Neonatology

The SickKids Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides tertiary and quarternary medical and surgical services for newborns up to four weeks of age. The NICU admits patients from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), nationally and internationally, and 97 per cent of all admissions are directly to the NICU. The typical census ranges from 30 to 34 patients with a 41 bed capacity. High risk procedures, such as laser eye surgery, and Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) insertion, are performed in the unit. 

Vision 

Exceptional Care, Together. 

Mission

Cultivating excellence, knowledge and leadership in neonatal care by collaborating with families and out community partners. 

The Neonatal Neurodevelopmental Follow-up Clinic assesses babies who have been admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or Cardiac Critical Care Unit (CCCU) and may be at risk for developmental issues due to reasons such as prematurity or serious medical problems during delivery or after birth. 

Certain other infants will be followed because they are involved in research studies. 

Vision

Start Together.  Build Possibilities.   

Mission 

Our team of neurodevelopmental experts provides personalized care to optimize outcomes for medically complex neonates and their families through the integration of research, education and community collaborations. 

Goals

One of our goals is to provide continuity of care throughout the Follow-up course. To achieve this goal, a practitioner will be assigned from discharge to assess the child and support the family at each follow-up visit. Our practitioners have a Master’s degree with advanced preparation in developmental and neonatal issues. Other members of the team are available to see your child when needed. 

Infants can also be referred to the clinic by a family doctor or pediatrician if there are concerns about development. Learn more about how to refer a patient.

We are here to: 

• Promote the emotional and physical development of child and family 
• Provide parents with information about early childhood development 
• Participate in the education of health care professionals 
• Increase knowledge of developmental outcomes through research 
• Improve the quality of care in the NICU 
• Share information with community partners 

Learn more about visiting the Neonatal Neurodevelopmental Follow-up Clinic.

Contact information

Phone: 416-813-5879  
Fax: 416-813-8969 
Email: neonatal.followup@sickkids.ca 

Click here for more Neonatology resources on AboutKidsHealth

Our services are located at SickKids in Room 3876. 

More information coming soon.

• Dr. Jose Aldana
• Dr. Mehmet Cizmeci
• Dr. Marko Culjat
• Dr. Julia DiLabio
• Dr. Amr El Shahed 
• Dr. Bonny Jasani
• Dr. Linh Ly
• Dr. Kyong-Soon Lee
• Dr. Christopher Tomlinson 
• Dr. Hilary Whyte 
• Dr. Mary Woodward 

The broader University of Toronto Division of Neonatology includes Neonatologists from The Hospital for Sick Children, Mount Sinai Hospital, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital, many of which are cross appointed to SickKids.  

Associate Staff Physicians from Mount Sinai Hospital

Department Chief: Prakeshkumar Shah 

Staff Neonatologists:

• Poorva Desphande 
• Yenge Diambomba
• Emer Finan
• Amish Jain 
• Edmond Kelly
• Ashraf Kharrat
• Tom Liebson
• Adel Mohamed
• Karel O'Brien
• Kamini Raghuram
• Jyotsna Shah
• Vibhuti Shah
• Jennifer Young
• Kin Fan Young Tai 
• Faith Zhu

Associate Staff Physicians from Sunnybrook and Women’s Health Sciences Centre

Department Chief: Asaph Rolnitsky 

Staff Neonatologists:

• Elizabeth Asztalos
• Rudaina Banihani
• Maya Dahan
• Michael Dunn
• Eugene Ng
• Maher Shahroor
• Dany Weisz 

Associate Staff Physicians from St. Michael's Hospital

Staff Neonatologists:

• Tony Barozzino
• Douglas Campbell
• Sohail Cheema
• Michael Sgro
• Ethel Ying

Honorary Faculty

• Jonathan Hellmann
• Andrew James
• Aideen Moore
• Max Perlman
• Paul Swyer
  

Medical Director, Neonatal Neurodevelopment Follow-up Program
Dr. Linh Ly 

Faculty

• Dr. Andrew James
• Dr. Amr El Shahed 

Clinical Manager

• Andrea Riekstins 

Nurse Practitioner

• Kimberly Colapinto 

Occupational Therapists

• Ranit Beck
• Lori Burton
• Sandy Spence 

Physiotherapist

• Sandra Tung 

Psychologist

• Ashley Danguecan

Psychometrists

• Alda Fernandes-Penney
• Elena Sanjuan

Speech Language Pathologists

• Jane Brettschneider
• Julie Solomon 

Patient Information Coordinator

• Ana Panic

Intranasal Human Milk as Stem Cell Therapy in Preterm Infants with Intraventricular Hemorrhage (Dr. Rebecca Hoban)

A study to determine whether the timely delivery of intranasal human milk for stem cell therapy is feasible and safe in a population of very preterm infants diagnosed with severe IVH. 

The RECOVER Study - Remote Early intervention for Cerebral palsy to improve Outcomes using Virtual care following pERinatal asphyxia (Dr. Linh Ly) 

A prospective, randomized, controlled trial (RCT) to assess the effect of a virtual early intervention care delivery model in the provision of therapy to enhance the neurodevelopmental trajectory of infants with brain injury.   

The ABC-BPD Study - The role of Adipokines in Breathing Control and the Development of Lung Injury in premature infants (Dr. Estelle Gauda)  

This study explores the correlation between adiponectin levels, oxidative stress and biomarkers of inflammation. 

Arginine, requirement in the total parenteral nutrition (TPN) fed, newborn, preterm infants requiring intensive care (Drs. Glenda Courtney-Martin and Christopher Tomlinson)

A prospective study to determine the arginine requirements in preterm very low birth weight infants on Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN). 

IMProvE - Improving Management of neonatal Pain through parental Education (Carol McNair)

A study to determine whether parent education about pain management increases parental participation during painful procedures performed on infants in the NICU.

Antibiotic Concentration in Stool of in Preterm and Term Infants (Dr. Jaques Belik)

Using serial stool sampling, this study will measure the concentration of IV antibiotics excreted in the stool of preterm and term infants to determine how much of the antibiotics reach the bowel 

Coached, Coordinated, Enhanced Neonatal Transition (CCENT): A multi-centre mixed-methods pragmatic randomized controlled trial (Dr. Julia Orkin and Dr. Linh Ly)

A study testing a new model for neonatal follow-up care that aims to provide additional support to parents and their babies during their NICU stay as well as their transition home. This study will assess how this new model will affect parental stress, mental health, quality of life, child development and health care utilization. 

A pilot study of Family Integrated Care (FICare) in critically ill preterm infants in the NICU (Dr. Karel O'Brien and Dr. Christopher Tomlinson) 

Using Family Integrated Care (FICare), where parents work with medical staff and participate in the daily routine for their babies and become primary caregivers during their stay in NICUs, this study will examine how parents can become more involved in the care specifically of critically ill preterm babies. 

Remote Ischemic Conditioning in Necrotizing Enterocolitis: Evaluating Intestinal Perfusion (Drs. Agostino Pierro and Gauda)

A study of the response of the perfusion to the intestine, measured using NIRS, to brief cycles of Remote Ischemic Conditioning in premature babies at high risk of developing Necrotizing Enterocolitis. 

Drawing In (Dr. Christopher Tomlinson)

A novel study looking at the use of art therapy (drawing) to facilitate bonding between parents and their newborn in the NICU. 

The Division of Neonatology engages members of their inter-professional team in clinical research, through the implementation of the Neonatology Clinical Research Committee (NCRC). This group is mandated to provide a science and feasibility review for all research studies that involve Neonatology patients or patient related material prior to submission to the Hospital of Sick Children’s Research Ethics Board.

Responsibilities

• To ensure that all clinical research involving patients and/or their families has scientific merit, is feasible and conducted with minimal disruption to the normal functioning of the neonatal intensive care unit 
• To ensure that all clinical research is conducted in a safe fashion which ensures patient interests, dignity and autonomy are protected 

Goals 

• To ensure only scientifically sound and well-designed studies asking clinically important questions are conducted within the Division of Neonatology 
• To ensure there is not an excessive number of conflicting studies being performed concurrently in the same population 
• To ensure studies performed within the Division are feasible  
• To ensure studies performed advance academic productivity of the Division of Neonatology 

The SickKids Neonatal Clinical Research Committee meets the third Thursday of each month from 1:30 – 2:30 pm.  

How to add your study

To have a study added to the NCRC agenda send the following to rosanna.yankanah@sickkids.ca: 

1. Protocol
2. Budget
3. Completed NCRC form(available upon request)
4. 3-5 slides for presentation

Once all of the required documents have been received, it will be determined whether your study will undergo a science and/or a feasibility review and you will be contacted with the meeting details.  A member from your study team (ideally the PI) will need to attend the NCRC meeting to present the study to the committee (approx. 10 minutes) and answer any questions. 

For inquiries please contact: 

Chair: Dr. Christopher Tomlinson 

Email: christopher.tomlinson@sickkids.ca 

Phone: 416-813-7745 

Co-Chair: Dr. Martin Offringa 

Email: martin.offringa@sickkids.ca 

Phone: 416-813-7654 X328830 

Co-Chair: Ms. Rosanna Yankanah 

Manager, Clinical Research  

Email: rosanna.yankanah@sickkids.ca 

Phone: 416-813-7654 ext. 202919 

This program has received full approval from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and satisfies the requirements for two years of neonatal-perinatal training as set by the American Academy of Pediatrics.  

The first year of training includes NICU rotations, neonatal transport, neonatal follow-up and 2-3 months of research/elective time. The second year of training includes NICU rotations, an antenatal rotation, paediatric critical care, one month of follow-up and 4-5 months of research/elective time. Progression from first year to second is dependent on satisfactory performance and success at our Structured Oral Examination and OSCE.   

The University of Toronto Training Program in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine is formally integrated within three University of Toronto teaching hospitals – Mount Sinai Hospital (MSH), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SB) and The Hospital for Sick Children (HSC). MSH and SB are inborn perinatal units and HSC is an outborn neonatal unit. Combined, these three facilities provide a total of 38 Level II and over 100 Level III beds, which service the Central East region of the province of Ontario, a region with approximately 85,000 deliveries per year.   

Faculty includes 36 full-time hospital-based neonatologists as well as basic scientists and specialists from paediatric, surgical and obstetrical disciplines. The Training Program is designed to meet the needs of a variety of individuals seeking subspecialty training in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. 

Eligibility

• You must be a Paediatrician to be eligible for this program 
• Canadian and International trainees accepted 

Upon completion of the program 

• All trainees who complete the two-year program will receive a certificate of completion 
• Only trainees who have attained Royal College certification in paediatrics are eligible to write the Royal College Certification Exam upon completion of training 

Application process 

The next entrance for the University of Toronto Integrated Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship Training Program will be July 2025. The Fellowship Online Application is currenly open and will close on January 31, 2025.  

Contact: Dr. Jennifer Young, Integrated Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship Training Program Director 

This fellowship offers extensive exposure to infants with complex medical and surgical diagnosis in a high level 41 bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with 900 admissions per year. Trainees will assist in the care of premature and term infants with a wide variety of common and rare diagnosis, and will develop expertise in caring for these infants, working with high-level interprofessional teams (respiratory therapists, pharmacists, nutritional experts) as well as with paediatric surgeons in the pre-op and post-op management of surgical neonates. Additionally, the fellow will have the opportunity to work with a highly specialized regionalized critical care transport service, and have opportunities to be involved in research, quality improvement and educational initiatives. The clinical responsibilities include day-time coverage and night-time and weekend calls.  

This program is not an accredited program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Positions are generally for one year, but extensions are occasionally possible for two years.

Eligibility

• Canadian or International Medical Graduates
• Candidates must have completed paediatric training
• Have a minimum of six months of neonatal experience in a high-level intensive care unit
• Previous experience in the medical system in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia or North America would be beneficial

Upon completion of the program

• All trainees will receive a certificate of completion

Application process

The next entrance for the SickKids Paediatric Departmental Fellowship in Neonatology will be July 2025. The Fellowship Online Application is currently open and will close on July 31, 2024.

Contact: Dr. Amr El Shahed, SickKids Paediatric Departmental Fellowship in Neonatology Program Director

Transport Fellows join a diverse team in this clinical fellowship, where they will provide medical coverage for SickKids’ Acute Care Transport Service (ACTS) team, which stabilizes and retrieves patients 0-18 years of age in a heavily-populated region within Ontario. The Hospital for Sick Children is a busy quaternary referral centre which serves a large population base and cares for the most complex neonatal and paediatric medical and surgical patients in the province.  ACTS transports around 1400 patients annually (60% neonatal and 40% paediatric) by road (in dedicated ambulances), rotor, and fixed-wing aircraft, in addition to staffing telephone and video advice calls. Your training will include all aspects of transport medicine, including rotations in each of our hospital’s three intensive care units (neonatal, paediatric, and cardiac), and two months in research/electives. Transport Fellows provide phone and video guidance to the RN and RT clinicians on the ACTS team, accompany the team on critical and complex interfacility transports, attend high-risk deliveries, and provide neonatal consultations to community-based physicians. This fellowship is ideal for those with neonatal and/or pediatric ICU background who wish to build experience and expertise in pediatric transport medicine.

Of note, this program is not an accredited program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The fellowship is generally for a one year term, although extensions are occasionally possible.  Sub-specialization within this transport fellowship is feasible for a limited number of trainees who have a particular interest in Hemodynamics, Neurocritical care, or Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS). 

Eligibility

• Canadian and International trainees
• Positions are open to those who have completed subspecialty training in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Paediatric ICU, Paediatric Emergency Medicine or Anaesthesiology 

Upon completion of the program

• All trainees will receive a certificate of completion 

Application process

Entrance to the SickKids Transport Fellowship Program is annually in July.  Rarely a January start date is feasible. The Fellowship Online Application will open on September 1, 2023 and close on May 31, 2024.

Contact: Dr. Hilary Whyte, SickKids Neonatal / Paediatric Transport Fellowship Director

The Toronto Center for Neonatal Health (TCNH) is offering a Clinical Fellowship beginning in July 2020. This is not an accredited program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Positions will be available annually across some of the NICUs who are part of the TCNH.   

Each fellow appointed may rotate between the tertiary NICUs, which include The Sinai Health System, The Hospital for Sick Children and Sunnybrook Health Science Centres, with elective rotations in community hospital NICUs. This 1-year program offers some flexibility and the opportunity to enhance clinical competencies in neonatology, with cognitive and technical skills focused on both perinatal resuscitation and newborn intensive care. Electives may also be taken in the Acute Care Transport Service (ACTS), Neonatal Follow-Up Program or other clinically relevant areas. This competency based neonatal training program will help develop the necessary competencies to practice in level 2c or modified level 3 NICUs.  Night-time and weekend call will follow the PARO guidelines.        

Eligibility

• You must have completed a Canadian Residency Training Program in Paediatrics   

Upon completion of the program

• All trainees will receive a certificate of completion 

Application process

The next entrance for the Toronto Centre for Neonatal Health Clinical Fellowship Program will be July 2025. The Fellowship Online Application is currently closed. 

Contact: Dr. Linh Ly, Toronto Centre for Neonatal Health Clinical Fellowship Program Director

This program is not an accredited program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Positions are generally for one year but extensions may be possible. Neonatal Neurology Fellows will participate in the clinical care of newborns at SickKids with neurological diseases, develop enhanced skills in neonatal and paediatric neurology subspecialties, and conduct clinical/translational and basic research related to Neonatal Neurology.  

Fellows who complete this Neonatal-Neurology training program will have advanced competencies in the neurological assessment and clinical management of newborn infants with complex neurological disorders. Moreover, the fellow will have the training to determine the utility of bedside monitoring tools (e.g. aEEG and continuous EEG) and advanced MRI techniques to enhance assessment and management. Clinical and research experience during this advanced fellowship is tailored to the career needs of the applicant, but each trainee is expected to complete a potentially high impact clinical/translational or basic research project by the end of the training. 

Eligibility 

• Candidates must have completed subspecialty training in either Paediatric Neurology or Neonatology 
• Canadian and International trainees 

Upon completion of the program 

• All trainees will receive a certificate of completion 

Application process

The next entrance for the SickKids Neonatology-Neurology Fellowship Program will be July 2025. The Fellowship Online Application is currently open and will close on April 30, 2024. 

Contacts: Dr. Amr El Shahed and Dr. Emily Tam, SickKids Neonatology-Neurology Fellowship Program Directors.

This program is not an accredited program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. This is a three-year fellowship program combining both clinical and research training in the field of neuroplasticity, specifically early brain repair. Individuals with an interest in developing their research skills and clinical expertise in early child development and neonatal neurodevelopmental follow-up should apply. 

Eligibility

• Completed specialty training in paediatrics or paediatric neurology with additional subspecialty training in neonatology, neonatal neurology or developmental paediatrics 
• Canadian and International trainees can apply 

Upon completion of the program

All trainees will receive a certificate of completion. 

Application process

The next entrance for the Dr. Karen Pape Fellowship in Neuroplasticity will be July 2026. The  Fellowship Online Application  is currently open and will close on May 31, 2025. 

Contact: Dr. Linh Ly, Dr. Karen Pape Fellowship in Neuroplasticity Program Director