Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Aug 1.
doi: 10.1038/s41372-025-02359-1. Online ahead of print.

Neonatal point-of-care ultrasound-steps for program development

Shazia Bhombal  1 , Yogen Singh  2 , Stephanie Marshall  3 , Shanmukha Mukthapuram  4 , María V Fraga  5 ; National Neonatal POCUS Collaborative
Collaborators, Affiliations
Review

Neonatal point-of-care ultrasound-steps for program development

Shazia Bhombal et al. J Perinatol. .

Abstract

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly being utilized in the neonatal field; however, there is a lack of standardized guidance on the development of POCUS programs in neonatology. While subspecialties with decades of POCUS experience have established pathways for program development and training guidelines, such frameworks are absent in neonatal and perinatal medicine. Recent national and international publications have highlighted the need for structured program development and have established recommendations regarding standards for POCUS use, including minimum number of scans, competency-based assessments, and a strong quality improvement (QI) framework. This publication aims to provide steps toward program development for neonatal intensive care units eager to establish POCUS to augment the care of their patients.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

References

    1. Moore CL, Copel JA. Point-of-care ultrasonography. N Engl J Med. 2011;364:749–57. - PubMed
    1. Ultrasound Guidelines. Emergency, point-of-care, and clinical ultrasound guidelines in medicine. Ann Emerg Med. 2023;82:e115–55.
    1. Dennington D, Vali P, Finer NN, Kim JH. Ultrasound confirmation of endotracheal tube position in neonates. Neonatology. 2012;102:185–9. - PubMed
    1. Fleming SE, Kim JH. Ultrasound-guided umbilical catheter insertion in neonates. J Perinatol J Calif Perinat Assoc. 2011;31:344–9.
    1. Stewart DL, Elsayed Y, Fraga MV, Coley BD, Annam A, Milla SS, et al. Use of point-of-care ultrasonography in the NICU for diagnostic and procedural purposes. Pediatrics. 2022;150:e2022060053. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources