Care for Tiny Patients
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Celebrates More Than 30 Years
Most parents would love to bring their newborns home as soon as possible, but some premature or medically fragile infants may need extra care. That's where the Level IIIb Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in The Children's Hospital at Northwest Texas Healthcare System comes in.
Established in 1978 to help improve survival rates for premature or ill infants, the NICU's staff of trained therapists, nurses and neonatologists works as a team to help infants get well.
Now, more than 30 years later, new technology and ongoing research have helped improve birth outcomes for special-needs infants in the 29-county service area. The NICU's capacity has quadrupled to 32 beds, and three neonatologists work alongside Mubariz Naqvi, MD, the first neonatologist to come on board when the NICU opened.
These physicians constantly work to stay abreast of promising new techniques -- like the use of Survanta®, a lung surfactant that helps premature infants with respiratory problems.
The NICU team also helps smaller hospitals gain skills to stabilize sick infants until The Children's Hospital's transport team, the only one of its kind in the region, arrives to bring them to the NICU. This helps increase the chances of saving more babies' lives.
Over the years, one thing remains constant: the staff's commitment. NICU nurses receive extensive training and are certified to work with infants in need of special care. Some nurses have been here for more than 20 years.
At The Children's Hospital, we will continue to implement proven care advances, and we look forward to serving families for years to come.
To learn more about the NICU, please visit www.nwtexashealthcare.com and click on Hospital Services, then on The Children's Hospital.
The Ronald McDonald Family Room
A Home Away From Home for Families
When your child is sick, you may be reluctant to leave the hospital to take care of business at home.
Fortunately, The Children's Hospital offers families a quiet place to recharge and regroup -- the Ronald McDonald Family Room. This special area lets you take care of personal necessities just steps from a child's room.
It features a kitchenette, television, computer, snacks, shower, washer/dryer and sweat suits to wear while you're waiting for laundry. The Children's Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House celebrated 10 years of this important partnership in September.
We Care for Parents, Too
It can be difficult for parents to leave their infants at the hospital, even for a few days. That's why the staff at Northwest helps parents bond with their newborns during their time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).Through one special project, staff use digital cameras to capture important moments in each baby's day. These snapshots can help if parents have to be separated from their infants for medical reasons.
And the acclaimed WeeCare® Development Program, offered through the NICU, assists parents in learning ways to help babies conserve the energy they need to grow, through calming techniques and other strategies.
