Neonatology Department

The Department of Neonatology has been the Shanghai Medical Care Center for premature births since 1993. It is one of six Critical Neonatal Consultation Rescue Centers in Shanghai, providing professional service for newborns not only in Shanghai but also the Yangtze Delta Region of eastern China. It also provides 24-hour integrated family-centered care for infants, with 38 beds of NICU which provides treatment for critically ill or premature babies in level III and 80 beds for term newborns with high risks. Our approaches to the treatment patients include conventional and high frequency ventilation, surfactant replacement therapy, nitric oxide inhalation for treatment of PPHN, hypothermia, exchange transfusion, metabolic and hearing screen, immunization of hepatitis B virus and tuberculosis, perinatal consultations and high risk newborn follow-up program. 

There were about 25000 newborns born in our hospital every year, with more than 4000 of these newborns were hospitalized in our unit. About 99.8% of which were cured and discharged to home. We rescued more than 200 very low birth weight infants (birth weight <1500g) annually, of which 94.5% survived. The survival rate is at the leading position in the country. We also rescued more than 50 infants per year with gestational age from 23 weeks to 27 weeks in recent years, of which 80% survived to home. A family centered care philosophy was maintained in our unit and a series of methods were first applied in the country, including breastfeeding, skin-to-skin kangaroo care and the premature family room-in before discharge. It involved family into the rescue for premature infants, so that about 70% of the premature infants in our hospital obtained breastfeeding. More importantly, the families of the premature infants were also provided with a variety of supportive services after discharge, including a national internet-based follow-up program, medical care, family counseling, first-aid for premature infants at home, Micro-chat connections, etc.

There are 112 employees in the department of neonatology, including 27 doctors, 79 nurses and 6 secretaries. Among the doctors, 7 have doctoral degrees and 19 masters; seven doctors are senior physicians and 13 are junior attending pysicians, accounting for 66.7% among doctors. 

Scientific research strength: Several clinical researches were conducted in this unit, including two international collaboration trials. 

Teaching ability: Five doctors have undertaken the clinical teaching of undergraduates on Pediatrics in Tongji University School of Medicine; 3 doctors have undertaken teaching activities in MBBS on Pediatrics; Dr Jing Li is able to supervise postgraduate students on master degree. We also have undertaken a national continuing medical education project on the neonatal resuscitation training.