Services
Children's Memorial Hospital leads regionally and nationally in the treatment
of newborns for these reasons:
- The ECMO program
(extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a highly sophisticated mechanical
heart/lung support system), under the direction of pediatric surgeon Marleta Reynolds, is widely
recognized for its excellence. ECMO provides an important safety net for
infants with pulmonary hypertension and other serious conditions because it
allows the heart and lung to rest during the time needed for recovery. There
are fewer than 100 such programs nationally.
- The physicians in the Division of Neonatology, headed by Robin Steinhorn, MD, are
internationally recognized leaders in the delivery of cutting-edge therapies
such as nitric oxide and high-frequency ventilation. All are board-certified
by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- The division's research team is composed of both physicians and full-time
investigators, and is funded by the National Institutes of Health and the
American Heart Association. The team uses a translational or bench-to-bedside
approach to research to better understand the causes of pulmonary hypertension
and other conditions and to develop new therapies.
- Children's Memorial was the first hospital in Chicago to have a full-time
developmental care
specialist dedicated to the NICU. The position is supported by the Woman's
Board. "Developmental care involves modifying a newborn's environment and
learning to read and respond to an infant's behavioral cues to determine his
or her current capabilities and needs," according to Sue Horner, RN, currently
the NICU developmental specialist at Children's Memorial. Developmental care
is based on the premise that aggressive brain development occurs prior to
birth (and continues until age three).