Neonatology

The Neonatology Department at Dar Al Shifa Hospital (DASH) renders care to newborn infants who require intensive monitoring and advanced interventions. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at DASH is a level III neonatal unit and it is the first advanced and well established NICU in the private sector of Kuwait. The NICU is located adjacent to the Labor and Delivery rooms and it serves as a steady and supporting unit to our fully busy obstetrics department when it comes to high risk pregnancies and deliveries. In addition, the unit is designed to accommodate sick babies admitted from outside the hospital.

The unit is run by a team of expert Neonatologists and skilled nurses capable of handling sophisticated medical cases with a focus on family-centered care. The unit is fully equipped with state-of-the-art technology including high frequency oscillatory ventilators, monitoring system, incubators, pumps, phototherapy units and other advanced equipment that support management of critically ill babies.     

Scope of Services:

Nursery:

• Services in nursery include Care of healthy newborns, routine Vaccination with Hepatitis B,
• Hearing screening, Screening for Congenital Heart disease
• All babies screening for jaundice with TCB (Transcutaneous Bilirubinometer) before discharge,
• Promotion of breast-feeding and Kangaroo care:
• mothers are encouraged for breast feeding by well-trained breast-feeding staff who will educate and support the mothers for successful breast feeding

Special care baby unit (SCBU):

• Care of sick neonates and infants up to 2 months ago after discharge and outside delivered babies. The care includes Neonatal jaundice, Late onset sepsis, Bronchiolitis, Bronchopneumonia, Neonatal seizures, BRUE (Brief Resolved Unexplained Event), Feeding intolerance, Milk protein allergy, Gastroenteritis and GERD (Gastroesophageal reflex disease). In addition, SCBU is providing postoperative care services (after hernia, hydrocele surgery etc.)

Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU):

• Level 3 care with mechanical ventilator/high frequency ventilators for all sick newborns and extremely premature and very low birth babies who require respiratory supportive care like respiratory distress syndrome, congenital pneumonia, meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), Sepsis and other respiratory problems)
• Less invasive ventilation care like CPAP for minor respiratory problems in preterm babies and post extubation babies. 
• Surfactant therapy for infants with premature lungs.
• Care for low birth weight and preterm babies with all complications of prematurity. 
• Total Body Cooling service for moderate and severe asphyxia babies 
• Total Parenteral Nutrition for premature and sick babies who cannot tolerate oral feeding
• Advanced incubators for maintaining an infant's body temperature.
• Advanced Phototherapy units to treat Neonatal Jaundice 
• Care of all sick babies with Sepsis, Blood diseases, Seizures, Gastrointestinal disorders 
• Disorder of sex development and initial care of metabolic diseases 
• Stabilization of all dysmorphic and multiple congenital malformation babies
• Availability of subspecialty services like Cardiology, Neurology, Gastroenterology, ENT and ophthalmology Orthopedic and pediatric surgery to all needed babies
• Round the clock services of expert Neonatology and Super specialty teams to attend high risk deliveries and multiple births (twins, triplets) 
• 24hrs availability of Ambulance services 
• we are adopting people centered care paradigm (we are partner with parents and family to provide the best care to their loved one)
• Well baby program including regular monthly visits of babies during the first 6 months of life to the well-baby clinic for follow up of general health, nutrition, growth and development. For more details: Click Here