered annually. A unique feature of the database is that it includes outcome data at 1.5, 3, and 6 years after discharge from neonatal intensive care units. All registered data are fed back annually to the participating hospitals and used to benchmark neonatal care. Results from this database have also been published in many international journals. With the development of this database, neonatal medicine in Japan has progressed.

Keyword

Infant, very low birth weight; Infant, premature; Mortality; Morbidity

Figure

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  Figure 1. Cumulative number of infants registered. This figure presents the cumulative number of infants registered in the database between 2003 and 2022. Currently, >80,000 infants are registered annually.

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  Figure 2. Number of publications each year and total publications. This figure presents the number of publications in international journals published in English. Since the first publication in 2005, the number of publications has increased annually, and the total number of publications is almost 100.

Reference

1. Kusuda S. Neonatal Research Network Database Japan [Internet]. Tokyo: NRN; 2022 [cited 2023 Feb 23]. Available from: http://plaza.umin.ac.jp/nrndata/indexe.htm.

2. Kusuda S, Fujimura M. Neonatal network database operated by the Neonatal Research Network of Japan. Pediatr Med. 2021 [Epub]. https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/pm-21-71.

3. Neonatal Research Network Database Japan. Center list [Internet]. Tokyo: NRN; 2022 [cited 2023 Feb 23]. Available from: http://plaza.umin.ac.jp/nrndata/data/centerlist.xlsx.

4. Kusuda S, Fujimura M, Sakuma I, Aotani H, Kabe K, Itani Y, et al. Morbidity and mortality of infants with very low birth weight in Japan: center variation. Pediatrics. 2006; 118:e1130–8.

5. Neonatal Research Network Database Japan. 4/1/2022 (86 publications) [Internet]. Tokyo: NRN; 2022 [cited 2023 Feb 23]. Available from: http://plaza.umin.ac.jp/nrndata/pdf/publicationlist.pdf.

6. Neonatal Research Network Database Japan. Neonatal intensive care manual for the infants born less than 28 weeks of gestation (ver. 1.1) [Internet]. Tokyo: NRN; 2019 [cited 2023 Feb 23]. Available from: http://plaza.umin.ac.jp/nrndata/pdf/NICUManual.pdf.