Providing the very best care for you and your newborn is our top priority. While most deliveries go smoothly, some babies need special care after they’re born. Our blended-care NICU provides the best medical care possible in a family-centered environment.
At the level II/III NICU, you’ll be able to stay in-room with your baby. Your private room will be supplied with an en-suite bathroom and a dedicated breast pump. Four rooms are designed with multiples in mind. Siblings are welcome to visit and use the nearby playroom, as well as the Ronald McDonald Family Room, which offers a fully equipped parent lounge.
We’re on your team
A neonatologist, along with our specially trained nursing staff, is in the NICU 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our highly skilled team collaborates with specialties across Texas Children’s and the Pavilion for Women so that all babies get the individualized care they need.
Our team-centered approach to care involves collaborative rounds, which occur when your baby’s doctors, nurses and other essential staff meet to discuss your baby’s condition, progress and care plan. You are an essential part of this team and will be able to offer important insights into your baby’s health.
Easy access to advanced care
If your newborn needs a higher level of care not provided at the level II/III NICU, they have seamless access to our level IV NICU, the most advanced neonatal care available. For the comfort and safety of babies who are moved between NICUs, we offer a patient-only bridge between the level II/III NICU located at our Pavilion for Women building, and the level IV NICU located in the West Tower of Texas Children’s Hospital.
Therapies
Physical and occupational therapies may be recommended for your baby soon after admission to the NICU. These services help your baby gain the strength and coordination necessary for eating and growing. A physical and/or occupational therapist will evaluate your baby’s movement, strength, reflexes and response to stimuli.
The physical therapist will teach you about infant development, positioning, tummy time, coping skills and reading your baby’s stress cues as you participate in your baby’s therapy sessions.
The occupational therapist will assist if your baby is having difficulty eating and may recommend specific tools and strategies in addition to working on your baby’s suck reflex.
Music therapy is provided by a board-certified music therapist. Music therapy sessions are provided at the bedside and may include live music, lullaby writing, recording parent voices, relaxation or multi-modal stimulation with singing.
Music therapy is evidence-based and supports developmental and family-centered care models by providing infants and families with unique ways of connecting with their infant through music during intensive hospitalization. Music therapy research with premature infants has shown to have a positive impact on sleep patterns, parent bonding, neurodevelopment and length of hospital stay.
