Recently, the 2026 Annual Academic Meeting of the Australasia Branch of the Preterm Birth International Collaborative (PREBIC) was held in Chongqing. At the meeting, Zhou Xihui, Director of the Department of Pediatrics at the First Affiliated Hospital (FAH) of Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU), was successfully elected Vice Chairman of the PREBIC Australasia Branch. Professor Shi Yuan, Director of the Department of Neonatology at the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and the first Chinese Chair of the Branch, presented her with the letter of appointment.

PREBIC is an internationally authoritative academic organization composed of pediatricians and researchers, and also serves as a core advisory body to the World Health Organization in the field of maternal and child health. Its members span multiple continents worldwide. The organization is committed to optimizing neonatal health and leading global research on the prevention and treatment of preterm birth. Its Australasia Branch focuses on the prevention and treatment of preterm birth in the Australasia region, promotes clinical management and translational research within the region, and facilitates exchanges among experts from multiple countries to share cutting-edge experience.

The annual meeting attracted experts from more than ten countries, such as China, Thailand, and Singapore, who engaged in in-depth discussions on key topics such as respiratory support and nutritional management for preterm infants. At the meeting, Director Zhou Xihui was invited to deliver a special report, sharing the FAH’s extensive experience and leading technologies in the coordinated respiratory and circulatory management of critically ill neonates, critical care ultrasound, and other areas, demonstrating China’s diagnostic and therapeutic standards in the field of neonatal medicine.

The Department of Neonatology of the FAH has strong comprehensive capabilities in the treatment of preterm infants. Each year, it admits a large number of very low birth weight infants and extremely preterm infants, focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of complex diseases. Supported by advanced technologies and a multidisciplinary collaboration model, its success rate in the treatment of preterm infants ranks among the best. Director Zhou Xihui’s election this time highlights the FAH’s international influence in the field of neonatal critical care medicine and has also established an important platform for the FAH to participate in global collaboration on the prevention and treatment of preterm birth.