Newborn Medicine

Lead by Alison Sweeney, MD, we use a team-based approach to provide high quality, standardized care for newborns, mothers and families at the University of North Carolina Women's Hospital. Our team includes physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, nurses, and students. We also lead education activities of medical students, residents, and other health professional students in newborn issues, including the development of a novel iTunes U Course to deliver curricular content. The experience is highly valued and structured to maximize continuity.

We have guidelines to assure quality care with late preterm infants, those with initial low blood sugars, at-risk for infection, and newborns whose mothers used opiates or other pharmaceuticals during pregnancy.

Our current research projects include studying the effects of neonatal abstinence syndrome, enhanced collaborations with the UNC Horizons Program, ongoing participation in, and leadership of studies conductive vie the BORN Network of the Academic Pediatric Association.

In addition to a family-oriented setting for birth, the systems of care for newborns meet the highest quality standards.  In June 2016, the UNC Newborn service and NC Women’s Hospital received Safe Sleep designation from the state. We previously have achieved Baby-Friendly designation which affirms our work to maximize breast-feeding and other infant friendly practices.

Finally, this section leads education of medical students, residents, and other health professional students in newborn issues.  The experience is highly valued and structured to maximize continuity.