More than 4,000 babies are delivered every year at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, making us one of the most experienced hospitals in the area to care for newborns. In our Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a multidisciplinary team of neonatologists and other specialists provide advanced support for babies with low birth weight, respiratory distress, gastrointestinal disorders, congenital abnormalities, and other conditions that may require surgery. Our NICU also cares for babies that are born premature (less than 32 weeks) or need help transitioning from fetal to newborn life. This expertise, coupled with state-of-the-art technologies, resources, and services, gives your child the best chance of a healthy outcome.
About Our Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU)
At NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, we have all the healthcare providers to care for the most fragile infants in one location. Our 14-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) cares for newborns who are premature (less than 32 weeks), have a serious illness or condition, or need close observation in a monitored setting. A board-certified neonatologist is available in the NICU 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as nurses, physician assistants (PAs), respiratory therapists, and other team members who provide specialized care to infants. High-frequency oscillatory ventilation is provided for newborns needing respiratory support for complex respiratory illnesses and inhaled nitrogen dioxide for babies with pulmonary hypertension.
Our multidisciplinary team includes:
- Neonatologists: physicians who provide advanced expertise in newborn care
- Maternal-fetal medicine specialists: doctors who care for women with complex pregnancies
- Nurses and physician assistants (PAs) with special training in newborn care
- Speech/swallowing therapists and a pediatric nutritionist to help with newborn feeding issues
- Respiratory therapists provide care to infants in need of breathing care
- Lactation consultants who are available daily to assist breastfeeding mothers
Our team provides culturally sensitive care to the diverse population of Queens, with bilingual staff and interpreter services available to help you communicate well with your healthcare team.
Should your baby need more advanced care, we can facilitate a transfer to the Level IV NICUs at NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital or NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital.
Our NICU Services
Our NICU has been recognized for excellence in several areas, including:
Gentle Respiratory Care
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens is recognized for excellence in treating respiratory disorders in newborns.
Advanced Neonatal Cardio-Respiratory Support
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens is one of the few hospitals in the region to offer extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for infants with severe respiratory failure who cannot be treated successfully with conventional therapies. ECMO is an artificial heart and lung system that supports oxygenation of the body until a baby’s lungs can function independently.
Neonatal Cardiac Intensive Care
Should your baby need cardiac intensive care, we can provide seamless access to NewYork-Presbyterian’s pediatric heart surgeons, who are widely recognized for their expertise in newborn heart surgery. The team operates out of the Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Infant Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, a 17-bed, state-of-the-art unit dedicated solely to the care of neonates born with congenital heart defects. These same surgeons also operate at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, and newborn patients recover at NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky’s Children’s Hospital.
Neurologic Care
Should your baby need neurologic care, we can provide seamless access to NewYork-Presbyterian pediatric neurologists who apply the latest neurological advances to support newborn brain health. This includes electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring to access brain function and near-infrared spectroscopy to assess brain perfusion. Hypothermia treatment may also be used to lower the baby’s brain and body temperature to help reduce the risk of brain injury.
Neonatal Nutritional Support
At NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, neonatal nutritionists recommend optimizing your child’s growth and development. Specialized nutrition services for infants and toddlers are provided during your infant’s hospitalization in the NICU and later through our neonatal follow-up programs.
Lactation consultants are available to help mothers learn skills to establish and maintain the milk supply and help them overcome obstacles to breastfeeding. Our neonatal dietitians counsel parents on providing a balanced diet for their children.
Neonatal Comfort Care Program
When an infant is affected by a life-limiting condition or a terminal illness, we offer a Neonatal Comfort Care Program. We recognize that, no matter how brief, every baby’s life is precious, and the comfort of the baby is at the center of our care. The team works with you to develop a plan for your baby’s delivery and postnatal care. Ongoing support is offered after you leave the hospital.
Family Support
We encourage parents to practice “skin-to-skin” care, which helps parents to bond with their babies. Your nurse can help you learn this technique.
Child life specialists are accredited professionals who apply their child development expertise to help children understand, cope with and master their medical experiences. In the NICU, child life specialists, and music therapists are available to help you bond with your child. We also have a virtual telepresence program (virtual NICU) so that you can stay virtually connected to your baby when you cannot be at their bedside.
When your baby is admitted to the NICU, you will be connected with a social worker to help you cope. They may also assist with transportation and insurance and empower you to be an advocate for your child. We also have a supportive NICU psychologist at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and the Infant Psychiatry Fellow at NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns. Our March of Dimes Family Support Program Coordinators also has a wealth of resources available to you.
Critically Ill Newborn Transfers
Our 24/7 transport service can arrange for the transfer of critically ill newborns to our NICUs from referring hospitals via specially staffed and equipped vehicles. Doctors can arrange for the transport of an infant to the NICU by calling 1-800-NYP-STAT (1-800-697-7828).
Our Approach to Care
Expert and Comprehensive Care for Newborns
At NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, our Level III NICU is staffed by expert teams. These include neonatologists, neonatal nurses, nurse practitioners, and other specialists. Pediatric medical and surgical subspecialists are readily available for consultation and treatment.
In addition to the expert medical team, our hospitals are also staffed with a team of supporting specialists. Examples are lactation consultants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, feeding specialists, nutritionists, respiratory therapists, clinical pharmacists, child life specialists, and many more. In addition, family support is available from dedicated social workers, care managers, and NICU psychologists.
Families are Part of Our Team
We encourage you to be involved in the care of your infant from the very beginning. Although we are high-tech and able to respond to your child’s most critical medical needs, we never forget that we care for your newborn baby.
We recognize that you are the most important member of your baby’s care team, and we welcome your presence and input while your child is with us in the NICU. We can connect you with resources that might be helpful during your family’s NICU journey. We also partner closely with former NICU parents from the Family Advisory Council to ensure that we are providing the best family-centered care. Parent orientation, support groups, and peer mentor programs are also available.
Continuation of Care At Home
We understand you may feel nervous when it’s time to take your baby home. We are sure to prepare you about what to expect and what you will need to do. After leaving the hospital, your baby can continue receiving care from our neonatologists at the Theresa Lang Children’s Center.
Why Choose Us
At NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, our neonatologists have the expertise to care for premature infants, infants at risk for neurologic injury, and infants with conditions such as pulmonary hypertension or chronic lung disease, cardiac anomalies, birth defects, and genetic disorders, employing the latest approaches and technologies that improve the outcomes of the sickest and most fragile infants.
Innovative Approaches and Lifesaving Treatments
NewYork-Presbyterian is nationally recognized for optimizing the health of newborns and minimizing risk in the tiniest, most fragile newborns with our innovative approaches and lifesaving treatments. We have one of the best infant survival rates among NICUs nationally and the lowest rates of chronic lung disease in the U.S. The National Institutes of Health recognize us for excellence and expertise in the gentle ventilation of neonates, the standard of care in early, acute lung disease in extremely preterm infants.
Our devotion to your newborn continues long after discharge, with comprehensive neonatal and nutritional follow-up programs to promote your newborn’s growth and development.
The Latest Technologies in Newborn Patient Safety
At NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, cutting-edge technology helps our team of specialists stay connected through the hospital’s various communication platforms, providing extra layers of protection for each patient.
The system — NICU clinical integration systems technology — was created to facilitate seamless collaboration between members of the entire NICU team, including physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, and respiratory therapists.
Excellence in NICU Nursing
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens’ Magnet® Recognition NICU nurses are experienced and exceptionally well-trained. Not only do they care for the tiniest of infants, but they also provide care, support, and education to parents. NICU nurses require highly specialized skills in the assessment and care of newborns and sick infants and are trained in a wide range of medical, technological, and surgical interventions.
Advancing Neonatal Care through Research
In addition to providing excellent patient care for newborns, our neonatologists participate in research to further improve neonatal care.
- Our NICU is part of the New York State Perinatal Quality Collaborative, and we work closely with the Regional Perinatal Center. We are studying the growth of premature infants (born before 31 weeks) who receive enteral nutrition (tube feeding).
- With our collaborators at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York State Newborn Screening Program, we are evaluating a newborn screening test for Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy. There is currently no standard screening for this illness in newborns.
- Our investigators are studying umbilical catheter lines in premature infants and sick full-term infants to determine the best way to use them while reducing the risk of infection.
Seamless Access to World-Class Medical Experts
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian & Weill Cornell Medicine, an Ivy League medical school that is among the nation’s best in patient care, medical education, and research. We offer many of the highly specialized services typically found in an academic medical center, but without the commute to Manhattan and in the comfortable setting of a local community hospital. Your child has access to the world-class resources available through our affiliations with the NewYork-Presbyterian healthcare network, ensuring that they receive the most advanced care close to home.
Affiliated with Nationally Ranked Children’s Hospitals
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens offers young patients seamless access to two renowned children’s hospitals, NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital. Both hospitals are among the nation’s leading centers for the diagnosis and treatment of childhood diseases. They are both major referral centers for complex and rare disorders in infants, children, and adolescents.