Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU)
Success Story of a Children's Hospital
Musey Twins, Michele & William
Mom experienced abnormal bleeding during her pregnancy, from a placental abruption. The twins were born extremely premature at only 26 weeks. The Musey family spent the next three months in the NICU on the journey of their lives.
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 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.
Miller Children's Hospital Long Beach
2801 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, CA 90806
(562) 933-5437
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