16  •  2020  •  Developmental Observer

The Republic of Chile is a South 
American country occupying a  

long, narrow strip of land between the  
Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to 
the west. Chile is among South America's 
most economically and socially stable  
and prosperous nations, and a member of 
Organisation for Economic Co-operation 
and Development (OECD) with a high-
income economy and high living standards. 
Recently there have been demonstrations 
denouncing social inequality.

In 2017 there were 219,186 births which 
is approximately 600 newborn babies born every day. Approxi-
mately half of them are male. Forty-two percent were born in 
Santiago, the capital of Chile. The child mortality rate is 7.1% 
with 41.2% occurring in the first day of life and 36% between 
1-28 days. The neonatal mortality rate fell around 5% in one 
year from 2016 to 2017. The Total Fertility rate was just 1.6 in 
2017 below average generational rate. At present, there are many 
immigrants, with around 10% of births occurring in this group.

Chile has a mixed public and private health system with ap-
proximately 70% of the population using the Public Health Sys-
tem, with the remaining 30% accessing the Private Health Sys-
tem. Neonatal intensive care occurs in both public and private 
hospitals. Most private neonatal intensive care units (NICU) 
have 24 hour free access for parents. Unfortunately this does not 
happen in the public system where there is a lack of staff.

Nevertheless, I have been working with different profession-
als (Midwives, OT, therapist) training and making changes.

The Clinica Las Condes (CLC) where I work, is a  
private hospital where parents can stay the whole day with  
their babies, and siblings and grandparents are also welcome.  

We have many preterm babies many of whom 
are twins since this is a referral hospital for in-
fertility treatments and high risk pregnancies.

Since 2008 we have been working with 
the NIDCAP concept in our Unit. Parents are 
encouraged to provide the care for their babies 
and we have an active skin to skin program.

The Preterm Parents Corporation, 
named NEOVIDAS, has been working 
with us to support the preterm parents at 
the CLC & Hospital Santiago Oriente and 
is open to offer help to other parents. They 
work actively with the Health Minister and 

have connections to parents abroad. Each November they organize 
different activities for families and professionals to celebrate World 
Prematurity Day.

Every year I work with midwives, training new people and 
doing refresher courses for the other staff. For the past five years 
Ninoska Cancino, midwife (NIDCAP Professional) and I have 
been working with different Universities, Pediatric Societies and 
Nurse’s Colleges providing training programs in Developmental 
Care within the country. Most of the health care professionals 
who have attended these programs have expressed an interest in 
foundational programs for developmental care such as Family 
and Infant Neurodevelopmental Education (FINE).

The Clinica Las Condes is unfortunately not a NIDCAP 
Training Center but we work with this concept. Our unit is  
the only one in Chile that has certified NIDCAP Professionals 
on staff.

 If requests for NIDCAP Training are received I recommend 
for them to apply to Argentina or Spain for training. Presently, 
we are working together with other Spanish speaking trainers 
who can help us spread the NIDCAP Philosophy.

Global Perspective of Developmental Care – Chile
Marcela Castellanos, MD

Pediatrician, Neonatologist, NIDCAP Professional, Clinica Las Condes & Hospital Santiago Oriente – Dr Luis Tisne

Clinica Las Condes Hospital Santiago Oriente “Dr. Luis Tisné Brousse

DOI: 10.14434/do.v13i1.29092