Neonatal Intensive Care

Description of Services:

Driscoll Children's Hospital and our staff share in the excitement that new parent's have at the arrival of their newborn, but also realize that being admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can be a confusing and frightening time. We have a staff of dedicated, caring and compassionate medical professionals who nurture each baby, and provide the best treatment options, information and support for the families here.

Our Level III NICU cares for newborns and infants for a variety of reasons including prematurity (carried less than 37 weeks), respiratory distress, infections, birth defects and other illnesses. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Driscoll Children's Hospital is licensed for 41 beds and is the only hospital in Corpus Christi staffed by Neonatologists in the hospital 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Additionally, we have a support staff of nurses, dietitians, surgeons, anesthesiologists and more who are all specially trained to care for the tiniest of babies.

Driscoll Children's Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is staffed by neonatologists from Neonatology services and supported by pediatric subspecialists. Services provided are:

• High frequency ventilation
• Nitric oxide
• Surfactant therapy

Other coordinated services include:

• Transport team (fixed wing / helicopter / ground transportation)
• Full-time social worker and discharge planner
• Breastfeeding facilities and lactation specialist
• Rooming-in facility for pre-discharge

Developmental Care

• Physical therapist
• Occupational therapist
• Feeding and swallowing specialist

Outreach Education

• Neonatal resuscitation classes
• PCEP program
• Participation in Vermont-Oxford trials (patients outcomes study)