Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
When your newborn baby has challenges that require specialized medical care, you want to make sure your little one is in the best hands. The Margaret M. and George A. Stephen Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Comer Children’s Hospital provides Level IV NICU care, which is the highest level of newborn care according to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ standards.
We support infants with complex health challenges, including:
- Premature babies
- Infants with critical illnesses and congenital conditions
Comer Children’s is one of only a few children’s hospitals in Illinois that provides Level IV NICU care just steps away from our birth center. If you have a high-risk delivery, we can provide your newborn with a smooth transition to the highest level of care. Our pediatric surgical subspecialists on staff can perform advanced surgical procedures when needed. We also offer extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a type of life support for infants with heart or lung problems.
Board-certified pediatric medical and surgical subspecialists in all areas are available.
Specialized NICU Care for a Full Range of Conditions
Some of the conditions we treat include:
- Congenital anomalies and genetic disorders
- Feeding problems
- Digestive problems like necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)
- Jaundice (yellow skin or eyes, a sign of liver disease)
- Liver disease, including need for liver transplant
- Lung conditions like bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
- Neurological conditions like cerebral aneurysms, hydrocephalus, Chiari malformation and neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
- Premature birth (less than 37 weeks)
- Sepsis (blood infection) and other infections
At Comer Children’s, our team of pediatric experts work together to treat these and other serious conditions. We are dedicated to supporting your family and helping your baby have the best possible outcomes.
Comfort and Security
Our secure, locked NICU features 71 beds, including a transitional care unit located close to our postpartum unit. We use a radiofrequency identification system to keep your baby safe inside the unit.
During your baby’s NICU stay, we offer a full range of amenities so you never have to be far from your baby. These include:
- Parent sleep rooms
- Ronald McDonald House just a few blocks away from Comer Children’s
- Family and sibling support resources from our Child Life Team
- Breast- or chest-milk pumping rooms
We strive to make sure your family’s hospital stay is as comfortable as possible.
Small Baby Unit for the Smallest Preemies
Our NICU includes a 16-bed Small Baby Unit to support babies as early as 22 weeks of gestation. This unit is designed to meet the specific developmental and medical needs of the most premature infants.
Ingalls Special Care Nursery
UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial in Harvey, Illinois, features a Level II Special Care Nursery equipped to care for newborns born at 30 weeks gestation and beyond. Our team provides advanced technology and specialized medical care to support critically ill and premature infants.
Training for NICU Professionals
At our state-of-the-art simulation center, we offer dynamic, hands-on training experiences for Comer Children’s staff and community partners. From rare, high-stakes clinical events like cardiac and respiratory emergencies to other critical care scenarios, our programs empower healthcare providers to build confidence and respond with excellence when it matters most.