The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a 35-bed Regional Perinatal Center (the highest designation for recognizing the ability to care for the most complex patients and provide consultation to other neonatal units in the region). Each year there are more than 700 admissions to the NICU, with approximately 10 percent of the infants being transferred from other institutions. Newborns cared for at Mount Sinai have a wide range of medical and surgical problems, including rare metabolic diseases, congenital heart disease, liver and intestinal failure, as well as the common problems associated with prematurity. The medical staff includes neonatalogists, pediatric subspecialists (gastroenterology, neurology, hematology, etc.) and pediatric surgeons. Additionally, the unit staffs more than 65 full-time nurses who specialize in newborn care, as well as social workers, lactation consultants, rehabilitation specialists, and respiratory therapists.

Our families tell us that the unique feature of the NICU is its unswerving dedication to remaining "family-centered". With two full-time social workers on-staff, we can assure the help and resources families require during stressful times. We make our "nesting room"--a private, hotel-like bedroom--available to families prior to discharge to practice caring for their infants in a safe, less intense environment. There are also two separate breast milk pumping rooms and facilities for both refrigerating and freezing milk. Regular educational and social programs for parents and a monthly "Sibling Saturday" provide opportunities to accommodate important family needs. Programs are in place for pre-delivery meetings with expectant families of a child who may have special needs. These meetings are held with experts in a number of facets of care and include tours of the relevant areas where the baby and family will be. And, most importantly, the entire staff understands the vital role families play in the care of a sick newborn.