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The Department of Neonatology provides a comprehensive
range of newborn services from normal to intensive care
of both inborn and out-born infants. The emphasis is
to provide a high standard of preventive neonatal-perinatal
medicine to ensure the most optimal outcome for each
pregnancy. A relatively high proportion of the time
is dedicated to high-risk pregnancies referred for further
management in a tertiary centre.
In collaboration with the obstetric service, the department
provides a wide range of perinatal services that include
pre-conception and prenatal counseling, care of the
high-risk Pregnancy, and intrapartum management.
A multidisciplinary Birth Defects Clinic has been established
since 1991. This clinic, together with the Birth Defects
Clinic in KK Women and Children’s Hospital (KKH),
are now the major referral centers for the management
of foetal and newborn anomalies in Singapore and in
the region.
The medical staff of the department runs the Child
Development Unit at KKH, which is a one-stop referral
centre for the assessment and management of children
with developmental and behavioural problems. The Unit
supports the nation-wide child developmental screening
program spearheaded by the Primary Health Services of
the Ministry of Health. It is the centre for training
and research on developmental and behavioural medicine
on children. The staff have been involved in a number
of child development programs at the community level.
An integral part of the Department is the “Neonatal
Follow-up Program” which provides continuing care
to high-risk infants and co-ordinates all activities
related to their early intervention and rehabilitation.
The Department also organizes the ”Light-Weight
Club”, a Parent Support Group where parents share
experiences and support one another to cope with the
problems of caring for their high-risk infants.
The department offers structured basic and advanced
training in Neonatology for medical and nursing professionals.
The department also plays an active role in outreach
and public education programs related to perinatal and
developmental medicine in the community.
The department is recognized for training in Neonatology
by the Specialist Accreditation Board.
The department’s clinical research activities
focus on acute and chronic diseases of the newborn,
birth defects, perinatal infections, cardiovascular
and neurological problems of the neonates, and perinatal
nutrition. The developmental outcome of the high-risk
infants, audiological screening, and in establishing
a developmental screening program for Singapore children.
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