Neonatal Intensive Care & Neonatology

Trust the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Virginia Hospital Center if your baby needs extra medical care after delivery. Get expert, compassionate care from a team dedicated to caring for babies who are born early or sick.

Level III NICU

When you select where you’ll give birth, choose a facility that holds level III status from the American Academy of Pediatrics. This level of specialization means trained, multidisciplinary staff are available 24/7 to offer lifesaving care using advanced technology and treatments.

Conditions We Treat

If needed, you can rely on your baby’s NICU care team to:

• Care for babies born at any weight and age
• Detect and treat infections
• Help your baby recover from respiratory disease
• Treat jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes due to a buildup bilirubin in the body)

Collaborative Care

Benefit from our partnership with Children's National Health, an organization that ranks first for newborn care in the U.S. News 2019-2020 Best Children’s Hospital survey. Your infant has access to pediatric subspecialty services and treatments that follow best practices determined by the latest research.

Depending on your baby’s needs, your care team may include: (see complete list in NICU)

• Doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners – Care for your baby
• Case managers – Help coordinate care during your baby’s Hospital stay and after going home
• Chaplains – Provide spiritual care
• Developmental specialists – Assess your baby’s development
• Dietitians – Help your baby get the right nutrition
• Lactation consultants – Support breastfeeding
• Occupational therapists – Work with you and your baby to promote healthy development
• Pharmacists – Ensure your baby gets correct medications
• Registered nurses – Provide care and education
• Respiratory therapists – Help your baby breathe more easily

Family-Centered Care

You and your support person are welcome to stay with your baby as much as possible. You’re encouraged to take an active role in your baby’s care. When your baby stays in the NICU, you’ll have a private room that includes:

• Adjustable lighting
• Breastfeeding supplies, such as a fridge for storing breast milk, a waterless warmer and a breast pump
• Pull-out bed for comfortable sleeping

If you gave birth to twins, triplets, or other multiples, you and your babies will stay in a larger room to keep your babies together.

Visitation is 24/7 for parents. Parents may bring visitors up to 3 adults at a time during Hospital visiting hours. No one under 18 years of age permitted in the NICU. Families may identify up to two care partners that may visit without the parents’ present.

Family Suites

To help you and your baby or babies prepare to transition home, you and your family will stay in a family suite. For your comfort, each suite has a:

• Private bathroom
• Refrigerator
• Television

Book Buddies Program

The NICU's Book Buddies program enjoys the support of trained volunteers who spend time reading children's stories aloud to babies at their bedside. The program provides premature babies additional exposure to language development, all in the safety and comfort of a quiet, private room throughout their stay.