The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Department of Paediatrics, has organized an intensive Advanced Neonatal Resuscitation Training to strengthen newborn care capacity and equip healthcare professionals with critical life-saving skills aimed at improving survival outcomes for newborns

Speaking during the training, Professor Chinyere Ezeaka, a Professor of Paediatrics in the Division of Neonatology and Perinatology and the current Head of the Department of Paediatrics, described the initiative as a significant milestone in the department’s commitment to addressing neonatal mortality in Nigeria.
According to Professor Ezeaka, Nigeria currently records one of the highest rates of newborn deaths in Africa and ranks second globally, a situation she described as worrisome and unacceptable. She identified birth asphyxia (when a newborn fails to breathe at birth), prematurity, infection, and severe jaundice as the leading causes of neonatal deaths.

“This training is crucial because resuscitation—helping a baby to breathe within the first minute after birth, known as the golden minute—determines whether a newborn survives and thrives,” Professor Ezeaka explained. “When a baby does not start breathing early enough, oxygen does not reach the brain, leading to long-term damage such as mental retardation and developmental delays. These are preventable outcomes if healthcare workers are well trained.”
She emphasized that as a referral center, LUTH receives many newborns in critical condition, often after complications have set in. This reality, she noted, reinforces the need to continuously improve the expertise of staff to ensure timely and effective neonatal resuscitation.

The training brought together doctors from the Departments of Paediatrics and Obstetrics & Gynaecology, some house officers on neonatology posting, nurses undergoing the specialty Neonatal Nursing Programme at LUTH, and tutors from the Post-Basic Paediatrics Nursing Programme, LUTH. Participants were taken through a mix of didactic lectures, hands-on simulation sessions, and core competency demonstrations designed to enhance both theoretical understanding and practical proficiency.
“Everyone must demonstrate mastery of the skills taught because this is a certification course,” Professor Ezeaka added. “Beyond basic resuscitation, the ‘advanced’ component covers the use of specialized equipment such as end-tidal carbon dioxide monitors, video laryngoscopes, and endotracheal intubation techniques—all aimed at improving respiratory support for newborns.”

The program also forms part of the department’s broader effort to scale up essential newborn care training across multiple units in LUTH and other hospitals in Lagos State. In recent weeks, the department has been conducting continuous training sessions for nurses in labour wards, theatres, and postnatal wards within LUTH.
The Advanced Neonatal Resuscitation Training was supported by LUTH management, with the Chief Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Professor Ayodeji Oluwole, and Deputy CMAC, Dr. Babawale Bello, gracing the opening ceremony. Consultants from various sub-specialties, including respiratory medicine, intensive care, and endocrinology, also participated as facilitators—demonstrating the department’s interdisciplinary commitment to improving neonatal outcomes.
The course was coordinated by Consultants from the Neonatology and Perinatology Unit, Department of Paediatrics, CMUL/LUTH.
Facilitators included:
Professor Chinyere Ezeaka, Professor Iretiola Fajolu, Dr. Beatrice Ezenwa, and Dr. Laolu Moronkola (Neonatology Unit);
Dr. Elizabeth Oyenusi (Endocrinology);
Dr. Eniola Peters (Respiratory Unit); and
Dr. Franca Iheonu (Paediatric Intensive Care Unit).
LUTH, in collaboration with NEST360, supported the training initiative, with both institutions playing a pivotal role in strengthening newborn care capacity through technical, material, and institutional support.

“We are grateful to LUTH management and NEST360 for their continued partnership and encouragement,” Professor Ezeaka said. “Our goal is to sustain these trainings periodically and develop a Centre of Excellence for Neonatal Resuscitation and Respiratory Support within LUTH. We are also expanding our focus toward advanced respiratory management, including mechanical ventilation, to equip our staff with globally relevant skills.”
LUTH reaffirms its unwavering commitment to ensuring that every baby is born healthy, survives, thrives, and transforms to fulfill their full life potential.