Special Care Newborn Unit at KEM Hospital Vadu
Neonatal and child care services has been an important component of our hospital. However managing very low birth weight baby or very premature baby was a challenge because more often we have to refer these new born to city hospitals. This increases risk to the new born survival besides inconvenience to the parents. So there was always demand of advanced newborn care facilities from population in Vadu area. Thus this Special Care Newborn Unit envisages expansion and up gradation of child care services fulfilling long awaited demand of population.
SCNU at KEM Hospital Vadu:
This six bedded Special Care Newborn Unit (SCNU) is providing facilities for Resuscitation, Warmth, Intravenous Fluids, Oxygen Therapy, Blood Glucose Monitoring, Treatment of Neonatal Jaundice, Management of sepsis, and treatment of mild to moderate respiratory distress. The SCNU focuses on caring for ill, low birth weight or premature infants. It is providing skilled medical care to these infants for instance, an infant may be taken to the SCNU because ofweighing 1200-1800 gm. or having gestational maturity of 30- 34 weeks, a weak heartbeat, respiratory disease, genetic abnormality, infection or neurological disorder. Many infants requiring this special care usually need admission within 24 hours of birth.
Facilities:
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Care to infants with a corrected gestational age of 32 weeks or greater or a weight of 1500 gm. or greater who are moderately ill with problems expected to resolve quickly or who are convalescing after intensive care.
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Peripheral intravenous infusions and possibly parenteral nutrition for a limited duration; Resuscitation and stabilization of ill infants before transfer to an appropriate care facility; Nasal oxygen with oxygen saturation monitoring (e.g. for infants with chronic lung disease needing long-term oxygen and monitoring.
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Care to infants who are feeding and growing stronger or convalescing after intensive care.
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Provide continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or mechanical ventilation for a short duration (<24 h)
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Stabilize infants born before 32 week gestation and weighing less than 1500 gm. until transfer to a neonatal intensive care facility.
Staff at SCNU:
This SCNU is looked after by qualified and well trained staff. Also KEM Hospital at Pune which has a well-established 43 bedded Level IV-A NICU and PICU is mentoring establishment of this SCNU and provide support with respect to managing referrals from SCNU to Pune as well as training and up gradation of SCNU.
