Inpatient Services
Well-newborn Care (Level I)
We manage Level I neonatal care in two nurseries within the postnatal wards. Here, well babies receive their vaccinations according to the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule and undergo screening for hearing impairment, congenital hypothyroidism, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, inborn errors of metabolism, cystic fibrosis, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, severe combined immune deficiency, galactosemia and biotinidase deficiency. Newborns with jaundice receive phototherapy. We support all mothers in their breastfeeding journey through the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. Lactation support is provided by Certified Lactation Specialists and Lactation Counsellors.
Intensive Care and High Dependency (Levels II, III)
We manage Level II and III neonatal care in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and High Dependency Unit (HDU). Ill or premature newborns are supported by our multi-disciplinary team of Neonatologists, Specialty Nurses, Allied Health Professionals including Dietitians, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists and where required, Paediatric Cardiologists,
Paediatric Surgeons, Paediatric Ophthalmologists, Paediatric Neurologists, Paediatric Nephrologists and Paediatric Neurosurgeons among others.
In the management of high-risk pregnancies, we provide pre-delivery parent counselling, obstetric collaboration in the antenatal period to optimise outcomes during delivery and post-birth, attendance during birth, newborn resuscitation and stabilisation, and intensive care.
We provide intensive care support for babies with a wide range of conditions including but not limited to:
- Prematurity
- Congenital anomalies
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (injury to brain during birth), with brain-wave monitoring and therapeutic hypothermia (cooling)
- Post-operative care
- Palliative care and bereavement support for terminal conditions
As part of the transition to home for our babies who are born premature or with illnesses that required prolonged stay in hospital, we provide home equipment on loan for ventilation or feeding support, train parents in the use of these and help families to settle in at home with their babies after discharge from our NICU and HDU.
We teach parents the basics of infant cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and infant choking prior to discharge to enable them to help their babies in the event of an emergency at home.
Family-Centred Care
We advocate a family-centered approach with involvement of parents in the care of their baby. Parents are encouraged to room-in with their well babies post birth, and visit their ill or premature babies in the NICU or HDU as often and at any time of day. We have the support of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Singapore® who provide families with a resting lounge within our NICU.
Outpatient Services
We provide follow-up consultations for newborns who require specialist care, as well as healthy infants, toddlers and children up till the age of 18 years. This includes monitoring jaundice, nutrition, growth and development, administering vaccinations and providing parents with anticipatory advice.
Our multidisciplinary team also cares for high-risk babies who are discharged from the NICU and HDU.
We are primary providers for many complex neonatal and paediatrics conditions such as congenital heart diseases, respiratory disorders, neurodevelopmental abnormalities, gastro-intestinal malformations and genitourinary defects. Often, these conditions are co-managed with Paediatricians from different specialties.
For premature and developmentally at-risk newborns, the services we provide are:
- Long-term growth and developmental follow-up
- Multidisciplinary interventional programme
- Referral to early developmental interventional programme, when required
Our clinics are located at the Khoo Teck Puat – National University Children’s Medical Institute.