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Neonatology deals with treating new-born children. New-borns can have complex diseases which can be treated only by someone with unique skills and medical expertise. Babies who are born prematurely and those with underdeveloped organs require the care of a neonatologist the most.
Apart from providing care and treatment to babies, the neonatology department also provides services like counselling for parents before, during and after the birth of their child. This training helps parents feel more prepared to carry out their new-born’s responsibilities easily. Neonatologists are vital since any health issue that is unchecked or ignored in new-borns can haunt them in the future as adults by having adverse growth defects.
Neonatology can be considered a sub-division of paediatrics. However, they only specialise in providing care and treatment to infants. A neonatologist offers several types of treatments based on the patient's requirements. Some of them are as follows:
Both the foetus in your womb and the new-born baby may showcase a few symptoms hinting at the requirement of the specialities of neonatologists. While inside the womb, the mother may notice the following symptoms, which determine the need for a neonatologist during the delivery:
After birth, a neonatologist would be required if the new-born has the following symptoms:
Apart from this, abnormalities in physical appearance can also be a symptom requiring the attention of a neonatologist. Sometimes babies are born with an extra pair of limbs or other body parts, which will need the specialities of neonatologists to be appropriately treated.
You may need to see a neonatologist if:
You may see a neonatologist to treat certain birth defects when the baby is still in the utero of the mother. They are as follows:
Here, the urine is unable to exit the foetus’s body, causing permanent kidney damage. This obstruction can be relieved, thus protecting the kidney from any further damage.
There are a series of medications that doctors can prescribe to the mother. These medications go through the placenta and treat the foetus.
This is a condition where a hole in the chest allows abdominal fluid to enter it. This restricts the lung development of the baby. Lung development could be improved through a surgery called fetoscopic endotracheal occlusion. This surgery can be performed after birth and has good survival in most cases.
Neonatologists treat several diseases and infections occurring in infants and foetuses. Some of them are as follows:
Babies in the NICU will be monitored around the clock by medical specialists. They are usually placed in a warmer and provided with a bed and equipment like ventilators and tubes on their nose to help them breathe. They may also be attached to an IV to facilitate the consumption of medications. Sometimes babies are also connected to a feeding tube. The type of equipment will depend on the support your baby needs. The time spent by the baby in the NICU will depend on the success rate of response by the baby towards the medications administered to them.
Neonatologists may conduct the following tests to diagnose diseases and infections in babies:
They are performed to check for the fluid build-up and to bleed in the brain. They are also conducted to detect problems in the liver, kidney and gastronomical tracts.
It's basically an ultrasound of the baby's heart. It is performed to detect heart-related problems occurring in infants.
Your neonatologist might ask an eye doctor to examine your baby's eye to detect problems relating to the retina.
The doctor uses a breathing and heart rate monitor to detect any irregularities in the baby's heartbeat and breathing patterns. Doctors will take blood pressure readings constantly too.
Blood tests may be conducted to analyse the levels of glucose, calcium, etc. In the baby's body. They are also performed to diagnose diseases like anaemia.
Based on the diagnosis, your doctor might suggest medications or surgery treat the condition. A neonatologist usually consults with paediatricians and other related doctors when the need arises to give the best possible care for your baby.
Watching your baby go through the pain alone in the NICU can be overwhelming, but delaying a visit to the neonatologist can be dangerous for the baby. Your baby will be allowed to go home once he/she can breathe without support, is gaining weight naturally and slowly, can be breast or bottle-fed, maintains a steady temperature and is free of any infection.
Reviewed by Dr. Manish Malik, Associate Director and Head of Neonatal Services, Paediatrics (Ped), Neonatology on 14-Oct-2022.
Max Healthcare is home to 4800+ eminent doctors in the world, most of whom are pioneers in their respective fields. Additionally, they are renowned for developing innovative and revolutionary clinical procedures.
Max Healthcare is home to 4800+ eminent doctors in the world, most of whom are pioneers in their respective fields. Additionally, they are renowned for developing innovative and revolutionary clinical procedures.
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