Intensive Medical Care for Early/Sick Newborns
If you deliver a premature or critically ill newborn at Sacred Heart Women's Hospital, you will find comfort in knowing that one of our specialists is just moments away, day or night. And if your baby needs special care, our Intensive Care Nursery -- the area's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit - is just down the hall.
Our Intensive Care Nursery contains 18 Level III beds, where the most critically ill babies receive care, and 28 Level II beds for premature or sick infants who are not critically ill.
Sacred Heart's NICU began in 1970 as an 18-bed unit and over the last 30 years, it has grown to 46 beds. The Intensive Care nursery is staffed 24 hours a day by full-time neonatologists (pediatricians with specialized training in the care of critically ill infants), neonatal nurses, developmental specialists and other therapists and technicians.
About 650 babies are admitted each year to the NICU. About 80 percent of the babies in the neonatal unit are there because of premature birth - being born anywhere from two to 16 weeks early. The average stay in the NICU is around 17 days.
Sacred Heart maintains a specially equipped neonatal transport van for the transfer of sick infants to the NICU from other hospitals.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
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For more information about our Women's services, call:
(850) 416-7000.
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