Premature Babies

New babies are always a blessing, but for many parents, the birth of an unhealthy baby can become a huge stress and leave them wondering where to turn for help.  And on today's Healthy Living, we'll check in with Terre Haute Regional Hospital's new Neonatology Department, as they continue to build a program that better serves the premature high-risk births.

Dr. Daniel Polk explains more about the program.  “I am a Neonatologist, so I am a pediatrician who has received extra training in the care of babies that are born early or are born with problems.  And Regional traditionally hasn't had a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  So they came to me and asked me if I would be interested in starting a new neonatal program. 

“I'm very impressed with the people here at Regional, as well as Health Corporation who owns the hospital.  They've given me the opportunity to put together a new neonatal intensive care program for people in the Wabash Valley or people here in Terre Haute.  So we're now able to take care of smaller babies, sicker babies, babies that need specialty care, breathing problems, eating problems, jaundice problems. 

“It was important to us to put together a program that specifically addressed those issues.  So we are now able to take care of babies that are less than term, well down into the early thirty-weeks or so, thirty, thirty-two weeks gestation.

“I'm not slow enough to think that I represent the entire program.  So it's a huge team effort here, everybody  from nurses to respiratory therapists, to dieticians to pharmacy to laboratory...they've all got a stake in making this program move forward and I appreciate having a great team around me. 

“If there's any question or any doubt, call here at Terre Haute Regional and ask for the nursery.  There's someone there 24-hours a day, seven days a week.  And if they need to talk to the Neonatologist, they have full permission to call me and see what's going on.  I'm happy to talk to parents or potential parents who have issues.  I'm happy to talk to physicians who are looking for resources in the community whether we actually see the baby or not.  I think we have an obligation to Greater Terre Haute and not just to Terre Haute Regional.”