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More on Our Expertise
- Ambiguous Genitalia
- Anorectal Malformation
- Apnea of Prematurity
- Assessments for Newborn Babies
- Birth Injury
- Chiari Malformation
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
- Gestational Assessment
- Hyaline Membrane Disease / Respiratory Distress Syndrome
- Hydrops Fetalis
- Hypoglycemia in the Newborn
- Inguinal and Umbilical Hernias
- Large for Gestational Age (LGA)
- Meconium Aspiration
- Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
- Newborn Complications
- When a Baby Has Difficulty After Birth
Neonatal Medicine
Our Expertise
Diagnostic Services
Today, progress in maternal-fetal screening technology is making it possible to diagnose potentially serious conditions, including those that will require immediate surgical repair prior to birth. This allows our physicians to plan and implement a treatment program that can save a newborn's life and improve their quality of life for the future.
Our maternal-fetal medicine specialists have advanced knowledge of the obstetrical, medical, genetic, and surgical challenges that can affect both the mother and her unborn child. Among the procedures we use to diagnose maternal-fetal abnormalities are:
- imaging studies, including targeted ultrasound, Doppler studies, and MRI
- chorionic villus sampling
- fetal blood sampling
- genetic amniocentesis
- maternal serum screening
- early screening for Down syndrome
- fetal echocardiography
The Hospital's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology recently concluded a major study that demonstrated the high accuracy of non-invasive screening for Down syndrome in the first trimester of pregnancy. The results of the study, which were published in the November 2005 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, have led to a recommendation that all pregnant women be offered the option of early screening for Down syndrome in their first trimester. The new screening approach uses a blood test that analyzes the level of protein and hormone in the mother's blood combined with an ultrasound or sonogram picture of the thickness of skin on the back of the baby's neck. Results are available within five days, often before starting the second trimester of pregnancy.
Today, almost every major form of congenital heart disease can be diagnosed prenatally. Fetal cardiology and fetal echocardiography provide insight into the anatomy and physiology of the developing fetal heart, and the use of ultrasound enables us to identify abnormal heart structure and function in utero. This is important so that we can counsel families in advance, discuss treatment options, and obtain consent to facilitate the provision of medical and surgical care at the earliest stage possible. Using this technique, we have had successful treatment for the major forms of congenital heart disease not only in terms of survival, but also in terms of improvements in neurodevelopmental function as babies grow.
Because our cardiology services are integrated with maternal-fetal medicine and neonatology, we are able to offer diagnostic services and a collaborative management program, including perinatologists, pediatric surgeons, cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, neonatologists, and any other medical or surgical subspecialists. Our goal is to help parents make the right decision for themselves and for their infant.
Genetic Counseling
We also provide formal genetic consultation for individual and family history risk assessment and discussion of prenatal screening and diagnostic options such as amniocentesis and CVS and pre-conception counseling to review individual medical history and discuss potential obstetrical challenges.
Center for Prenatal Pediatrics
As a leading center in the management of high-risk pregnancies, the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary care for women:
- who have a previous history of obstetrical complications, including pre-term labor and delivery or intrauterine fetal growth restriction
- who have a previous existing or newly detected medical condition, such as congenital heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, lupus, thyroid disease, seizure disorders, or a kidney, gastrointestinal or infectious disease
- who have a multiple pregnancy, i.e. a pregnancy with two or more fetuses
- with premature rupture of membranes
- who have had recurrent pregnancy loss who are carrying or suspected of carrying a fetus with a congenital anomaly
To assist our patients with the complexities of coordinating diagnostic testing, visits with multiple subspecialists, and scheduling therapeutic procedures, we provide:
- A case coordinator for each patient who assists with scheduling appointments, arranges tests and consultations with physicians on the same day, as well as addresses insurance issues and other family needs
- A comprehensive care conference to summarize recommendations and provide a program of care
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is a leading center for the management of critically ill newborn infants with the technology and therapies available to offer the best chance for survival. We have an extraordinary dedicated staff of physicians, neonatal nurses and nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, psychologists, social workers, a full-time nutritionist, and pharmacists. At night, we have a strong complement of doctors and nurses, nurse practitioners and pediatric hospitalists. Our NICU nursing team has received the highest nursing team award from Advances for Nurses magazine.
This year, the NICU was featured on ABC Nightline, as well as on WCBS Newsradio 880 in New York City, and in New York magazine. With 62 beds (including a four-bed infant transitional unit located near the delivery room), our NICU provides significant space for clinicians at the bedside, as well as an isolation suite and procedure room that allow the majority of care to be delivered on the unit. In addition, the NICU has a large lounge, privacy areas and a range of amenities for families.
We encourage families to be involved in the care of their infant from the very beginning. Within the NICU, there is room for parents to sleep next to their child's isolette. Since premature babies are generally hospitalized for several months, parents are often anxious about discharge and returning home with their infant. As part of our commitment to providing family-centered care, we help parents make this transition by offering them the opportunity to spend the night before discharge in a homelike furnished bedroom with their baby, who is now able to sleep in a crib. Here, parents take care of the baby's needs throughout the night, knowing that if they require medical assistance, nurses are close at hand.
Contact
- Neonatal Medicine
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(212) 305-5827
