Neonatology

Neonatology is the field of medicine dealing with care of newborn babies within the first month of life. It involves both well baby care including support to feeding, monitoring and management of neonatal problems like neonatal jaundice, feeding difficulty, tongue tie, review of antenatal concerns, risk of low blood glucose levels etc as well as comprehensive diagnostic and treatment facilities for critically ill new-borns in our Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The NICU at Zulekha Hospital Dubai is a level 3 accredited by the DHA. We accept premature babies from 23 weeks onwards and manage neonatal illnesses of all degrees of severity.

Outstanding and highly committed experts specialized in neonatal care are available 24 hours, 7 days a week to treat babies requiring care in our NICU. The neonatologists work closely together with the nursing team and the resident doctors, supported by specialists in Paediatric Surgery, Paediatric Cardiology, Paediatric Nephrology and Paediatric Neurology who are all available at our hospital. Our NICU multidisciplinary team includes Neonatologists (consultants and specialists), Paediatric surgeon, Neonatal GP doctors, neonatal nurses, dieticians and pharmacists. We also have a transport team at the ready that facilitates speedy transfer to higher level of intensive care if needed (like babies needing cardiac surgery). We also believe in family centered care and involve the family fully in the care as well as in important decision making. Parents are encouraged to visit and be with the baby, and practice skin to skin (Kangaroo mother/father care) as far as possible. We have a very strict policy to prevent infections in our NICU. Not only do we employ the latest in medicine and technology, we also use a caring touch to give these babies the best care possible.

Treatment of New born babies with the following problems

• Prematurity (23 weeks gestation onwards)
• Low birth weight
• Hyaline membrane disease
• Congenital pneumonia
• Persistent pulmonary hypertension
• Respiratory distress
• Birth asphyxia
• Sepsis
• Necrotizing enterocoloitis
• Neonatal seizures
• Bleeding neonate
• New-borns with anaemia
• New-borns with Polycythaemia
• Neonatal jaundice requiring phototherapy or exchange transfusion
• Babies needing ventilatory management for underlying conditions
• Congenital abnormalities including cardiac and neurologic problems

Services Offered

• Ventilation-conventional, high frequency, non invasive (CPAP, NIPPV, High flow)
• Surfactant administration
• Nitric oxide therapy
• Double volume exchange transfusion
• Invasive blood pressure monitoring, Invasive CVPM monitoring
• Central line (UAC, UVC, PICC line, surgical line-as need be)
• Total parental nutrition
• Managing babies with shock
• Neurological assessment and neurodevelopmental follow-up
• 24 hour access to MRI, CT scan and cranial ultrasound/Xray and other radiology services
• 24 hour access to Paediatric Surgeon and Paediatric Cardiologist