Care After Your Baby is Born
At the delivery hospital, a doctor who specializes in working with sick infants (neonatologist) will manage the care of your baby. This doctor will watch your baby’s breathing and heart rate and look for other problems. Babies born with complex, single ventricle heart defects need care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the delivery hospital. An intravenous line (IV) will be started in your baby’s belly button (umbilicus), arm, leg, or head. The IV gives fluids, medicines, and antibiotics to prevent dehydration and infection.
After the IV is put in, your baby may be started on a medicine called prostaglandin E (Prostin). This medicine keeps the blood flowing through the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Keeping the PDA open lets blood flow to your child’s body or lungs, keeping him or her stable until surgery (see Other Treatment Options on page 39).
Your baby will need to be transferred to Nationwide Children’s Hospital Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (CTICU) shortly after birth. Nationwide Children’s Mobile Intensive Care team will take your baby from the birth hospital to Nationwide Children’s. The team is very experienced at transporting newborns with heart defects. Every effort is made to let you see your baby before leaving the birth hospital.
At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, you will meet with a team of many different specialists.
This team includes:
- Cardiologists: Doctors who specialize in working with the heart
- Cardiothoracic surgeons: Doctors who specialize in surgery on the heart and lungs
- Neonatologists: Doctors who specialize in treating newborns
- Interventional cardiologist and catheterization team: A team of healthcare professionals that specialize in heart procedures
- Additional specialized support, like social work, nutrition, therapy, psychology, chaplain
- A specialized team of nurses and nurse practitioners