Neonatology (NICU)
Critical Care for Infants
Contact Us
When your newborn needs intensive care, you want more than advanced technology—you want a team ready for whatever comes next.
Our NICU is the region’s most advanced neonatal intensive care unit, caring for premature babies and newborns with serious or complex medical needs. Our neonatal specialists provide expert care around the clock, including:
- Diagnosing and treating premature and critically ill newborns
- Stabilizing babies with life-threatening conditions
- Treating serious infections and breathing problems
- Managing complex medical conditions
- Coordinating care for babies who need surgery or other specialized treatment
For babies with known or suspected heart conditions, our comprehensive Fetal Heart Program allows mothers to deliver at the same hospital where their babies can receive specialized cardiac and neonatal care. That means your baby can get the right care without the risks and stress of being transferred to another hospital after birth.
Our commitment to newborn care begins before delivery and continues throughout your baby’s hospital stay. Our specialists bring years of experience caring for critically ill newborns, along with ongoing training in the latest advances in neonatal medicine.
Seamless Care Before & After Birth
The birth of a baby is an exciting and joyful time, but sometimes unexpected and serious complications arise during pregnancy that requires specialized care. Our OB-GYN specialists provide prenatal care for high-risk pregnancies. Our experts in maternal-fetal medicine and neonatology work closely together to give you and your baby a seamless experience and care you can trust.
After your baby is born, our NICU team helps you access UVA Health Children's specialists while providing compassionate and family-centered care.
The NICU Care Team
- Neonatologists
- Neonatal advanced practice providers
- Infant educators
- Specialized nursing staff
- Respiratory therapists
- Occupational and physical therapists
- Infant speech and language pathologists
- Dedicated charge nurses
- Breastfeeding consultants
- Social workers and chaplains
- Child life specialists
Tour the NICU
If you know you’ll need our NICU services ahead of time, you can meet with a neonatologist and tour the NICU before your baby is born.
What to Expect in the NICU
The neonatal ICU at UVA Health Children's provides comprehensive services for newborns and their families. Meet the team and learn about the comprehensive care approach they use.
Jonathan Swanson, MD: Nobody chooses to have their infant in the NICU. Everyone wants to bring their baby home, but obviously we're there in case babies do need further care after being delivered.
Swanson: We're there for infants who are sick, or ill, or need surgery, as well as infants who are born prematurely and don't have the capability of going home yet.
Rachel Nauman, RN: Our NICU team is interdisciplinary, which means it consists of many different people that are committed to caring for your baby. We have nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians. We have patient care technicians. We have a great ancillary team of respiratory therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapy. Child Life works with us. We also have a great compliment of case managers and social workers who are there to support the family. So it's very collaborative.
Susan Almarode, NP: There's a period of education where we do a lot of teaching and talking about the disease processes, and then ultimately, parents become such vital care partners on our team, and become advocates for their children. I think, within the NICU, we've really been a model unit for family-centered care, and so we really encourage parent participation on rounds. We welcome parents' input and their perspective on changes that they see in their baby, and we hope to create a very supportive environment where, again, parents ultimately feel empowered, and feel like they're an advocate for their children.
Nauman: We offer things that other NICUs do not. One of them is Neuro-NICU. So we specialize in infants who have neurological problems. We also do HeRO, which is a heart rate variability monitor for an early indicator for sepsis that was developed here at UVA.
Swanson: We also are unique in that we are on the leading edge of technology and care plans across the nation. We've been involved in multiple trials that really push the envelope as far as bringing the newest and most effective technology to premature and sick infants.
Almarode: We recognize that our words have consequences. Our skills, our actions, the things that we do are consequential, and we take that very seriously. I also think that we've really dedicated ourselves to being supportive of families, and being an inclusive environment where, no matter where you come from, no matter what the color of your skin is, no matter what your socioeconomic status is, no matter what good or bad you've done in this world, we're committed to caring for you and for your baby, and we all have the same goal of sending home a healthy child.
Parenting in the NICU
Your infant's premature birth or serious medical complications can leave you feeling helpless, overwhelmed, and anxious. At UVA Health Children's, we consider parents valuable members of their baby's healthcare team, and you participate in the medical rounds each day in the NICU.
We're here to support you:
After the NICU
Care doesn't stop once your baby leaves the NICU. We continue assessments and checking your baby's progress as they transition into life at home through our Early Development Clinic.
Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
From the prenatal period through newborn discharge, our multi-disciplinary team has the expertise needed to make sure that you and your baby are successful from the start. Learn more about the services we provide and resources that are available to you.
Nationally Ranked Neonatology Care
Our level IV NICU's team of neonatal experts is ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to providing care for babies born early, we also handle some of the most complex congenital health issues.