Neonatal-Perinatal Care (NICU)

The Department of Pediatrics of the University of Alberta offers a two-year training program in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine to individuals who have completed core pediatric residency training. A third year of perinatal–neonatal training, usually predominantly scholarly activity, may be available for selected trainee at the discretion of the program director and residency program committee. The training program is based at the two tertiary neonatal units of the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) and University of Alberta Hospital (UAH), and the two Level 2 units at the Grey Nuns (GNH) and Misericordia (MIS) hospitals. All four units are university affiliated, and the UAH and RAH are part of the Stollery Children’s Hospital.

The northern Alberta region has approximately 29,000 deliveries per year with 18,000 of those deliveries in the Edmonton area. Edmonton has five neonatal units which provide regionalized care with approximately 3500 admissions/year. The RAH, a combined level 3A and 2 unit, has 69 beds with approximately 1300 admissions/year and the UAH, a surgical/cardiac level 3C unit with 18 beds has approximately 500 admissions/year. The Grey Nuns Hospital, a level 2B unit, has 23 beds and approximately 1300 admissions/year admitting ≥30 weeks' gestational age, the Misericordia Hospital is a level 2B unit with 18 beds, and the Sturgeon Hospital, a level 2B unit with 8 beds. The combined number of admissions and broad range of clinical problems encountered offers comprehensive clinical training in Neonatology. At the RAH, where high-risk Perinatology is located, there is a particular interest in the clinical management of refractory respiratory failure, including the use of nitric oxide and high frequency oscillatory ventilation. All premature infants less than 30 weeks in northern Alberta are admitted to this unit. The UAH provides a nurse‑clinician based transport program and has a very active general surgery and cardiosurgical service for neonates. Neonates requiring cardiac surgery from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the territories are admitted there. It also provides other specialized services such as neurosurgery, neonatal general surgery, ENT, and all pediatric subspecialties. All units function as one program.

There are thirty-two neonatologists in the Program. There is also a full complement of subspecialists in areas relevant to neonatology including general surgery, plastic surgery, urology, orthopedics, cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery, cardiology, endocrinology, hematology, immunology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, infectious diseases, nephrology, metabolic disorders, clinical genetics, developmental pediatrics, and perinatology.

The RAH and UAH hospitals have complete diagnostic services including pathology, microbiology, biochemistry, radiology, ultrasonography, MRI, histopathology, and nuclear medicine.

The Northern Alberta Neonatal Services is also associated with the Northern Alberta Neonatal and Infant Follow-up Program and the Registry and Follow-up of Complex Pediatric Therapies Program. Children graduating from the NICU who have experienced prematurity, HIE, acquired brain abnormalities and complex congenital heart surgery within the first months of life attend clinics at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital to monitor neurodevelopment that follows at risk infants including prematurity, neonatal surgeries and intercardiac surgery.

Research

The Division of Neonatology has a strong research program consisting of an established infrastructure and a group of academics and clinician-scientists who are recognized leaders in the fields of cardiovascular effects of hypoxic-reoxygenation injury, neonatal resuscitation and NIDCAP. We also provide a rich training environment for academic neonatology encompassed in the Neonatal-Perinatal (NICU) Residency Program.

Check out the latest publications.