Pediatrician is working to saving infants’ lives in the developing world

The American Academy of Pediatrics has awarded Dr. Nicholas G. Guerina, assistant professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine, a grant to improve newborn and postnatal care in developing nations, where a lack of basic equipment and training contribute to infant mortality.

The one-year, $15,000 grant aims to help save the lives of thousands of infants each year by supporting scientific, clinical and epidemiological research in neonatal resuscitation.

Guerina, director of perinatal infectious diseases at the Floating Hospital for Children, was recently recognized by Albania’s Ministry of Health for implementing neonatal resuscitation programs (NRP) in that country. Working with colleagues from the University of Tirana and the Floating Hospital, Guerina organized and edited the Albanian translation of the NRP textbook and tested the program’s feasibility. The resulting NRP curriculum creates a sustainable program by training Albanian physicians who will, in turn, train their colleagues.

Guerina is developing a similar program throughout the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska, an effort that has groundbreaking medical implications for regions that are otherwise quite divided. Those interested in contributing to Guerina’s research efforts can contact him at nguerina@tufts-nemc.org.

This story ran in the June 2007 issue of the Tufts Journal.