Neonatology

Serves in a year:

• Over 3000 newborns
• About 1000 newborns from of high risk pregnancy
• Up to 300 patients and premature newborns.

 Structure

• Neonatal Intensive Care Department Division
• Special Care Division
• Newborns’ Department Division
• The Follow-Up Pediatric Service Division.

Achievements

The Department is a pioneer in the most modern methods of treatment that have been successfully introduced in Armenia. Among them: application of surfactant, noninvasive ventilation of lungs at newborns (CPAP), operations on ligation of open arterial canal at extreme premature newborns, trans skin catheterization of the central vessels at prematures, ultrasound  brain imaging, etc.

How our Department differs from others:

Only at our Center:

• Newborns with health problems are not transferred to other hospitals (except cases of an urgent
   surgical pathology).
• Nursing of children is carried out in the advanced incubators and systems of caring for the
   intensive therapy, equipped with systems servo-control temperature and humidity.
• All kinds of noninvasive respiratory support are applied, including stream and bubble CPAP, system
   of high stream with humidifying, nasal cannulas of very low stream.
• Artificial ventilation of lungs is performed taking into account the advanced concepts of
   respiratory therapy: traditional, trigger, of high-frequency.
• The Department is equipped with the only one of its kind in Armenia high-frequency oscillator for
   treatment of such complications of pulmonary diseases, as barotrauma and persistent pulmonary
   hypertension.
• Ultrasound scanning of brain at the patient’s bed.
• Maintaining constant contact between the child with health problems and the mother and family.
• Team approach to the solution of problems and treatment of patients.
• Indicators of survival rate among patients and premature newborn children are comparable to the
   European.

Training

Our Department is the permanent clinical base of the  Chair of Neonatology and Pediatrics of the National Institute of Health. Around the year, we have medical residents working in the Department. Doctors and nurses from various parts of Armenia receive advanced training in our Department annually.

Scientific work

Scientific priorities of the Department are the therapy of respiratory frustration at newborns and the high level treatment of newborns with very low and extremely low weight of body. These subject matters were the focus of the Ph.D. theses of three doctors in our Department. Because of the high level of employees’ expertise and the presence of technical support, the Department was able to carry out randomized controllable research comparing bubble and stream system of nasal CPAP at treatment of respiratory disorders after birth. Results of research can have essential impact on practice of respiratory therapy all over the world. Research was done jointly with colleagues from the Department of Neonatal Medicine of London Imperial College.

Cooperation

For about 10 years, the department constantly cooperates with London Imperial College of Medicine, University Prenatal Center of Zurich, and the Center of the WHO in Trieste, Italy.