Our Department of Neonatology at Ahalia Women and Children’s Hospital caters not only to the in-born babies, but also is a referral centre for sick newborns from other hospitals in and around Palakkad. The Neonatology Team comprises of a qualified Neonatologist (DM Neonatology), Pediatricians and well trained NICU Staff who work round the clock to provide comprehensive care to newborns.

Our state-of-the-art NICU Complex comprises of 3 separate NICUs for various levels of care, and 2 ‘isolation’ NICUs for babies with contagious diseases. Our department takes care of all newborn ailments including extreme prematurity, asphyxia, pneumonia etc. All modes of mechanical ventilation including High Frequency Ventilation are being offered for babies with respiratory ailments. Inhaled Nitric Oxide is also available for babies with pulmonary hypertension. The latest means of surfactant administration including MIST/LISA and gentle ventilation are being followed with the intention of promoting lung development with utmost care. Total Parenteral Nutrition is started on day 1 itself for extreme preterms and also for newborns with surgical problems. We also have a state-of-the-art aEEG monitor for Cerebral Function Monitoring.

In-house digital X-ray, Ultrasound and Echocardiography are available. All newborns undergo screening for congenital hypothyroidism & hearing. Preterms have ROP screen done inside the NICU itself.

Extremely Low Birth Weight Babies

Newborns weighing less than 1000 grams at birth are called Extremely Low Birth Weight babies. Our NICU has all facilities to provide comprehensive care to such tiny newborns. Our unit specializes in neurodevelopmental care of these preterm babies. NIDCAP policies are strictly followed to promote normal development and to prevent brain damage.

Ashyxiated Babies

Babies who do not cry at birth face a multitude of problems, including seizures, brain damage, risk of cardiac injury, multi organ dysfunction etc. These babies require continuous monitoring with the latest gadgets like the aEEG to recognize even subtle dysfunction in the brain. aEEG monitoring is a routine for all asphyxiated babies in our Unit.

Sepsis

Infections in newborns are very common, and any delay in recognizing or managing infections can lead to devastating outcomes. Our NICU follows strict antibiotic protocols based on standard guidelines of world-renowned bodies like American Academy of Pediatrics, Indian Academy of Pediatricians, National Neonatology Forum, and CDC.  We routinely use methods like BACTEC and MALDI-TOF for quick and reliable diagnosis.

Preterm newborns

Newborns that are born very preterm do not have mature lungs capable of performing the normal respiratory functions. These newborns require artificial respiration by means of Ventilators. Our NICU has the best in class ventilators capable of providing very gentle ventilation with the aim of preventing lung damage.

Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of Newborn

PPHN is a life threatening condition that requires clinical expertise and extremely sophisticated machines for successful management. Our NICU has all necessary facilities for the treatment of this condition- including Inhaled Nitric Oxide (iNO), and High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilators (HFOV). Inhaled Nitric Oxide is the drug of choice in PPHN, and only a very few NICUs in India have this facility.

Newborn Resuscitation Team

All normal deliveries and Cesarean sections are attended to by a highly skilled Newborn Resuscitation Team which includes a Pediatrician and NICU staff, who ensure safe transition of babies at birth. All high risk deliveries are attended to by the Neonatologist and team.

Neonatal Transport Team

Our department also has a highly trained and specialized Neonatal Transport Team to resuscitate and transfer sick babies. ‘NICU-on-wheels’, our state-of-the-art Neonatal ambulance comes with an incubator, respiratory support system and all necessary equipments & drugs required for safe transport from the referring centers to our hospital.

Perinatal Team

Department of Neonatology is complemented by a highly dedicated team of experienced Obstetricians who make sure that intra-uterine growth and development of the fetus proceeds normally.  Standard Perinatology guidelines and protocols are implemented to prepare for a safe delivery of a healthy newborn. They are also well equipped to handle any obstetric emergencies. Since the uterus is the safest means of transfer of a baby, we encourage ‘in-utero’ transfer of anticipated high-risk deliveries to our hospital, so that the sick newborns can get NICU care immediately at birth.

Finally, we believe in a family-centered approach and hence, parents are also included in our Team during the treatment process. Parents have unrestricted access into the NICU 24×7 because we believe that parents have a very important role in their baby’s progress in the Intensive Care Unit.

We strive hard to promote intact survival.

All NICU graduates are reviewed regularly in our follow-up clinics.

Rest assured, your baby is in safe hands.