Newborn Services & NICU

The MakatiMed Newborn Services Complex is a 15-bed facility located adjacent to the Maternal-Fetal – Delivery Room (Dr. Constantino P. Manahan Pavilion). This includes the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Transitional Care Unit (TLC). The NICU can accommodate eight (8) patients and has a separate isolation room for outborns or babies with infections. The TLC provides optimal patient care for newborns who are non-critical but need observation and/or stabilization prior to rooming-in or discharge.

The NICU addresses the needs of newborns who are:

• Delivered with difficulty or with low APGAR Score (health test for newborns)
• Premature and other high-risk infants
• Breathing faster than normal
• Assessed to have a significant murmur
• Assessed to have multiple chromosomal anomalies
• Hypoglycemic (low random blood sugar)
• Large/small for gestational age
• Less than two (2) kg
• Body temperature persistently less than 36^oC
• With poor suckle at the breast or poor activity

The Newborn Services Complex is manned by highly trained health care professionals (Neonatologists, various Pediatric Sub-Specialists, Pediatric Residents, Lactation Counsellors, and Registered Nurses) who provide round-the-clock quality care for sick newborns using constantly updated state-of-the-art medical equipment.

As a Mother-Baby Friendly Hospital, MakatiMed also practices and advocates “Unang Yakap” (First Embrace), which involves non-separation (rooming-in) and early initiation of breastfeeding right after delivery of the newborn.

Services Offered:

• Lactation Counsellors and Lactation Consultants to assist mothers in breastfeeding and educate them on proper techniques for breastfeeding, breast care, and pumping of breast milk and to troubleshoot and solve breastfeeding difficulties
• A dedicated breastfeeding and baby care TV channel broadcasted for twenty-four (24) hours in all patient rooms
• Routine Pulse Oximetry, Hearing Screening, and Newborn Screening for the early detection of subtle newborn problems
• Transcutaneous Bilirubin Monitoring for jaundice. This is a non-invasive measurement of the newborn’s bilirubin levels in the skin to avoid the traditional heel prick method.

The Newborn Services also has the following areas:

• The MakatiMed Lactation Services & Human Milk Bank, also located inside the Unit, collects, screens, processes, stores, and distributes human milk to meet the needs of patients who cannot be directly breastfeed but for whom human milk is prescribed
• A treatment room where special procedures like neonatal circumcision, intravenous (IV) insertion, frenectomy, among others, are done
• Breastfeeding rooms are private cubicles where mothers whose newborns are in the NICU or TLC can breastfeed. These cubicles can also be used by parents to enjoy some private bonding time with their baby while their baby is not yet ready for rooming-in or discharge.
• A milk preparation room where the milk feedings of newborns who are not directly breastfed are prepared and stored. The room has a dedicated refrigerator and sterilization apparatus to ensure that proper milk storage and preparation guidelines are followed and maintained.
• A discharge area where parents and other caregivers receive discharge health instructions for newborns

Chairperson of the Department of Pediatrics:
Rosario P. Paguntalan, MD

Section Head of Newborn Services Unit:
Anna Marie B. Sage-Nolido, MD