Neonatal Intensive Care

Sometimes our smallest patients need special attention. To care for them, The Medical Center of Aurora offers one of the highest levels of care for newborns and young babies. Our Level IIIA Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) team specializes in caring for babies that are born prematurely or seriously ill.

Our NICU team is made up of health professionals from various backgrounds who come together to provide comprehensive care. Their goal is to help get you baby home as quickly as possible — so that you can focus on being together as a family and on getting to know your little one.

The NICU team is made up of:

• Neonatologists (doctors who specialize in treating premature and very young babies)
• Neonatal nurse practitioners
• Neonatal registered nurses
• Developmental therapy specialists
• Pharmacists
• Social workers
• Respiratory therapists
• Lactation specialists
• Chaplains

Having a child in the NICU is usually not planned and it can be very confusing and upsetting. You will be an important member of the NICU team. We'll work with you and your family to make sure that you are involved every step of the way. In order to make sure that you can spend all the time you wish with your baby, we allow for 24/7 visitation of designated family members.

Other special features of our NICU include:

• Availability of frozen donor breast milk
• Designated family waiting area
• Kangaroo Care (skin-to-skin holding) encouraged
• Secure unit to ensure safety
• Refrigerator and supplies for nursing moms