Neonatology

Overview of the unit

• Neonatal unit: 6 beds dedicated to newborns requiring care and monitoring.
• Neonatal intensive care: 4 beds for high-intensity care of the most critical cases.
• Pediatric rooms: an adapted environment, on the second floor of the clinic.

This ward welcomes premature or term newborns, with or without intrauterine growth restriction, who may suffer from respiratory distress, an infectious disease, neurological distress, a digestive disease, metabolic disorders or malformations. They are referred mainly by the maternity unit of La Rose Clinic (the in-borns), but also by other maternity units of private clinics or other neonatal services, through emergency medical transport services (the out-borns). These two units differ in that they provide greater or lesser care depending on the prematurity of newborns or the severity of the pathology affecting them. Admission to either of these two units is the only situation where the mother and child cannot be hospitalized together.

Our units and technologies

Neonatology unit

This is the unit where we take care of newborns whose condition is not critical, but whose prematurity and/or pathology requires support and greater medical care: discomfort, infection, growth disorder, jaundice, severe prematurity, etc. In such cases, we infuse an antibiotic into the newborn and provide respiratory assistance without intubation, continuous monitoring and phototherapy, without inserting a central catheter.

The neonatal intensive care unit

This unit provides high-intensity care for premature or term newborns, with or without intrauterine growth restriction, who may suffer from respiratory distress, infectious pathologies, neurological disorders, digestive pathologies, metabolic disorders or malformations, by ensuring artificial ventilation, non-invasive ventilation for unstable newborns and extremely premature babies, circulatory resuscitation, nasal ventilation over one day, and central venous catheter insertion bundle for 26 to 34-week-old premature babies.

It also takes care of prenatal and postnatal surgical pathologies in premature and full-term newborns. This unit allows the close monitoring of newborns, by providing immediate and appropriate care depending on the severity of their state of health.

Prominent reasons for admission

• To the neonatal intensive care unit: extreme prematurity, neonatal respiratory distress, hemodynamic failure, neonatal surgery, etc.
• To the neonatology unit: maternal-fetal infections, jaundice, growth disorders, etc.

Curative technologies and therapies provided by this ward

• 4 ventilatory assistance devices: invasive ventilation (Babylog) through high-frequency oscillation (SLE, VN500), high-intensity non-invasive ventilation (InfantFlow).
• 10 incubators: incubators (Caléo, Isis, CS2700), heating plates (Babytherm).
• 2 phototherapy devices: tunnel (O’bloo), double lamp (Ampliflux), single lamp (Phototherapy 4000, Monobloo) LEDs (Leedyblue).
• Laminar flow.
• 1 ultrasound machine.
• 1 mobile x-ray machine.
• 2 transport incubators (Nite, Transport-Inkubator 5400) equipped with ventilation equipment (Babypak).

Charter for hospitalized children

Dear Parents, your child is admitted to the neonatal ward for medical care or close monitoring. Newborn hospitalization is always a difficult event for the whole family. Our ward staff are at your disposal to help you better cope with this experience.

Neonatal unit: Charter for hospitalized children written in Leiden (the Netherlands) in 1988. “The right to the best care possible is a fundamental right, especially for children” – UNESCO. This charter summarizes and reaffirms the rights of hospitalized children.

Your child and you

Your child

Our healthcare team takes your child at or very soon after birth. Our pediatricians and nurses are at your disposal to give you all the necessary explanations. You can get information about your child’s condition 24 hours a day, by phone. We invite you to make use of this possibility especially when you need to be reassured about a potential concern. Please note that information about the child’s condition is provided only to the parents.

Breastfeeding your newborn

Your baby’s admission to the clinic should not undermine your breastfeeding plan. If you have decided to breastfeed your child, we will be with you at the beginning of this important lactation period. Besides breast pumps, a breastfeeding room is at your disposal.

Admission environment

Your child can be placed in an incubator, on a heating plate or in a cradle. Certain devices are needed to monitor the newborn’s state of health. You can personalize your child’s environment by bringing a few tiny objects such as a cloth with your scent, a cuddly toy, a music box, or a drawing. When your baby is ready to be dressed, you can bring clothes that you have washed beforehand.

Your child’s equipment

Here is the equipment that your newborn baby needs during the neonatal stay:

• Pajamas, bodysuits
• A cap
• Socks
• A sweater / jacket
• A sleeping bag
• A blanket
• A thermometer