Conditions & Treatments

The NICU team at Brenner houses experts in the treatment of both congenital (before birth) and acquired (after birth) heart defects in children, as well as genetic syndromes and other congenital anomalies. We help critically ill premature and full-term babies get better every day in our state-of-the-art clinical unit through diagnosis, treatment and continual care.

Anemia – a common blood disorder that occurs when there is a low amount of red blood cells; this disorder can lead to a range of health problems and complications, including fatigue and added stress on the body’s organs

Apnea – long pauses in breathing that lead to an irregular breathing pattern and, potentially, a decrease in the body’s oxygen levels and disruption of normal sleep patterns

Bowel perforation – an opening in the wall of the stomach, small intestine or large intestine that may allow food or stool to leak into the body’s abdomen; in some cases, a perforated bowel can lead to peritonitis, which is a severe inflammation of the inside of the abdomen

Bradycardia – a slow heart rate; bradycardia is more likely to occur in premature infants

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia or chronic lung disease – a condition in which not enough oxygen is transferred into the blood from the lungs; this condition affects both premature and full-term babies

Heart Conditions

Congenital heart defects - Congenital heart defects are heart defects found in the structure of the heart, which occur while the heart is forming in a baby. The most common form of birth defect, heart defects are found in 1 out of every 100 newborns in the United States.

Acquired heart defects - Acquired heart defects are heart problems that occur in children after they are born; these commonly occur after a child faces an illness.

Arrhythmia - an irregular heart rhythm

Atrial septal defect or ASD - a hole in the wall of the upper chambers of the heart

Patent ductus arteriosus or PDA – a condition in which a blood vessel that should close shortly after birth does not close on its own, which can cause too much blood to flow to an infant’s lungs

Patent foramen ovale or PFO - a condition caused when an opening between the left and right atria does not close before or shortly after birth

Ventricular septal defect or VSD - a hole in the wall of the lower chambers of the heart

Hydrocephalus - a buildup of fluid inside the brain that leads to brain swelling

Intestinal atresia - a narrowing or missing portion of the small or large intestine

Intraventricular hemorrhage - bleeding in the ventricles of the brain that is more commonly seen in premature infants and infants with low birth weights

Jaundice – the presence of high amounts of bilirubin (the result of the normal breakdown of red blood cells) in the blood that turns a child’s skin and the whites of his or her eyes yellow

Necrotizing enterocolitis – an inflammation of the bowel or colon that destroys bowel tissue and can cause perforation; this condition is more likely seen in premature infants

Respiratory distress syndrome – a syndrome that causes difficulty in breathing; this syndrome is more common in premature infants because their lungs are not fully developed

Retinopathy of prematurity - abnormal growth of blood vessels in a premature infant’s eyes

Sepsis – a bacterial infection that causes the immune system to attack the body’s organs and tissues

Tracheomalacia - a softened trachea that collapses upon exhalation