TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT) -- Children's of Alabama has announced the expansion of its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
The NICU now has an additional six beds totaling 54 private rooms for neonates and infants. The unit houses four extracorporeal membrane oxygenation rooms, and it's the only unit in the state that provides dialysis for premature infants. The area features an additional nurse station, medication and milk storage rooms, and equipment room.
“We care for patients from birth to two years of age ranging from critical to our complex chronic population. This addition will allow our team to continue to provide family-centered care in private rooms for our smallest patients,” said Jill Jones Smith, director of the NICU. “Our NICU regularly has a waitlist of surgical neonates from referring hospitals that require our services. These extra bassinets will help alleviate wait times and help us get to those patients and families even faster.”
More than 400 babies each year rely on the care of the Children's of Alabama NICU.