[Emergency transport of newborn infants. Organization and experiences in the Bern region].

Mechanisms of cardiorespiratory adaptation to extrauterine life are reviewed and the pathophysiology of impaired adaptation is discussed. An emergency transport service for sick newborns in the region of Berne, Switzerland, is described. It is manned by a specialized team consisting of a pediatric resident trained in anesthesiology and a pediatric intensive care nurse, and in 1974 emergency transport was provided for 135 newborns. Most had respiratory distress and there was a large proportion of prematures; a further large group was made up of newborns with infections and congenital cardiopathies. Mortality among the transported newborns was 25% in the first two weeks of life. Transport was by helicopter on 8 occasions and otherwise by ambulance. The financial aspects of the service are discussed, together with its advantages and disadvantages.