 | - Pediatric surgery
- Pediatric medicine
- Clinical genetics
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The Uppsala University Children's Hospital was formed in 1991 by integrating the departments of paediatrics, paediatric surgery, paediatric orthopaedic surgery and clinical genetics. At that time, it was Scandinavia's first integrated children's hospital at the university level, covering most areas of childhood disease and malformations. Being essentially a complete children's centre within the framework of a large university hospital, it can take advantage of all available capacities and services, including especially laboratory functions.
Rehabilitation
There is a rehabilitation centre within the Children's Hospital called the Folke Bernadotte Home. The name honours Sweden's Count Folke Bernadotte, a member of the Swedish Royal family, who gained fame for his efforts to save Jews at the end of the Second World War.
The Centre comprises 20 beds with all kinds of rehabilitation experts, such as physiotherapists, psychologists, social workers and speech therapists, as well as rehabilitation tools and treatment programmes. There is also a teaching programme for regional staffs designed to provide them with the skills they need to give qualified, continuous support for each child in dealing with their specific problem. As the Centre is part of the Children's Hospital, it is possible to call on experts in various disciplines for consultation while the child is resident.
All aspects of cerebral palsy, myelo and meningocele and other central nervous system damage are treated. The number of children in need of rehabilitation and retraining after severe accidents or trauma is increasing greatly.
Orthopaedic Paediatric Surgery
There is a special unit for paediatric orthopaedic surgery comprising five specialists. Focused on complex skeletal malformations, the most frequent problems treated are congenital hip dislocations and foot malformations. The unit is also the Swedish Centre for Surgery for patients with osteogenesis imperfecta and is the leading institution in advanced bone elongation.
The hospital also has a special group working with skeletal dysplasias, capable of handling all diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and genetic counselling connected with such conditions.
Paediatric Surgery
The paediatric surgeons at the Children's Hospital specialize in corrective surgery on congenital malformations of the digestive system and the urogenital tract. In cases of congenital atresia, modern microsurgery techniques are used to restore the anatomy and function of the oesophagus, duodenum and anus.
Hypospadias and other malformations of the male or female genitalia are reconstructed with excellent results. For intersex cases, a special group comprising a paediatric urologist, a paediatric endocrinologist and a paediatric geneticist handle diagnosis, treatment and genetic counselling.
Cases of vesicoureteric reflux are treated painlessly using a new, inexpensive procedure. The technique has created a world-wide sensation.
Paediatric Oncology
The hospital has a special ward with 14 patient rooms designed specifically to provide complete privacy to children undergoing advanced cytostatic cancer treatment or bone marrow transplantation. A highly specialised staff of paediatric oncologists, paediatric surgeons and nurses provide more than 600 treatment periods for childhood cancer victims annually. They utilise the advanced PET centre, as well as the MR and CT imaging capacities of the hospital as excellent and necessary diagnostic tools, while relying on the hospital's pathologists for the ultimate details of each child's specific tumour. The bone marrow transplant program has been operational for more than ten years, with continuously improving results.
Head of Department:
Björn Wettergren, M.D.
Professors:
Gunnar Sedin, Perinatal Medicine
Torsten Tuvemo, Pediatrics
Mehari Gebre-Medhin, International Child Health