ABSTRACT
The successful outcome of an operation performed on a
newborn with congenital anomalies depends not only on the
skill of the pediatric surgeon, but also on that of a large team
consisting of a pediatrician, anesthetist, radiologist, pathol-
ogist, biochemist, nurses, and others necessary for dealing
satisfactorily with the newborn subjected to surgery. The
pediatric transport team is a natural physical extension of
the pediatric intensive care unit and should be able to provide
advanced critical care management for children at remote
sites and during transport to a tertiary center.1 Advances in
neonatal intensive care (NIC) dictate that effective and
efficient treatment of the sickest neonates can only be
available by concentrating resources such as equipment and
skilled staff in a few specialist pediatric centers which have
responsibilities to a particular region.2,3 There has been a
marked change over the past 20 years with regards to the
knowledge, capabilities, and delivery of neonatal transport.4
Neonates with congenital malformations will therefore have
to be transported safely to these centers, sometimes over
considerable distances.
