So, 1. How much has Saybie's care cost so far, from her mother's hospitalization to date? (& if Saybie has ongoing issues [likely], those costs are going to continue to pile up. Possibly, they'll get worse as they go - it's unexplored country, because Saybie weighed so little @ birth.)
2. What is the total budget for ObGyn services (NICU, ventilators, 24-hour nurses, doctors on call, meds, monitors, etc.) across the US?
3. If you divide the figure from #1 into the figure for #2, you'll know approximately how many children like Saybie (with a similar expenditure per child, @ least) the country can afford.
On pre-term birth, see
Preterm Birth | Maternal and Infant Health | Reproductive Health | CDC
On preterm birth costs, see
The impact of premature birth on society | March of Dimes
"How much does premature birth cost society?
"In
2007, the Institute of Medicine reported that the
cost associated with premature birth in the United States was $26.2 billion each year. Here’s how the numbers add up:
- $16.9 billion in medical and health care costs for the baby
- $1.9 billion in labor and delivery costs for mom
- $611 million for early intervention services. These are programs for children from birth to age 3 with disabilities and developmental delays. They help children learn physical, thinking, communicating, social and self-help skills that normally develop before age 3.
- $1.1 billion for special education services. These services are specially designed for children with disabilities ages 3 through 21. They help children with development and learning. Children can get these services at school, at home, in hospitals and in other places, as needed.
- $5.7 billion in lost work and pay for people born prematurely"
(My emphasis - more information @ the URL)
Plus noted impacts to the child's performance @ school, the child's prospects for work, & possible impacts to SSI. In
2007, the March of Dimes noted 1 in 10 births in the US were premature.
