NEONATOLOGY

Overview :

The NICU at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital provides 24/7 specialized care to newborns. Our team of professionals is dedicated to delivering evidence-based care to enhance the outcome of your baby. We offer state-of-the-art treatment for critically ill and fragile neonates.

Spectrum & Services :

The NICU at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital is a 52-bedded, well-equipped Level III intensive care unit. Our team offers unparalleled care, supported by extensive training and experience in neonatal medicine. We provide comprehensive care to critically ill newborns, including :

• Levels of Care : Level III, Level I, and Level II care for babies with life-threatening medical or surgical conditions, at-risk babies, and those with mild to moderate health complications.
• Transport and Emergency Services : Dedicated Neonatal Ambulance, transport team, and emergency services for neonatal transports.
• Advanced Equipment and Facilities : Ventilation and respiratory support, monitoring and diagnostic equipment, dedicated TPN room, neonatal operation theatre, and counselling room.
• Support Services : Comprehensive lactation management, developmentally supportive care, and follow-up and ongoing care.
• Integrated Services : Neonatal simulation mannequin, blood bank, and laboratory facilities.

Facilities :

The NICU offers a wide range of services and facilities to provide comprehensive care to critically ill newborns. Some of the key services and facilities include :

Levels of Care :

• Level III : Specialized care for critical babies with life-threatening medical or surgical conditions.
• Level I & II : Care for babies at risk or with mild to moderate health complications.

Transport and Emergency Services :

• Dedicated Neonatal Ambulance : Fully equipped with transport incubator, ventilator, and inhaled nitric oxide for neonatal transports.
• Transport Team : Conducts an average of 350 neonatal transports per year.

Advanced Equipment and Facilities :

• Ventilation and Respiratory Support : Hi-tech ventilators, including HFOV with volume guarantee, inhaled nitric oxide, and non-invasive ventilation devices.
• Monitoring and Diagnostic Equipment : Bedside hemodynamic monitoring, point-of-care sonography, cerebral function monitoring, and therapeutic hypothermia.
• Dedicated TPN Room and Neonatal Operation Theatre : For specialized care and surgical interventions.
• Counselling Room : For families to consult with the care team.

Support Services :

• Comprehensive Lactation Management : Round-the-clock support, including a milk bank.
• Developmentally Supportive Care : Designed to meet core measures for optimizing brain development in babies.

Follow-up and Ongoing Care :

• NICU Graduate follow up : This follow up clinic includes growth monitoring, immunization, developmental assessment, and early intervention.
• ROP Screening and Audiology : Facilities for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening and audiology tests.

Integrated Services :

• Perinatal counselling : This counselling provides detailed guidance to expectant parents on the clinical course of their unborn baby’s potential NICU stay.
• Neonatal Simulation Mannequin : For education and training.
• Blood Bank and Laboratory : State-of-the-art facilities for diagnostic testing and blood banking.

Location Of The Department :

The department is located on the 3rd floor of Super specialty building at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Pune

Departmental Timetable:

Dr Shilpa Kalane:

8 am to 2 pm

Dr Aarti Rajhans

11 am to 6 pm

Dr Prajakta Doshi

12am to 4 pm

Nicu Graduate Opd :

Departmental Workload :

• The NICU is a specialized department that provides critical care to newborn babies. The unit cares for babies weighing 500 grams or more, born after 23 weeks of gestation, up to a postnatal age of 44 weeks. On average, the NICU admits approximately 800 patients annually, with two-thirds of these admissions being premature babies.
• The scope of care in the NICU is comprehensive, with collaboration from neonatal subspecialties to manage critical patients. The unit provides expert care for neonates with various surgical conditions, including diaphragmatic hernia, esophageal atresia, and complex congenital heart disease. Additionally, the NICU offers neuroprotection interventions for babies suffering from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Beyond intensive care, the unit also features a structured follow-up program and a set protocol for perinatal counselling. This counselling provides detailed guidance to expectant parents on the clinical course of their unborn baby’s potential NICU stay.
• The strength of the NICU lies in its 24-hour availability of neonatologists, neonatology fellows, well-trained nursing staff, and a strict infection control program. These essential components enable the unit to provide high-quality care to its vulnerable patients, ensuring the best possible outcomes for these tiny but mighty babies.

Courses and training :

We offer two fellowship programs accredited by renowned institutions :

• NNF Accredited Fellowship in Neonatology : We have 2 seats available for this fellowship program, accredited by the National Neonatology Forum (NNF).
• IAP Accredited Fellowship in Neonatology : We also have 2 seats available for this fellowship program, accredited by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP). Both fellowship programs are designed to equip fellows with the knowledge, skills, and expertise necessary to become leading neonatologists in their field.

Events :

The Department of Neonatology is dedicated to academic excellence and community service. To achieve this, the department actively organizes various events throughout the year.

Key Events :

• Academic Events : The department conducts regular CMEs, conferences, and workshops to promote knowledge sharing and skill development in the field of neonatology.
• Community Service Events : The department is committed to giving back to the community. Recently, we celebrated World Prematurity Day by organizing a health camp specifically for NICU graduates.

Any Salient Features :

The DMH NICU is a state-of-the-art facility that boasts several notable achievements and features, including:

• Level III B Accreditation : The DMH NICU has received the highest level of accreditation from the National Neonatology Forum (NNF), recognizing its exceptional quality of care and commitment to excellence.
• Exceptional Survival Rates : The unit has achieved remarkable survival rates for extremely preterm neonates, including those with perivable gestations. The smallest surviving baby weighed just 500 grams and was born at 23 weeks.
• Pioneering Surgical Procedures: The DMH NICU and pediatric surgery team have made history by successfully performing minimally invasive surgeries on neonates, including thoracoscopic repair of Tracheoesophageal Fistula (TEF) and Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH).
• Active Research Programs : The department is actively engaged in research programs focused on neonatal and perinatal medicine, driving innovation and advancements in the field.

Photo Gallery :

Neuroprotection in a case of Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (Whole Body Cooling, Cerebral Function Monitoring through aEEG/EEG)

 

A Neonate with Tracheo Esophageal Fistula undergoing Thoracoscopic Repair

 

Pre operative Stabilization of a Newborn with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (Advanced Technology Ventilator with HFOV + VG mode and Inhaled Nitric Oxide)

 

State of the Art Equipment for the Intact Survival of this Newborn born at 24 weeks with weight 530g (Incubator Care with Synchronized Non-Invasive Ventilators)

 

A Newborn with Absence of Jaw undergoing EXIT (Ex Utero Intrapartum Treatment)

 

Surfactant is being administered by less invasive technique called LISA. This helps in reducing the duration of oxygen requirement in preterm babies

 

Diagnostic bronchoscopy of a Newborn with difficult ventilation suggestive of vascular

 

माई Milk Bank: A service that collects, screens, processes, pasteurizes, and dispenses by prescription human milk donated by nursing mothers who are not biologically related to the recipient infant

 

Neonatal Transport System – A 24x7 Service which includes Transport Incubator, Transport Ventilator, Transport inhaled Nitric Oxide, Transport Nurse & Transport Physician

 

Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC): A method of skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding for low-birth-weight infants