This year we invite you to join our efforts to help some of the most vulnerable patients, babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). More than a half million babies in the United States and nearly 10,000 in Arizona are born prematurely each year. Preterm birth is the leading cause of infant illness and accounts for more than two thirds of all infant deaths. The PANDA Healthy Babies Project will work to increase the likelihood that babies can leave the NICU healthy and in the shortest amount of time. Of the myriad of health issues that premature babies face, Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common gastrointestinal disease that affects them. NEC is an inflammatory disease that can cause destruction of the intestine and in its severest form can result in surgical removal of portions of the affected intestine. Sadly, 20% to 40% of babies affected with NEC will die from the disease.

Currently, the University of Arizona’s Steele Children’s Research Center is the only facility in the state of Arizona that combines the highest level clinical services for preterm infants along with cutting edge basic science research. The Steele Center boasts several of the best known scientists and physicians in this field, including Drs. Alan Bedrick, MD, Bohuslav Dvorak, PhD and Melissa Halpern, PhD. In addition to their current work, the team is also taking steps to build collaborative research partnerships with NICUs throughout Arizona, including the Phoenix area.

With PANDA’s help and your generous support, the Steele Center can:
• Advance the field of neonatology through a better understanding of why certain premature infants get NEC
• Discover ways to prevent babies from developing NEC
• Find the means to predict NEC before it becomes a medical or surgical emergency
• Fund training for new scientists with interest in neonatology, building on the Steele Center’s strong foundation in neonatology research