Contribution to the creation of a neonatal intensive care unit at AUBMC in Beirut, Lebanon

18 May 2016 Back

Contribution to the creation of a neonatal intensive care unit at AUBMC in Beirut, Lebanon

A new donation to the Pediatric Department at AUBMC has been made by Ouidad Hachem Foundation.

With this donation, AUB will establish The Neonatal Intensive Care Extended Follow-Up Clinic, in memory of the late Dr. Ouidad Hachem. The Neonatal Intensive Care Extended Follow-Up Clinic will be initially located on the sixth floor of AUBMC, in the Outpatient Department.

The objectives of The Neonatal Intensive Care Extended Follow-Up Clinic are to offer guidance for early intervention measures in order to enhance early development, and to help preterm infants reach their growth and developmental potentials.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Extended Follow-Up Clinic will allow AUBMC to provide a comprehensive multidisciplinary follow up for NICU graduates and assess their neurodevelopmental, cognitive and behavioral outcomes. “Neonatal nursing is the provision of nursing care for newborn infants up to 28 days after birth. The term neonatal comes from neo, “new”, and natal, “pertaining to birth or origin”. Neonatology is a subspecialty of pediatrics that consists of the medical care of newborn infants, especially the ill or premature newborn infant. The principal patients of neonatologists are newborn infants who are ill or requiring special medical care due to low birth weight, intrauterine growth retardation, congenital malformations (birth defects), sepsis, pulmonary hypoplasia, birth asphyxias and most of all “premature birth”.

Premature birth is the birth of a baby at less than 37 weeks gestational age. These babies are known as preemies. Premature infants are at greater risk for cerebral palsy, delays in development, hearing problems, and problems seeing. These risks are greater the earlier a baby is born.

The cause of preterm birth is often not known. Risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, being pregnant with more than one baby, being either obese or underweight, a number of vaginal infections, tobacco smoking, and psychological stress, among others.

Thanks to the donation carried out by Ouidad Hachem Foundation, AUBMC is now ready more than ever to take care of premature babies in its Neonatal Intensive Care Extended Follow-Up Clinic. This donation will help these little angels’ health improve and it will bring tranquility to the hearts of concerned families.