Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best hospitals for pediatric neonatology, the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta combine advanced technology and highly trained healthcare professionals to care for our tiniest patients in a specialized environment. We also collaborate closely with Emory University School of Medicine to improve outcomes for our critically ill neonates through our academic and clinical research partnership.

Some of the many neonate conditions our pediatric-trained specialists treat include:

• Infections
• Respiratory failure
• Newborn brain injuries
• Birth defects
• Pulmonary hypertension

Our wide range of services aim to make Children’s accessible to neonate patients who need us most. And our NICUs are specially designed to care for critically ill neonates in a specialized environment to help them heal and thrive. Services available at each of our hospitals include:

• Arthur M. Blank Hospital: Neonatal ECMO, Fetal care medical and surgical NICU, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
• Scottish Rite Hospital: Fetal care medical and surgical NICU

Transport services

Our transport services include a fleet of emergency vehicles and helicopters are specially equipped as mobile intensive care units with the same quality of equipment found in the Children’s Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units. They are staffed by critical care professionals trained to stabilize patients on the way to the hospital.

Referrals

Our pediatric-trained team offers 24-hour telephone consultations.

With approximately 1,000 neonatal admissions annually, our NICUs provide comprehensive care for critically ill newborns and premature infants in a specialized environment. Children’s has Georgia’s only Level IV Neonatal Center verified by the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The NICUs at Children’s combine advanced technology and specially trained healthcare professionals to care for our tiniest patients in a specialized environment. Combining the latest proven technology and research with a caring, child-friendly approach makes Children’s a top choice for neonatal treatment and care.

Our NICUs include:

• Advanced life monitoring technologies and life support
• 24-hour around the clock care
• Access to more than 400 specialists in more than 30 pediatric specialties
• Access to donor breast milk
• Specially designed nurseries for newborn care
• Interdisciplinary team members from the following areas caring for newborns and their families:
  • Audiologists
  • Advanced practice nurses
  • Child life specialists
  • Developmental clinic staff
  • Feeding specialists
  • Lactation consultants
  • Neonatal outreach staff
  • Neonatal respiratory care professionals
  • Board-certified neonatologists
  • Nutritionists
  • Occupational therapists
  • Pastoral care providers
  • Physical therapists
  • Pharmacists
  • Specialized nursing staff
  • Speech-language pathologists
  • Social workers
  • Neonatal transport team

Having a child in the NICU can be an emotional and overwhelming experience. At Children’s, our No. 1 priority is to support you and your family. Whether caring for a premature baby or treating a neonate for an infection, we make it our mission to provide the best care—and best experience—for every child. Family is a big part of your child’s well-being. Not only are you a vital member of your child’s healthcare team; you are a source of security and comfort.

• Shazia Bhombal, MD
• Sobha Fritz, PhD
• Shannon Hamrick, MD
• Treva C. Ingram, MD
• Munir J. Kapasi, MD
• Heidi E. Karpen, MD
• Sarah D. Keene, MD
• Nabihah Mahmood, MD
• Geoffrey Mickells, MD
• Ravi M. Patel, MD
• Anthony J. Piazza, MD
• Brenda Poindexter, MD, MS
• Jessica L. Roberts, MD
• Alexander R. Santos, MD
• Elizabeth K. Sewell, MD, MPH
• Patrick S. Spafford, MD
• Gregory D. Sysyn, MD
• Karen Walson, MD
• Patricia Lanee Wei Denning, MD
• Shilpa Vyas-Read, MD
• Helen O. Williams, MD
• Kathleen T. Hoff, PA-C