Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
The Section of Neonatology at the University of Illinois at Chicago is committed to the academic missions of education, research, quality improvement, advocacy, and patient care. Our full-time faculty and staff participate in clinical care, teaching, quality improvement, and research. UIHealth is a neonatal tertiary care center and serves as a Regional Center of Excellence for neonatal care. We offer both primary and specialized care to a large high-risk in-born population as well as babies who are transported in from other hospitals. The facililty is divided into two units: a Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for those infants who are most vulnerable, and a Special Care Unit (SCN) for infants who are recovering or who need fewer services. The medical team includes attending neonatologists, neonatal fellows, NICU Hospitalists, and physician resident trainees. Physician care is part of an interprofessional team including nurses who specialize in neonatal care, as well as lactation consultants, physical and occupational therapists, pharmacists, social workers, and respiratory therapists.
As a state-designated Administrative Perinatal Center, our services include a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for premature newborns and infants with special health needs. Because of exceptional perinatal services and our top-notch nursing care, our Center serves as a referral destination for critically ill newborns from other hospitals in Illinois. Our Neonatology follow-up clinic is located in our outpatient clinic and is staffed by our Neonatologists and other health care providers who work in the UIHealth NICU. We also provide consultation to families with pending births with complex problems via our UIHealth clinic or by TeleHealth.
Overview Heading link
Clinical program
The clinical program is centered at the University Medical Center, which includes a 44 bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Special Care Nursery. We have a highly skilled transport team available for ground transport.
Educational programs
The division’s educational programs include a neonatology fellowship training program, responsibility for pediatric house-staff education, lectures provided for medical students, lectures and bedside training for Pediatric Nurses and Nurse Practitioners, and a variety of regularly scheduled conferences that are available for our community neonatologists for CME credit.
Research programs
The Division of Pulmonary and Developmental Biology research within the department houses an active research program in basic research. Our neonatal fellows can participate in research with several investigators in this division. In addition, there is active ongoing clinical research within the division. The research programs are supported by grants and contracts from a variety of agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association and Industry.
Neonatology Follow-Up and Fetal Concerns Clinic Heading link
The Neonatology Follow-Up and Fetal Concerns Clinic at UIC provides medical, neurological and developmental care to NICU graduates. We also provide prenatal consults to expectant mothers with high risk pregnancies or other specific fetal concerns. Care is provided by the same doctors and specialists who care for infants in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Our Follow-up specialists coordinate care with each infant’s pediatrician, in addition to assisting with the coordination of Early Intervention Services, community resources, and various educational needs, in our effort to facilitate the optimal growth and development of our precious patients.
Referral Criteria for the Neonatology Follow-up and Fetal Concerns Clinic at UIC:
- Birth weight at or under 1500 grams
- Birth gestational age at or under 32 weeks
- APGAR under 3 at 5 minutes
- Neonatal history of medical complications
- Oxygen dependency
- Diagnoses that suggest a possible risk for developmental delays
UIC is a state-designated PERINATAL CENTER. This clinic serves as a referral destination for critically ill newborns from other Illinois hospitals.
