Neonatology, a subspecialty of paediatrics, is dedicated to the healthcare of newborns.
Since its establishment in 1990, the Department of Neonatology at NUH provides comprehensive care for all newborns. The scope of practice encompasses Levels I, II and III Neonatal care. This includes pre-delivery counselling for high-risk pregnancies, attendance at high-risk deliveries, newborn resuscitation, neonatal intensive care, well-baby nursery care, post-discharge follow-up and continuity of care.
As of 1 August 2013, NUH is recognised as a Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI)-certified Facility.
A dedicated team of doctors and nurses at the department ensures continuous monitoring, investigations and specialised care for newborns. Additionally, the team provides pre- and post-operative care for newborns requiring surgery, including complex congenital heart surgeries and neurosurgeries.
Head of Division & Senior Consultant
Emeritus Consultant
Senior Consultants
Consultant
Senior Resident Physician
Dr Shegufta Rahman
Resident Physicians
Dr Janaki Abirami Palaniappan
Dr Kalaimathy Veerappan
Dr Preeti Arora
Inpatient Services
Well-newborn Care (Level I)
Management of Level I neonatal care in two nurseries within the postnatal wards.
Routine vaccinations as per the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule .
Screening for various conditions, including 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.
Phototherapy for newborns with jaundice.
Breastfeeding support through the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding program, with guidance from Certified Lactation Specialists and Lactation Counsellors.
Intensive Care and High Dependency (Levels II, III)
Management of Level II and III care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and High Dependency Unit (HDU) for ill or premature newborns.
Support from a multi-disciplinary team including 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.
Management of high-risk pregnancies by provision of pre-delivery parent counselling and obstetric collaboration in the antenatal period, delivery and post-birth.
Comprehensive care for conditions such as prematurity, congenital anomalies and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (injury to the brain during birth).
Post-operative care, palliative care and bereavement support.
For babies born premature or with illnesses that require prolonged stay in the hospital, we provide home equipment loan for ventilation or feeding, training for parents and support for home transition after discharge from the NICU and HDU.
Family-Centred Care
Emphasis on family involvement in the care of their newborn.
Encouragement for parents to room-in with their well babies post-birth and visit their ill or premature babies in the NICU or HDU.
Support from the Ronald McDonald House Charities Singapore® for families.
Outpatient Services
Follow-up consultations for newborns requiring specialist care, as well as healthy infants, toddlers and children up to 18 years. This includes monitoring jaundice, nutrition, growth and development, administering vaccinations and providing parents with anticipatory advice.
Care for high-risk babies discharged from the NICU and HDU.
Primary care for various complex neonatal and paediatrics conditions, such as congenital heart diseases, respiratory disorders, neurodevelopmental abnormalities, gastro-intestinal malformations and genitourinary defects, often in collaboration with paediatricians from different specialties.
Services for premature and developmentally at-risk newborns include long-term growth and developmental follow-up, multi-disciplinary interventional programmes and referrals to early developmental interventional programmes.
Our clinics are located at the Khoo Teck Puat – National University Children’s Medical Institute.
NUH Neonatal Parental Support Group
The NUH Neonatal Parental Support Group caters to the needs of parents with newborns in the NICU. The Group’s mission is to offer information, support, encouragement and resources to parents and their families.
Sone services provided by the Group include:
Complimentary footprint service
Follow-up with telephone calls after hospital discharge
Connecting parents with others who have had similar experiences
Organising gatherings for families of discharged babies
For more information about this support group, inquiries can be directed to Nurse Manager Aliza Bte Kamsan at [email protected].
The first appointment for newborns typically occurs within one to three days post-discharge. This visit focuses on the transition from hospital to home for both mother and baby. The healthcare team will engage in discussions about the baby's well-being, with particular attention to feeding, urination, stooling, and general behaviour.
During the visit, the baby will be weighed, ideally without clothes and diaper, undergo a physical examination and have their nutritional status assessed. A non-invasive test may be performed to measure the jaundice levels (transcutaneous bilirubin) and additional blood tests may be conducted for selected babies.
The visit also includes providing parents with guidance on baby care and scheduling follow-up visits as necessary.
World's Tiniest Baby Goes Home
Local Media Coverage
7 August 2021 | Discharged after 13 months at NUH, world’s tiniest baby is now a healthy 6.3kg |
7 August 2021 | |
7 August 2021 | |
7 August 2021 | NUH’s smallest baby to survive birth discharged after 13 months in intensive care |
7 August 2021 | World’s smallest baby, born at 212 grams at NUH, now doing well at 14 months old |
7 August 2021 | Singapore's NUH manifest medical miracle by saving world’s smallest premature born infant |
7 August 2021 | |
7 August 2021 | |
7 August 2021 | NUH-இல் பிறந்த ஆகச் சிறிய குழந்தை13 மாதங்களுக்குப் பிறகு நலமுடன் வீடு திரும்பியது |
8 August 2021 | 212g world’s smallest baby born in S’pore discharged after 13-month hospital stay |
8 August 2021 | Dipercayai bayi paling ringan di dunia, dibenar keluar dari NUH |
9 August 2021 | ‘World’s smallest baby’ born the weight of an apple allowed to go home |
9 August 2021 | |
9 August 2021 | Singapore’s NUH Save the World’s Tiniest Baby Born at Just 212 Grams |
Foreign Media Coverage
Click here to read more stories in the media on the Department of Neonatology.
Khoo Teck Puat – National University Children’s Medical Institute
For directions to the Khoo Teck Puat – National University Children’s Medical Institute, including access via MRT, drop-off points and parking information, click here.
For more information on our paediatric clinic or contact details, click here.
To make an appointment online, click here.