[THE CHILDREN OF TODAY- ADULTS OF TOMORROW]

Harefuah. 2020 Oct;159(10):717-720.
[Article in Hebrew]

Abstract

According to a recent publication in the Lancet, infants who are born today will live to be up to 100 years of age. Neonatology is a medical specialty with great and grave responsibility. The way we administer the treatment of infants today and their subsequent neurodevelopmental outcome will affect not only their own lives but the lives of their families as well, in addition to impacting society, for many decades. Challenges encountered in neonatology subspecialties are enormous. We treat various systems in the human body that are not yet fully developed, taking upon ourselves the onus of directing the most optimal development. We are committed to address the physical challenges and the complex emotional burdens of the whole family unit. Indeed, the new parents and the baby-parents dyad are in our hands alone. We recognize that these infants deserve the best head start that we can provide. We treat a variety of conditions, including term newborns who are born with congenital malformations as well as those who sustain major injury through delivery complications, and provide 24-hour care during the long-term hospitalizations of very preterm infants. In this journal, we will share the very broad spectrum of challenges that will be described in case studies and original reports, and highlight the various approaches that reflect the versatility of our profession, from the baby's first breath to diagnosis, to choosing the therapeutic management most suitable for the infant and the family.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Child
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant, Premature*
  • Infant, Premature, Diseases*
  • Infant, Very Low Birth Weight
  • Parents