The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at The Chester County Hospital is located in the heart of our maternity unit to manage the care of babies who have special medical concerns. Led by a team of Neonatologists from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) on staff at The Chester County Hospital and complemented by skilled nurses, our Level III NICU administers to the specialized needs of infants who require advanced care upon birth. The Chester County Hospital has the only Level III NICU certification in the County, as awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The Level III designation means that the Hospital has in-house neonatology specialists 24-hours-a-day, seven days-a-week. Our NICU is designed to take care of babies at all gestational ages. Our staff is capable of handling the most complex medical situations.

About the Unit

Our NICU is able to care for babies that require advanced interventions, such as ventilators. In fact, our unit is equipped with the same ventilator support as CHOP, offering the latest and most sophisticated technology to support the breathing needs of a newborn. We also have pediatric surgeons and other sub-specialists on-site or rapidly available.

Our unit is able to care for the smallest babies, with very few needing to be transferred out of our facility for care. Local access to such sophisticated care means families can avoid having to travel distances to visit with their baby who is receiving special care. If a baby does need to be transferred, the resources of CHOP are available to them.

Our unit offers a variety of treatment options, such as:

• Total parenteral (IV) nutrition
• Ventilator care for respiratory problems
• Surfactant therapy for infants with premature lungs
• Sophisticated incubators for maintaining an infant's body temperature
• Antibiotic therapy for suspected infections
• 24-hour monitoring
• Physical Therapy

Parents may visit our NICU at any time, with the exception of nursing shift changes. We encourage you to touch, speak softly, and even sing to your baby. Siblings may visit any time as long as they are in good health.

About our services
We are particularly proud of several interventions for our neonates including:

• Kangaroo Care - Allows for beneficial skin-to-skin contact between parents and their infants.
• Physical Therapy Program - Enhances the baby's development.
• Neonatal Development Follow-Up Clinic - Located on site.
• Lactation Specialists and nursing staff - Assists breastfeeding mothers with feeding and /or pumping needs.
• Parent participation - Learning how to care for their newborn.

Last Updated: 10/11/2012