As previously mentioned, until 2007 our organization's activities in this area were mainly related to our collaboration with the Vittore Buzzi Hospital, as highlighted by the following list:

• 2007: As a way to honor and remember the late Professor Umberto Nicolini, the Nicolini Fund was created, with the objective of continuing research on the subject in which he was a pioneering figure. Prof. Nicolini, in fact, dedicated himself to the study of “diagnoses and treatments of complications of twin monochorionic pregnancies”. Furthermore, he was an influential figure with regards to the creation of the only center in Italy able to successfully treat said complications.

• 2007: Creation of the “Children Without Borders” Project, which immediately became operative. The main idea behind it is to provide Italian and foreign families the financial support needed to face the travelling and accommodation expenses associated with an extensive stay in Milan, when the pathologies suffered by their children can’t be treated in their respective countries or regions of residence.

• 2007: Provided financial support for the attendance of professional nursing figures to training courses with a focus on infant assistance. This was done within the context of offering training programs to health care personnel.

• 2007: Support of the professional training of several nurses, part of the Operative Unit of The Buzzi Hospital. They took part in courses regarding the “Parenteral nutrition and management of the vascular access”, organized by the Professional Board IPAVSI of Milan.

• 2006: Integration of the financial support for the research on “Placenta Detachment” and the Multicenter Study on causes of Fetal Death, held within the Operative Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

• 2006: Supported refresher courses for nurses relative to the assistance of children in continuous parenteral and enteral alimentation.

• 2005: Assignment to the service of Medical Genetics of the LDDB, LNDB and GENEYE programs. These are all useful for the classification and the study of somatic and ocular malformation syndromes, and were used by the Operative Units of obstetrics, gynecology, genetics and radiology.

• 2004: Supported the participation of more than 21 nurses to highly specialized courses.

• 2004: Completion of the experimental project “ComunicAbilità” for the development of new paths to follow in the care of children with intellectual disabilities. This project was realized in collaboration with the Science and Technology Museum “Leonardo da Vinci” of Milan.

• 2003: Completion of the “Progeny” program for the study of families suffering from a risk of genetic illnesses for the Medical Genetic Center of the ICP.

• 2003: Supported the participation of the nursing personnel of the Pediatric Divisions of all of Milan’s hospitals to training courses regarding enteral and parenteral nutrition of babies.

• 1999-2001: Supported project of research on autism, in collaboration with the Don Carlo Gnocchi Foundation.