Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU)

NICU Outpatient Program

High-Risk Infant Follow Up

Family Centered Care Approach Infant Bill of Rights NICU Visitor Guidelines Possible Procedures Parent Support Programs Getting to the NICU

NICU Medical Director Request a Transport Refer a Patient

Jaiden is a spirited toddler who radiant smile and contagious laughter lights up any roon during playtime. Her energy shows promist of a bright future for this once critically ill preemie. First time mom Vickie loves watching Jaiden grow up so big and so fast even if it's hard to keep up with her.

Jaiden has always been unpredictable, even before she was born. She came into this world almost three months premature, weighing only 1 pound, 7 ounces at Miller Children's Hospital Long Beach. She was so small, she fit in the palm of her mother's hand. Miraculously, Jaiden overcame these challenges and has gone from fitting into her mother's hand to becoming an enjoyable handful.

When Vickie was six months pregnant, she discovered she had a condition that can lead to the compression of the umbilical cord, preventing the baby from receiving the righ nutrition and interfering with the baby's oxygen supply. After a risky cesarean birth, newborn Jaiden was rushed to the NICU at Miller Children's. Vickie was relieved to know that Jaiden wasn't going too far away and was taken just right down the hall in a level III NICU known for its specialized care for the most critically ill newborns. Both mom and baby, were monitored and cared for by a team of experts in high-risk pregnancy and neonatology, all under the same roof, just footsteps away.

"Jaiden is another example of one of our many success stories from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Miller Children's Hospital Long Beach." says Arthur Strauss, M.D. Medical Directorr, NICU, Miller Children's Hospital Long Beach. " Miller Children's is a level III NICU meaning we are equipped to handle some of the most critically ill babies in the state. Our specialized team uses state-of-the-art technology to treat these tiny patients, resuling in one of the highest risk-adjusted survival rates."

Today, Vickie and Jaiden are healthier than ever thanks to the specialized care of mom and baby, at Miller Children's Hospital in Long Beach.

Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU)

It is difficult for a baby born at any age to transition into the world. Being born prematurely or with a congenital birth anomaly makes the transition even harder. These babies are in need of the highest quality care and are admitted into an area of the hospital known as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach features a Level III (tertiary) NICU which is the highest designation available from the state. Such designation means the unit must meet strict state regulatory criteria to provide the necessary care for very sick infants who need immediate surgery, or who weigh less than 2 pounds. Many hospitals in the area surrounding Miller Children’s do not have the personnel, a NICU or the resources to care for very sick infants and therefore transport their babies to Miller Children’s.

The care team of dedicated physicians, nurses, therapists and other staff, combined with state-of-the-art technology, work to save the fragile lives of infants born too sick or too early. The neonatal intensive care team provides developmentally supportive and family centered care through multiple programs including the Wee Care Program, Skin-to-Skin Care, lactation support and the March of Dimes NICU Family Support – the only one in California.

Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach Stands Apart:

The NICU at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach was featured in the book, “Baby E.R.: The Heroic Doctors and Nurses Who Perform Medicine’s Tiniest Miracles,” by Edward Humes.
Miller Children’s Hospital is one of only 22 hospitals in California to feature a Level III (tertiary) NICU which is the highest designation available from the state.
The NICU at Miller Children’s is home to the March of Dimes NICU Family Support Program, the first such initiative in the state of California.
The NICU at Miller Children’s is one of the largest in the state of California. More than 20 community hospitals in California refer patients to the facility and more than 1,000 newborns are cared for every year.
In partnership with the Stramski Children’s Developmental Center, Miller Children’s Hospital offers extensive follow-up care for NICU babies and their families in the region with their high-risk infant follow-up (HRIF) Program.