Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a designated Level III C unit, providing advanced, comprehensive care to critically ill newborns within a family-centered environment. A core group of board certified physicians, specialists and nurse practitioners specially trained to treat critically ill newborns provide 24-hour care, seven days a week in our 60-bed NICU.

Le Bonheur can provide a variety of specialized services to neonates including:

• Advanced surgical capabilities
• Access to multiple subspecialty physicians
• Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
• Advanced respiratory care including high-frequency ventilation and inhaled nitric oxide

NICU patients are infants who are transported to Le Bonheur from their delivering hospital, and include newborns as young as 23 weeks gestation. Family-centered care is the focus of our NICU. Our staff works as a team to care for your newborn as well as to communicate with parents about the treatment and developmental needs of your baby. We offer counseling and education to families, and we encourage bonding and family participation in a nurturing and comforting environment.

Family-Centered Spaces

Le Bonheur’s NICU includes 60 patient rooms. The rooms allow space to sleep two adults, and the floor houses a private consultation room and family room. Designed to help parents cope with being away from home, the family room is a relaxing quiet space to get away. Special rooms for twins allow parents to have both children in the same room.

Newborn Follow-Up Clinic

Patients appropriate for referral to this clinic frequently fall into one of the following categories:

• History of NEC
• Birth weight less than 1000 grams
• Congenital diasphragmatic hernia
• TE fistula/esophageal atresia
• Chronic lung disease (CLD)/bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BDP)

Your baby is evaluated by a multidisciplinary team of professionals including a developmental pediatrician, physical therapist, speech-language pathologist, clinical dietician, audiologist, nurse coordinator, medical social worker, and nursing. This team of professionals will help families develop a plan of care unique to your child's needs. The clinic is held on Thursdays.