No parent wants to give birth to a premature infant. However, when a baby comes into the world before his or her due date, the infant is often referred to the care of a neonatologist. Neonatologists in Florida work in hospitals and specialize in the care of babies who are born prematurely. Premature babies face a wide range of health challenges, including pneumonia, collapsed lungs, jaundice, and intestinal ailments. In order to save a patient's life, the neonatologist will closely monitor the child and administer any number of treatments to help that patient survive.
In fact, the field of neonatology is a recent medical invention. Prior to the 20th century, premature infants faced certain death. If they did survive, they often lived with permanent conditions that prevented them from living a normal life. However, as the medical field benefited from the Industrial Revolution and new medicines and treatments were invented, doctors began to discover techniques that could save premature infants' lives. By the 1950s, incubators became commonplace in hospitals and were used to warm these patients after being born. Neonatologists learned respiratory therapeutic steps to take to help preemies breathe and used antibiotics to fight life-threatening infections. As a result, prematurely born children no longer faced dire chances of dying. Doctors increased the odds of their surviving early birth.
Indeed, neonatologists in Florida undergo extensive professional training before working unsupervised in the state's hospitals. A medical student who wishes to help such patients first must achieve a medical degree in pediatrics. Then the newly graduated doctor spends another three years in a neonatology rotation in order to learn his or her trade. That means that the pediatrician works closely with infants in a hospital's neonatology unit, or NICU, as it is known in most facilities. In the three years, they will also work under the tutelage of a resident physician in order to expand their knowledge and firsthand experiences with patients.
Parents also benefit from their association with neonatologists. Many times, moms and dads may feel overwhelmed and afraid after seeing their newborn hooked up to all sorts of machines. They may not know that the IVs, life support machines, ventilation tubes, and monitors are there to help keep their child alive. Some people might think that the nurses are hurting their baby, when in fact they are trying to help him or her. These specialized pediatricians can inform people about what is going on with their child and why such treatments are needed. They can put people's minds at ease and keep them assured.
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