About Neonatology
Neonatologists are pediatricians who are specially trained to care for newborns (neonates) who are sick and require intensive care after birth. This training includes at least four years of medical school, three years of residency training in pediatrics, and three years of additional training in newborn intensive care. A NICU is a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit within a hospital that cares for very sick or premature babies.
About Our Practice
If a problem with a baby is discovered prior to delivery, we may begin early-coordinated care with the OB provider. For some infants with high-risk deliveries, we are present at delivery and provide specialized follow-up care. Other times, our expertise is required after the delivery of the baby when issues arise. We may be called in to diagnose and treat newborns born prematurely or with breathing disorders, heart problems, infections, kidney diseases, metabolic disorders, birth defects, or other conditions.
We also coordinate the care of infants who are critically ill or in need of surgery, stabilize and treat infants with life-threatening medical problems, and work together with sub-specialists and nutritionists for optimal healing and growth.
We try to keep infants at their home hospitals whenever possible and supervise a 24-hour neonatal transport program to safely transport infants to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Portland when they need closer monitoring or more intensive care. In addition, we provide and supervise newborn care at Northern Light Mercy Hospital and provide care in a neonatal step-down unit for infants who are working on the skills to be able to be safely discharged or transported to hospitals closer to home.
Our team of board-certified neonatologists and pediatricians has academic appointments at Tufts School of Medicine, and provides consultation on conditions affecting newborns for obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine physicians, pediatricians, and family physicians throughout Southern Maine and New Hampshire. Meet the team.