Neonatology

Saving Our Most Fragile Babies

A baby is born nearly three months premature. Her tiny lungs struggle to get the oxygen her brain and body need.

A few decades ago, she would have had little hope for survival. But thanks to research on lung surfactant at Golisano Children’s Hospital and the University of Rochester Medical Center, this little child—and 50,000 like her around the world each year—will go on to live into adulthood.

A National Leader in Neonatology

Golisano Children’s Hospital and URMC have been on the cutting edge of neonatology for years.

In addition to our life-saving research on lung surfactant, we have also led the way in cooling therapy to rescue babies who have been deprived of oxygen during birth. This revolutionary approach provides a dramatic reduction in the risk of brain injury, helping to prolong healthier lives.

Of course, there is more to be done. The good news is that we have built an unparalleled foundation of innovative clinicians, visionary researchers, and highly-skilled nurses. We are on the cusp of discovering new ways to help babies who are at the highest risk become healthy children and adults.

How Your Gift Can Help

Your gift can help in two very important ways: To accelerate new discoveries, and allow us to rapidly move those discoveries to a premature infant’s bedside.

• A Comprehensive Neonatology Program
  During the past 10 years, our Division of Neonatology has grown to national prominence. The next step is to integrate our clinical care, discovery and quality improvement activities into one comprehensive program. Your gift can empower our Division Chief and Medical Director to lead our program into the future and set the standard for neonatology around the world.
• Neonatal Lung Injury Prevention
  This program will give patients local access to the most advanced lung therapies currently available, while also supporting studies on innovative new treatments like the use of gentle ventilation, oxygen, and anti-inflammatory agents to reduce lung injury in premature infants.
• Neonatal Brain Injury and Neurological Disease Program
  Our researchers are leaders in preventing brain injury. Through this program, we will be able to continue to expand their research and help lead the way to preventing abnormalities that cause seizures, hearing loss, delayed language development, and autism.
• Improving the NICU
  We know that premature infants and their families do best when the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) keeps them together and provides the safest, most comfortable environment possible. This approach saves lives. Your gift will help us design, implement, and evaluate the best strategies for improving care, and the environment in which it is provided, to the extremely fragile patients in the NICU. As a result, we will be able to save more babies, get them home in the shortest time, and in the very best of health.

More Information

For more information regarding how you can support these important programs, please contact:

Golisano Children's Hospital
University of Rochester Advancement
Phone: (585) 273-5948