Division of Neonatology

The Division of Neonatology provides a complete range of medical and surgical services with consultations from various pediatric subspecialities including genetics, infectious diseases, nephrology and cardiology as well as pediatric surgery. High risk newborn infants are referred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for innovative therapies. The NICU participates in a multicenter study to evaluate pre-surgical stabilization of infants born with congenital diagphragmatic hernia. High risk infants discharged from the NICU receive longitudinal comprehensive follow-up care by an expert team of pediatricians, pulmonologists, other pediatric subspecialists, and developmental, speech and hearing specialists in the Neonatal Pulmonary and Developmental Follow-up Practice.

UCMG physicians in the Division of Neonatology also see patients at Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, San Gabriel Medical Center and Hospital of the Good Samaritan.

Description of Programs and Services

  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

    This 33-bed unit serves as a tertiary and quaternary referral center for the southwestern United States.

  • Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Program

    ECMO provides cardiorespiratory support for neonates with severe but potentially reversible respiratory failure who have failed to improve with conventional medical treatment. A team of specially trained physicians, nurses and physical therapists treat infants with meconium aspiration, sepsis, hyaline membrane disease and/or diagphragmatic hernias.

  • High Frequency Ventilation Program

    Pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) are the two most common complications of mechanical ventilation. This program offers a promising method for providing adequate oxygenation at lower mean airway pressure by utilizing unconventionally high respiratory rates (7 Hz to 15 Hz) and very low tidal volume. This decreases the barotrauma and oxygen toxicity that may accompany PIE and BPD. The current HF ventilators in use are the SENSORMEDICS and Bunnel Jerventilator.

  • Surfactant Rescue Therapy Program

    Pulmonary surfactant is a soapy-like material secreted into the terminal airspaces of the lungs to protect the alveoli against atelectasis. Infants born prematurely often have inadequate amounts of this material in the surface of the lung at birth. Artificial surfactant has become available to treat infants to prevent this disorder or to treat it in its early stages. This therapy can reduce the severity of the disorder and resultant lung injury.

  • Inhaled NO Therapy

    Inhaled NO Therapy has shown to decrease PVR and improve oxygenation in infants with PPHN and HRF. Inhaled NO Therapy provides benefit to some infants with above conditions. Inhaled NO Therapy has been used as a bridge to stabilize infants before ECMO and has decreased the number of infants requiring ECMO.

  • Flexible Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy Program

    This program is intended to aid referring physicians in the diagnosis of parenchymal lung diseases such as progressive pneumonia or pulmonary fibrosis (especially in immunocrompromised patients) and also in the bedside evaluation of lesions of the upper and lower airway.

  • Infant Pulmonary Function Testing

    This testing provides measurement of tidal volume, minute ventilation, respiratory system compliance, airways resistance, work of breathing and oxygen consumption. Unstable infants can be tested at the bedside. The physicians use techniques including body plethysmography, maximum expiratory flows by "hug" and airway occlusion to measure pulmonary mechanics.

PHYSICIANS


HOW TO CONTACT US

The Division of Neonatology welcomes your inquiries. To contact us you can:

Call the Division directly at: (323) 669-5932

Write to us at:
Division of Neonatology
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles
4650 Sunset Blvd., #83
Los Angeles, CA 90027-6062




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