ELKHART -- In about 90 percent of all births, the baby smoothly
transitions from the womb to the world. About 10 percent of the
time, an infant requires special assistance after delivery. Some
babies need stimulation or a little bit of oxygen when they are
born. And every now and then a baby requires intubation,
medication, or other extensive resuscitation measures. Area
hospitals such as Elkhart General Hospital are constantly
working to provide their medical personnel with the best
training possible for situations like this. And now, a new tool
will assist them in accomplishing that task. The Elkhart General
Hospital Foundation recently donated a computerized infant
simulator, or high-tech sim baby, to the hospital's neonatal
unit to provide greater life-like training for nursing staff who
may need to resuscitate a newborn. The training tool cost about
$25,000. "When things go wrong, it can happen in an instant,"
said Michaela Nufer, an Elkhart General neonatal nurse
practitioner. "That's why it's so import