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Pediatric neonatologist
Last reviewed: 03.07.2025
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A pediatrician-neonatologist is a pediatrician who monitors a child during the first year of life.
Who is a pediatric neonatologist?
A pediatrician-neonatologist is a doctor who creates conditions for a baby to adapt to the world. In the maternity hospital, a pediatrician-neonatologist shows the mother for the first time how to feed the baby, how to swaddle. Some maternity hospitals specialize in the pathology of childbirth, in such maternity hospitals there are several pediatrician-neonatologists, they know how to provide resuscitation care to a newborn, if it is needed.
After birth, all of your baby's organs and systems are rebuilt. He experienced enormous stress when he was born! In the first week, it is decided whether the child will live. It is up to 7 days that spontaneous death of newborns most often occurs.
When should you contact a pediatric neonatologist?
This doctor is in every maternity hospital. He monitors the child throughout his stay there.
After discharge, it is worth seeking advice if muscle tone is impaired. Normally, the baby's arms and legs should be easily unbent. You should also be concerned if there is frequent regurgitation.
What tests should be taken when visiting a pediatric neonatologist?
- total bilirubin;
- direct bilirubin;
- blood type and Rh factor;
- general blood test;
- immunoglobulin E;
- Allergy panel Ig G;
- streptococcus A;
- Streptococcus B;
- general urine analysis;
- coprogram;
- stool for intestinal dysbacteriosis;
- throat swab culture for staphylococcus;
- Allergy panel Ig E;
- Nasal smear culture for microflora.
Other tests may be ordered as indicated.
What diagnostic methods does a pediatrician-neonatologist use?
Ultrasound of the hip joints in children, neurosonography in children, echocardiography, visual examination, palpation, thermometry, laboratory tests and other diagnostic methods as indicated.
What does a pediatric neonatologist do?
He advises the mother on the correct bathing and feeding of the child, the choice of milk formula, the regime of walks and sleep. The pediatrician-neonatologist draws up a vaccination schedule.
What diseases does a pediatric neonatologist treat?
- Albuminuria is a characteristic physiological disorder in the functioning of the kidneys.
- Physiological jaundice.
- Difficulty breathing. The newborn breathes in frequently, but has difficulty breathing out. This can last up to 7 days, longer in premature babies.
- Toxic erythema is an allergic rash of newborns. Most often, it goes away without treatment.
- A decrease in temperature or fever in newborns is a violation of the thermal balance due to the imperfection of the baby's thermoregulation. At a low temperature, it is necessary to wrap it up; at a high temperature, an enema for newborns with analgin is recommended.
- Stool disorder - immediately after birth, the stool is thick and green. Within 10 days, it returns to normal, becomes mushy, yellowish due to the normalization of the activity of beneficial intestinal bacteria.
Also after birth, there is a physiological drop in the child’s body weight by an average of 5%.
Advice from a pediatrician-neonatologist
The baby may refuse to take the breast right away. Ask the nurse to help you. On the 2-3 day, he will eat on his own.
The skin in the first days of a child's life is red, dry and wrinkled. Don't be alarmed! And offer the baby breast and water more often, but make sure there is no overfeeding.
Ventilate the room where the child is more often. This is good for his lungs.
If you are breastfeeding, review your diet for excess animal proteins. The baby's kidneys cannot cope with them very well yet. Drink tea, freshly squeezed juices, compotes.
Do not invite guests to your home right away, postpone the celebration of such an important event for a week ahead. Strangers can scare the baby.
A pediatrician-neonatologist is the first doctor in your child's life. His development depends on how you follow the recommendations given by the pediatrician-neonatologist in the maternity hospital.
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