Level III NICU- 9 bedded on 1^st floor of IPD building

HDU- 3 bedded on ground floor (BGA B block) of IPD building

30 bedded Post natal care ward (PNC) - Healthy neonates are kept with mother after delivery for routine care

1. Neonatal ICU: : This is a Level III neonatal intensive care unit capable of providing comprehensive neonatal intensive care including non-invasive respiratory support, conventional invasive ventilation, High frequency ventilation and incubators. Management of neonatal surgical cases and cardiothoracic surgery cases is done in collaboration with the respective departments i.e. Pediatric Surgery and CTVS.
2. HDU: This level II neonatal care unit provides special care to neonates needing continuation of NICU care, treatment of minor illness, monitoring and observational care.
3. PNC Services: Daily routine check -up of newborns, lactation support, newborn screening, management of common neonatal problems
4. Attending Deliveries: Antenatal counselling for high-risk pregnancies. All deliveries are attended by Paediatricians/Neonatologists trained in neonatal resuscitation and appropriate level of care is provided to babies after birth.
5. Neonatal Screening: Neonatal thyroid screening was initiated in 2018-2019 for all newborns delivered at AIIMS Patna. With the assistance of the Biochemistry department, the newborn screening services were expanded from thyroid screening to the screening of seven other inborn errors of metabolism. ROP screening and Hearing screening are being done in collaboration with ophthalmology and ENT departments respectively.
6. Neonatal Follow-Up Clinic: High Risk Neonatal follow-up clinic was started on March 2022. The clinic is run on Monday and Wednesday for high-risk neonates discharged from the NICU.

Teaching & Training :

1. Undergraduate teaching and training of MBBS students
2. Post-graduate teaching and training of Paediatric residents
3. Post-doctoral teaching and training of DM Neonatology residents (2 per year)
4. Nursing education

“Well baby clinic” and “high risk follow up clinic” are being run on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Healthy babies are followed up after discharge in the well baby clinic for routine check-up. The babies at risk for neurodevelopmental delay are being followed up till 2 years of age and comprehensive inter-disciplinary services are being provided. DASII is done in high-risk babies on follow up and it is planned to start BSID IV assessment.

1. Dalai R, Mohapatra S, Velpandian T, Sankar J, Thukral A, Verma A, Bajpai M, Dhinakaran R, Tousifullah M, Agarwal R. Antiseptic efficacy and plasma chlorhexidine levels following two different methods of application of 1% aqueous chlorhexidine gluconate for skin disinfection in preterm newborns: a randomized controlled trial. J Perinatol. 2024 Sep 20. doi: 10.1038/s41372-024-02122-y. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39304730
2. Dalai R, Pathak KK, Sahoo S. Association of the distance travelled, and the call to hospital arrival time with early neonatal mortality in neonates born to mothers using emergency medical services at term gestation: a retrospective observational study. BMJ Open. 2024 Nov 9;14(11):e090491. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-090491. PMID: 39521476; PMCID: PMC11551975
3. Dalai R, Bhardwaj U, Thukral A. TPN ascites: an uncommon cause for acute deterioration on mechanical ventilation in a neonate with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. BMJ Case Rep. 2024 Feb 21;17(2):e257120. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2023-257120. PMID: 38383126; PMCID: PMC10882441Prasad R, Saha B, Sk MH, Sahoo JP, Gupta BK, Shaw SC. Noninvasive high-frequency oscillation ventilation as post-extubation respiratory support in neonates: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Plos one. 2024 Jul 30;19(7):e0307903.
4. Chowdhry BK, Nair A, Jha S, Banerjee A, Singh P, Dalai R. Breastfeeding Success With Use of Electric Breast Pump Versus Inverted Syringe Technique in Lactating Women With Inverted Nipple: Open Labelled Randomized Control Trial. Cureus. 2024 Aug 29;16(8):e68153. doi: 10.7759/cureus.68153. PMID: 39347235; PMCID: PMC11438918
5. Chowdhry, Bhabesh K.1; Gupta, Prakriti2; Giridhar, M.F.2; Chaudhary, Neha3; Kumar, Chandramohan2; Dalai, Richie1. Gender, gestation, and birthweight-based differences in the timing of passage of first urine and meconium in neonates: A prospective observational study. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care 13(11):p 5244-5248, November 2024. | DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_809_24
6. Pathak KK, Maria A, Guleria M, Mall PK, Sharma A. Association of Lung Ultrasound Scores with Different Modes of Respiratory Support and Clinical Outcomes: An Observational Study in a Tertiary Care Neonatal Unit. Cureus. 2024;16(8):e66199. Published 2024 Aug 5. doi:10.7759/cureus.66199
7. Upadhyay J, Soni S, Shubham S, Kumar S, Singh P, Basu S. Pain Assessment and Management Practices via Education & Reinforcement (PAMPER): A Quality Improvement Initiative. Indian J Pediatr. 2024;91(9):899-905. Doi:10.1007/s12098-023-04863-8
8. Kumar S, Chaudhary P, Priyadarshi M, Chaurasia S, Singh P, Basu S. Less invasive surfactant administration with specially designed semirigid catheter: Experience from a tertiary level neonatal unit of a lower middle-income country. Trop Doct. Published online October 14, 2024. Doi:10.1177/00494755241288931
9. Prasad R, Akhouri MR. External Validation of the Neonatal Mortality Risk-2000 Score to Predict In-Hospital Mortality in Neonates Weighing 2000 g or Less. Indian J Pediatr. 2023;90(4):403-405. doi: 10.1007/s12098-023-04496-x. PMID: 36780072.

World Breastfeeding Week (1 August to 7 August every year)

National Newborn Week (15 November to 21 November)

Our NICU received 1st Prize for the Best Performance in Hand Hygiene by HICC for Sept 2022 to Nov 2022.


Advanced NRP provider course (19 January 2025)


Advanced Ventilation Workshop (7 March 2025, 33rd Bihar Pedicon)

neonatology@aiimspatna.org