Most infants are healthy when they are born, but problems can occur. Located at St. Joseph-s Women-s Hospital, St. Joseph's Children-s Hospital-s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a place where sick and premature infants can receive special care. Because of their special needs, babies in the NICU get closer attention than babies in a regular newborn nursery, and the NICU staff members have special training in this field.

The unit is busy; an average of 600 infants a year are admitted and stay anywhere from a few days to four or five months, depending on their medical condition. The types of medical challenges treated in the unit include:

• Pre-term birth. Babies born at 23 weeks gestation and weighing at least 1 pound, 1 ounce
• Babies born with an infection
• Babies who are stressed during birth and need more attention than in the newborn nursery
• Babies born with a congenital anomaly such as spina bifida, bowel conditions and heart defects.

Level II & Level III NICU
Our NICU is licensed for two levels of intensity: Level III (the highest) has 27 infant beds and Level II has 15 infant beds. A highly skilled and experienced nursing team and four board-certified neonatologist provide care around the clock for our "littlest patients."

ECMO
ECMO stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. ECMO is a highly specialized piece of equipment that does the work of the baby or child's heart and lungs. Sometimes babies are born with lungs that are sick. ECMO breathes for them until their lungs can heal. If the heart needs healing, ECMO can do the heart's work, allowing it to rest if it's been affected by lung problems.

Neonatal Transport Team
Our neonatal transport team travels by ambulance or medical helicopter to pick up infants from throughout Central Florida to bring them back to St. Joseph-s Women-s Hospital for specialized treatment. Many infants from outlying areas require the intensive care only found in our NICU. Of course, babies who are born at St. Joseph's Women's Hospital and need intensive medical treatment have immediate access to our high level of care.

Unique Services

• Premature babies always receive a developmental assessment to evaluate hearing and determine the need for additional services such as rehabilitation before they go home. Should developmental or medical follow up be required, arrangements are made prior to the baby's discharge.
• In order to establish a relationship before the infant leaves the hospital, the family's pediatrician becomes involved in the baby's care shortly before discharge. This makes the transition to home easier for both the infant and the parents.
• Our NICU's "Bottle Club" is the only neonatal support group in the area. The group meets twice a month to offer educational and emotional support to families.

Who-s Who in the NICU

Neonatologist: A pediatrician who has special training in the care of sick and premature newborns.

Pediatrician: A doctor who treats infants and children.

Pediatric Surgeon: A surgeon who operates on infants and children.

Cardiologist: A doctor who cares for people with heart problems.

Gastroenterologist: A physician who cares for people with stomach and bowel problems.

Geneticist: A doctor who studies birth defects and their causes.

Hematologist: A physician who studies and treats blood problems.

Ophthalmologist: A doctor who treats diseases of the eye.

Neurologist: A physician who treats brain and nerve problems.

Neonatal Nurse: a nurse with special training in the care of sick and premature newborns.