Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

• Caring for Yourself While Your Baby Is in the NICU

  Learn why it's important to take care of yourself while your baby is in the NICU.

• Premature Baby: Special Care in the NICU

  Learn what to expect and what you'll need to know if your premature baby is in the NICU.

• Cleft Palate

  What is cleft palate? Cleft palate is a treatable birth defect. It happens when the roof of the baby's mouth (palate) doesn't develop normally during pregnancy, leaving an opening (cleft) in the palate that may go through to the nasal cavity. A cleft can form on any part of the palate, including the front part of the...

• Intrauterine Fetal Blood Transfusion for Rh Disease

  An intrauterine transfusion provides blood to an Rh-positive fetus when fetal red blood cells are being destroyed by Rh antibodies. A blood transfusion is given to replace fetal red blood cells that are being destroyed by the Rh-sensitized mother's immune system. This treatment is meant to keep the fetus healthy until...

• Your Child's Cardiac Catheterization for PDA: Before the Procedure

  Learn what cardiac catheterization for PDA is and how to prepare your child for it.

• Your Child's Cardiac Catheterization for PDA: Returning Home

  Learn what you can do at home to care for your child after a cardiac catheterization for PDA.

• Your Child's EP Study and Ablation: Before the Procedure

  Learn what an EP study and ablation are and how to prepare your child for each one.

• Your Child's EP Study and Ablation: Returning Home

  Learn what you can do at home to care for your child after an EP study and ablation.

• Caring for a Baby With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)

  Learn how to calm a baby with neonatal abstinence syndrome and when it's time to call the doctor.

• Here's Help: Mild Dehydration in Your Baby or Child

  Find out what to do and when to call for help if your baby or child has mild dehydration.

• Jaundice in Newborns

  Find out what to do if your baby has jaundice.

• Learning About the NICU

  Learn about the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), including the equipment, the role of the family, and how to communicate with the staff in NICU.

• Kangaroo Care for Your Baby and You

  Learn what kangaroo care is, how to do it, why it's important, and how it benefits both your baby and you.

• NICU: Getting Ready to Take Your Baby Home

  Learn what you need to know and expect before your baby comes home from the NICU.

• After the NICU: Caring for Your Baby at Home

  Learn what to expect and what you'll need to know to take care of your baby at home after the NICU.

• Drug Withdrawal in Newborns (Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome)

  Drug withdrawal in newborns (also called neonatal abstinence syndrome) is a set of problems that may affect a child if the mother used certain drugs while she was pregnant. These drugs may include prescription medicines or illegal drugs. Some...

• Low Amniotic Fluid

  Low amniotic fluid means that there is too little fluid around your baby in the uterus during pregnancy. The medical term for this problem is oligohydramnios. Amniotic fluid protects your baby from being bumped or hurt as you move your body. And it...

• Childbirth: Strep Infections During Delivery

  Some women carry group B streptococcus bacteria in the vagina. And for some of them, it does not cause problems. (This type of strep is not the same as the type that causes strep throat.) But a woman who has group B strep in her vagina can pass it...

• Cleft Palate: Feeding Your Baby

  Feeding a baby who has cleft palate can be a challenge. Your baby may have a problem making a tight seal between his or her mouth and the nipple. But with a little preparation, you can successfully feed your baby with breast milk or formula. A...

• Premature Delivery in Multiple Pregnancy

  Delivery before the 37th week is called a premature, or preterm, delivery. A premature delivery can cause problems for the infants if their organs are not fully developed. Infants delivered before 32 weeks have greater health risks than those who...

• Rh Sensitization During Pregnancy

  What is Rh sensitization during pregnancy? If you are Rh-negative, your red blood cells do not have a marker called Rh factor on them. Rh-positive blood does have this marker. If your blood mixes with Rh-positive blood, your immune system will react to the Rh factor by making antibodies to destroy it. This immune...

• Indirect Coombs Test

  An indirect Coombs test can be used to determine whether there are antibodies to the Rh factor in the mother's blood. In this case: A normal (negative) result means that the mother has not developed antibodies against the fetus's blood. A negative...

• Fetal Blood Sampling (FBS) During Pregnancy

  Fetal blood sampling (FBS) is the collecting of fetal blood directly from the umbilical cord or fetus. The fetal blood is tested for signs of anemia and other blood problems. FBS is also known as cordocentesis or percutaneous umbilical cord blood sampling. FBS is usually used when a Doppler ultrasound and/or a...

• Cleft Lip

  What is cleft lip? Cleft lip is a treatable birth defect. It happens when the tissues of the upper jaw and nose don't join as expected during fetal development. This causes a split (cleft) in the lip. A cleft lip may be complete or incomplete. With either type, it may involve one or both sides of the upper lip...

• Jaundice in Newborns (Hyperbilirubinemia)

  Jaundice is a yellow tint to a newborn's skin and the white part of the eyes. It is a sign that there's too much bilirubin in the baby's blood. The word for having too much bilirubin in the blood is hyperbilirubinemia (say...

• Spina Bifida

  Spina bifida is a type of birth defect called a neural tube defect. It occurs when the bones of the spine (vertebrae) don't form properly around part of the baby's spinal cord. Spina bifida can be mild or severe. The mild form is the most common. It...

• Syphilis

  What is syphilis? Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. If it's not treated by a doctor, it can get worse over time and cause serious health problems. The infection can be active at times and not active at other times. When the infection is active, you...

• Congenital Syphilis

  Congenital syphilis occurs when a mother's syphilis goes untreated during pregnancy and is passed to the baby through the placenta. A baby can also become infected with syphilis during labor or delivery. The risk of infecting the baby is greatest...

• Congenital Heart Defects in Children

  Discusses problems with how a baby's heart forms. Also looks at problems found when a person is an adult. Includes info on patent ductus arteriosus, aortic valve stenosis, and coarctation of the aorta. Covers treatment with medicine and surgery.

• Congenital Heart Defects: Caring for Your Child

  Caring for a child with a congenital heart defect can be challenging. The following tips may help you care for your child so that he or she is as healthy and comfortable as possible. These tips may also help you cope with the difficulties that parents often experience. Caring for your child in the hospital...

• Heart Catheterization for Congenital Heart Defects in Children

  A heart catheterization is a procedure used for both diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects. As a test, this procedure allows doctors to see how blood flows through the heart chambers and arteries. As a treatment, the doctor can use special tools to fix a heart defect during this procedure. How is it...

• Bed Rest in Pregnancy

  What is bed rest? Bed rest is limiting physical activity during your pregnancy. It can last a few weeks or even months. It may be at home or in the hospital. Your doctor may put you on partial bed rest or full bed rest. Partial bed rest usually means it's usually okay to sit, stand, or walk around for short...

• Phenylketonuria (PKU) Test

  A phenylketonuria (PKU) test is done to check whether a newborn baby has the enzyme needed to use phenylalanine in his or her body. Phenylalanine is an amino acid that is needed for normal growth and development. If a baby's body does not have the enzyme that changes phenylalanine into another amino acid called...

• Necrotizing Enterocolitis

  What is necrotizing enterocolitis? Necrotizing enterocolitis is infection and inflammation of the intestine. It is most common in babies who are born early (premature). Many newborns who have it go on to live healthy lives. But if the infection becomes severe, it can cause severe damage to the intestine, which can be...

• Phenylketonuria (PKU)

  Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare genetic disorder in which the body cannot break down an amino acid called phenylalanine (say "fehn-uhl-AL-uh-neen"), which is a part of protein. This substance is found in breast milk, many types of baby formula, and...

• Genetic Testing and Screening

  A genetic test checks the DNA of your cells. It can find changes in your genes, or it can check the number, order, and structure of your chromosomes. Testing may be done on samples of body tissue, blood, or other body fluids such as urine or saliva. You inherit half of your genetic information from your mother and...

• Dehydration: Drinking Enough Fluids (Babies and Young Children)

  When your child is not feeling well, he or she may not want anything to drink. This may happen if your child has a fever or diarrhea or is vomiting. It is important that your child drink enough fluids to avoid dehydration. Not drinking enough fluid can cause constipation. When the weather gets hot or when your child is...

• Catheter Ablation for a Fast Heart Rate

  Covers procedure to destroy (ablate) tiny areas of heart muscle causing fast heart rate. Includes radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation. Covers use for supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia (AVRT), Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, and ventricular tachycardia.

• Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

  Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a heart rhythm problem that causes a very fast heart rate. WPW is one type of supraventricular tachycardia called atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia (AVRT). With WPW, an extra electrical pathway links the upper chambers (atria) and lower chambers (ventricles) of the...

• Alcohol Effects on a Fetus

  A woman who drinks alcohol while she is pregnant may harm her developing baby (fetus). Alcohol can pass from the mother's blood into the baby's blood. It can damage and affect the growth of the baby's cells. Brain and spinal cord cells are most...

• NICU: Communicating With the Staff

  The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) staff are vital not only to your infant's health but also to your understanding of your infant's condition. When you are with your infant's doctor or nurse, ask whatever questions you have about your infant's health and care. The NICU staff understands that this is all new to you...

• Hypospadias

  Hypospadias is a male birth defect in which the opening of the tube that carries urine from the body (urethra) develops abnormally, usually on the underside of the penis. The opening can occur anywhere from just below the end of the penis to the...

• Congenital Heart Defect Types

  There are many types of congenital heart defects. If the defect lowers the amount of oxygen in the body, it is called cyanotic. If the defect doesn't affect oxygen in the body, it is called acyanotic. What are cyanotic heart defects? Cyanotic heart...

• Congenital Heart Defects in Adults

  Adults with congenital heart defects can live long, full, and active lives. There are many things you can do to stay healthy and live well. These include having a heart-healthy lifestyle, preventing infections, and getting regular checkups. You...

• Kernicterus

  Kernicterus is a very rare type of brain damage that occurs in a newborn with severe jaundice. It happens when a substance in the blood, called bilirubin, builds up to very high levels and spreads into the brain tissues. This causes permanent brain...

• PKU Diet

  A low-protein diet is the main treatment for phenylketonuria (PKU). This is because people who have PKU lack an enzyme to properly process the amino acid phenylalanine, a part of protein. Phenylalanine is present in all protein foods and in some...

• Group B Streptococcal Infections in Newborns

  Looks at causes and symptoms of group B streptococcal infections in newborns. Explains what group B strep is. Covers how and why it is treated. Includes treatment for mothers and newborns.

• Newborn Rashes and Skin Conditions

  What are the most common skin conditions in newborns? It's very common for newborns to have rashes or other skin problems. Some of them have long names that are hard to say and sound scary. But most will go away on their own in a few days or weeks. Here are some of the things you may notice about your baby's skin...