General Pediatrician's Role in High-Risk Deliveries
Patricia A. Keener MD1
1 Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, and Director of Nurseries and Pediatrics, Community Hospitals Indianapolis
Fortunately, most infants make the transition to extrauterine existence well, even when a number of highrisk factors are present. In those few instances in which the pediatrician and his or her team are called upon to use knowledge, experience, and skill to respond to a delivery room emergency, the need is great. It is the responsibility of pediatricians who attend high-risk deliveries to maintain their skills at the highest level and to promote the education and preparedness of the other team members. The pediatrician must work to assure that every delivery room, regardless of the size of the hospital or the level of care in the nurseries, offers resuscitative and stabilization skills of the highest possible caliber.
