Skip to main content

Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

The Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine helps fulfill the mission of the Saint Louis University's Department of Pediatrics by providing exemplary neonatal care, building outstanding programs of professional and public education, collaborating in national quality improvement initiatives and contributing a wide variety of productive research.

Neonatal-Perinatal Training

Our division provides education and training for Saint Louis University undergraduates, medical students and residents in pediatrics, pediatrics/internal medicine, obstetrics, and neonatal perinatal medicine.

The Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship Program at SLU was established in 1981.  The program is fully accredited by the ACGME.  The fellowship program currently has six GME-funded positions.  The neonatal board rate for the last five years is 100%.

Learn More About SLU's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship

Members of the division participate in a variety of educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate nurses and respiratory therapists. An important educational effort is the Illinois regional perinatal education program. In cooperation with SLU's obstetrics faculty and SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital and SSM Health St. Mary Hospital's nursing leadership, our faculty regularly participate with the medical and nursing staffs of 40 referring maternal and neonatal services in educational and quality improvement programs in the State of Illinois.

Research

The division has funded research in four areas of translational research.

Dr. Noah Hillman – Preterm lung injury and inflammation
Dr. Joyce Koenig – Neonatal response to pre-natal inflammation
Dr. Robert Fleming – Neonatal iron metabolism
Dr. Amit Mathur - Neonatal brain injury and neuroprotection

The division is also active in several areas of clinical research. These include: neonatal resuscitation and delayed cord clamping, neonatal nutrition -role of fortification, simulation training, outcomes following twin-twin transfusion and chronic lung disease. The Division has a dedicated clinical research coordinator and has the ability to create and maintain RedCap databases.

The division had 17 abstracts accepted for presentation at the 2020 PAS meeting that was to be held in Philadelphia and had a total of 21 publications in 2019.

Clinical Care

Venues of neonatal care include the Neonatal Intensive Care Units at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center and SSM Health St. Mary’s Health Center, the Neonatal Transport Team of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, the pre and perinatal consultation services at SSM Health St. Mary’s Health Center and the Fetal Care Institute, the Level II Nurseries at SSM Health St. Joseph-West, SSM Health St. Clare Health Center, consultation services at SSM Health DePaul Hospital, SSM Health St. Joseph’s Health Center-St. Charles, and the Multidisciplinary High-Risk Infant Follow-up Clinics. 

Quality Improvement

The Division participates in multidisciplinary quality improvement projects through the Vermont Oxford Network. Other ongoing projects include reduction of unintended extubations, reduction of CLABSIs and instituting a "code sepsis" algorithm and protocol in the NICU.

Hospital Partners