Neonatal intensive care
When newborns arrive early or have medical complications, they need a special place to grow and heal. The newborn intensive care units (NICUs) at Sharp are state-of-the-art environments that provide around-the-clock, life-saving care for newborns.
State-of-the-art healing for newborns
When newborns arrive early or have medical complications, they need a special place to grow and heal. The neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) at Sharp are state-of-the-art environments that provide around-the-clock, lifesaving care for newborns and their families.
The family is an important part of the care for these newborns, and parents are encouraged to hold, change and visit with their babies throughout the day. Our NICUs also feature AngelEye bedside cameras, so parents can securely view baby when away from the hospital.
Specialized staff provide instruction on breastfeeding, caring for fragile newborns and other skills to prepare parents to care for their babies at home. The staff includes physicians and nurses who specialize in neonatology, nutritionists, rehabilitation therapists, lactation specialists, respiratory therapists, social workers and research specialists.
Resources for NICU parents
Guiding parents through the NICU experience
This specialized guide from Sharp Mary Birch Hospital (also available in Spanish) provides important information about what to expect as a NICU parent, such as caring for your baby during the first few weeks of life and preparing for your baby’s discharge from the hospital.Infant CPR
While the thought of using cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on your baby is frightening, knowing what to do in an emergency could save a life. The Sharp Cardiac Training Center created this brief instructional video (also available in Spanish) that shares how to perform CPR and chocking prevention techniques on an infant.Kangaroo care in the NICU
We encourage you to be as hands on and involved as possible with your baby, even while in the NICU. Learn how to do skin-to-skin contact, also known as kangaroo care.Hydrotherapy in the NICU
Hydrotherapy treatments are used to promote brain development and motor patterns in babies born earlier than 32 weeks.
Sharp Mary Birch NICU resources
Improving outcomes for our tiniest patients
The research and clinical trials conducted at our Neonatal Research Institute lead to innovative treatments and medical practices that improve the health and growth of preterm babies and newborns throughout San Diego County and beyond.
At our Nemeth NICU Follow-up Clinic, preterm babies get specialized follow-up care and assessments that promote growth after leaving the NICU.
