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Professor Daynia Ballot

Qualifications

MBBCH; FCPaeds SA; PhD
Current posts

Paediatrician
Registered Neonatologist
Head of the School, Neonatal unit, CMJAH
Associate Professor University of the Witwatersrand
Portfolios

Paeds Department Research Coordinator
Member of the SOCM graduate studies committee
Councillor of the College of Paediatricians
Regular convenor/ moderator. Examiner FCP
APLS Instructor
Instructor on Neonatal Resuscitation course
Chair Wits Paediatric Fund
Biosketch

I have worked in the neonatal unit and neonatal / paediatric ICU at CMJAH since 1991, having been the neonatal research registrar in 1991  I have a strong interest in research and am the head of PRINCE (Project to improve Neonatal Care) which has been accredited as a research programme within the FOHS. PRINCE has been awarded a grant from the Fuchs Foundation for 2016-2020.  I am an NRF C2 rated researcher
I supervise many postgraduate degrees including MMED, MSC and PhD. I am a regular internal and external examiner for postgraduate degrees at all levels.  I am a regular reviewer for various local and international journals, including British Medical Journal,   
My current research interests include a neonatal / paediatric ICU database which is kept for quality improvement purposes.  We submit data on the very low birth weight babies to the Vermont Oxford Network.  I am also doing a long term developmental study on high risk babies discharged from our unit.
I am involved in emergency medicine and resuscitation and train regularly on both the APLS and neonatal resuscitation courses.

I also have an interest in medical education and am currently serving on the Council of the College of paediatricians.  I have been involved in the FCP exam for the past 12 years – as examiner, convenor and moderator.
Professional interests
Neonatology
  • infections, including antimicrobial resistance, biomarkers of infection, diagnosis of neonatal sepsis
  • outcome of very low birth weight infants
  • developmental outcome of high risk newborns
  • quality improvement  of neonatal care – particularly perinatal asphyxia, extremely low birth weight infants and infection
Phone number
Email address/es

Daynia.ballot@wits.ac.za
Outreach

As chair of the Wits Paediatric Fund, I am also very involved in fundraising for the Department.  The fundraising is mostly events based and over the years  has moved from a charity ball and fundraising breakfasts to the annual  UP TO SPAED and GP Update, which are organised by WPF.
I have also coordinated outreach programmes for Helpmekaar college, where I am a parent.  In both 2013 and 2015 the paediatric department was supported by Helpmekaar with fundraising, children’s parties and weekly visits to the hospitals.  The school children collected various items (blankets, prem clothes, magazines, toys) which were distributed to the children and their mothers on the weekly visits.

WPF has been the recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s Academic Citizen award and I have received a Wits Volunteer award.
Publications
Research output

JOURNAL ARTICLES

  1. de Franca Martins A, Graubard Z, Ballot DE. Percutaneous nephrostomy for bilateral obstruction in carcinoma of the cervix.
  2. Meyer TE, Ballot DE, Bothwell TH et al The HLA linked iron loading gene in an Afrikaner population.  J Med Genetics 1987; 24: 348 – 56.
  3. Ballot DE, Baynes RD, Bothwell TH et al.  The effects of fruit and fruit juices on the absorption of iron from a rice meal.  Br J Nutr 1987; 57: 331 – 43.
  4. Derman DP, Ballot DE, Bothwell TH et al. Factors influencing the absorption of iron from soya bean protein products.  Br J Nutr 1987; 57 345 – 53.
  5. Ballot DE, Meyer TE, Bothwell TH et al. Idiopathic haemachromatosis – family studies and results of a pilot prevalence study.  S Afr Med J. 1987; 71: 639 – 42.
  6. Lamperelli RD, MacPhail AP, Bothwell TH, Ballot DE et al Curry Powder as a vehicle for iron fortification: effects on iron absorption. Am J Clin Nutr 1987; 46: 335 – 40.
  7. Cotton MF, Darby C, Ballot DE.  Neonatal apnoea due to proprietary medicines – still a problem.  S Afr Med J 1988; 73(2); 134.
  8. Idiopathic haemochromatosis in an Afrikaner population   Meyer TE, Baynes RD, Bothwell TH, Ballot DE, Jenkins T.  Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1988; 526: 328 – 330
  9. Ballot DE, MacPhail AP, Bothwell TH, Gillooly M, Mayet FG. Fortification of curry powder with Na Fe (111) EDTA in an iron deficient population: initial survey of iron status.  Am L Clin Nutr 1989; 49: 156 – 61.
  10. Ballot DE, MacPhail AP, Bothwell TH, Gillooly M, Mayet FG. Fortification of curry powder with Na Fe (111) EDTA in an iron deficient population: report of a controlled iron fortification trial. Am J Clin Nutr 1989; 49: 162-9. 
  11. Ballot DE, Rothberg AD, Katz BJ. Speech and hearing problems in a high-risk population.  S Afr Med J 1992; 82: 23-6.
  12. Ballot DE, Rothberg AD, Gottlich E, Harnekar A, Cooper PA, Davies VA, De Vos G. early dexamethasone therapy in hyaline membrane disease: effects on the cytopathological changes of bronchial epithelium and ventilatory requirements.  Paed Rev Comm 1992; 6: 221 – 29.
  13. Schoub BD, Johnson S, McAnerney J, Blackburn NK, Guidozzi F, Ballot DE, Rothberg AD.  Is antenatal screening for rubella and cytomegalovirus justified? S Afr Med J 1993; 83: 108-10. 
  14. Ballot DE, Rothberg AD, Davies VA, Smith J, Kirsten G.  Does hypoxaemia prevent brain damage in birth asphyxia? Medical Hypotheses 1993; 41: 344 –347.
  15. Ballot DE, Rothberg AD. Congenital syphilis as a notifiable disease. S Afr Med J.  1993; 83: 721 –23.
  16. Ballot DE, Rothberg AD.  Some reasons for failure to notifiy congenital syphilis.  Editorial S Afr Med J 1993; 83 : 711 –12.
  17. Ballot DE, Rothberg AD, Davies VA.  The late administration of surfactant.  S Afr Med J. 1995; 85: 644 –46.
  18. Smith RE, Ballot DE, Rothberg AD.  Maternal booking status as a criterion for admission