[Transport of newborn infants who need intensive care].

A 4-year-long experience is reported on mobile neonatal emergency transport service for pathological newborn babies from referral hospitals to the NICU level III. The area covered by the NICU consists of three counties with a total population of 1 million. Distance of the hospitals from the NICU ranges 0.5-115 km, transport time varies from 0.5-5.0 hours. In the transport staff are dedicated neonatal team from the NICU III, the driver and the emergency medical technician are the employee of the National Ambulance Service. During the study period 385 patients were transported. Clinical condition and characteristic laboratory parameters of the babies at departure and arrival are analysed and compared to evaluate the efficacy and quality of the system. Furthermore, some questions regarding organisation, transit time and response time and legal aspects are discussed.