Texas Children's Hospital designated as Level IV NICU, the highest level of care available for preterm and critically-ill newborns

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Nov 08, 2012, 10:54 ET

HOUSTON, Nov. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a new policy statement indicating a change in the Levels of Neonatal Care, by updating the levels of care from Level I to Level IV, with Level IV offering the highest level of care available and treating the tiniest and most critically-ill babies. With the announcement of this new policy, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Texas Children's Hospital has now been designated as a Level IV NICU, where it will continue to provide care for infants with complex interdisciplinary issues including complex surgical disease that is not available in a level III NICU. To learn more about Texas Children's Newborn Center please visit www.texaschildrens.org/newborn.

"A crucial part of a patient's outcome is that they have access to the highest level of care available, especially the most fragile infants, who can face numerous challenges," said Dr. Stephen Welty, chief of neonatology in the Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and section chief for the Newborn Center at Texas Children's Hospital. "Babies who are born prematurely or who are critically ill have the highest demands for specialized resources and require around-the-clock, multidisciplinary care, and the designations are critical for proper regionalization of neonatal care and optimal outcomes."

Previously, Texas Children's was designated as a Level IIIC NICU, the highest level prior to the new standards which were published in the September 2012 edition of Pediatrics.

The AAP's updated NICU classifications consist of basic care (level I), specialty care (level II) and subspecialty intensive care (level III, level IV). Subspecialty neonatal intensive care involves providing life support, the ability to care for infants born earlier than 32 weeks gestation and weighing less than 1500 grams, performing advanced imaging including MRI and echocardiography, and providing a full range of respiratory support, among many other criteria.

NICUs with a Level IV designation must meet all Level III capabilities, plus:

Be located within an institution with the capability to provide surgical repair of complex congenital or acquired conditions
Maintain a full range of pediatric medical subspecialists, pediatric surgical subspecialists, and pediatric anesthesiologists at the site
Facilitate transport and provide outreach education

"It's important for women experiencing high risk pregnancies, as well as normal pregnancies, to understand that there are differences in the NICU care offered at different facilities," said
Dr. Stephanie Martin, service chief of Obstetrics and Maternal Fetal Medicine at Texas Children's Pavilion for Women. "If you're anticipating a complication, talk to your doctor about whether or not the hospital you plan on delivering in is equipped to handle the level of care your baby may need."

Taking care of the tiniest of newborns

Ashlee Haefs was having a healthy and uneventful pregnancy when suddenly, at 23 weeks and five days into her pregnancy, she gave birth to her daughter Madilynn, who weighed just 1 pound 5 ounces at birth. Madilynn was cared for at Texas Children's Newborn Center, where she experienced numerous complications related to prematurity including chronic lung disease and retinopathy of prematurity and she needed intensive care for an extended period of time. Madilynn also had to undergo surgery at Texas Children's including the placement of a reservoir and a shunt to alleviate hydrocephalus that occurred after a she sustained a large intracranial hemorrhage. Madilynn spent 119 days in the NICU where she was cared for by a multi-disciplinary team of subspecialists. Now 2 years old, Madilynn is a true miracle baby and her parents believe that because they had a plan and were near a hospital with an equipped NICU, Madilynn's life was saved.

"I never expected that I would give birth to Madilynn so early and though it was a very difficult experience to go through, we knew Madilynn was getting the best care available and that she had access to all of the subspecialty care she needed, including surgery, all in one facility," said Ashlee Haefs.

Texas Children's is nationally recognized as a leader in neonatology, ranking #2 in the nation for neonatology among pediatric hospitals in U.S.News & World Report's 2012-13 edition of Best Children's Hospitals. Texas Children's Newborn Center and the hospital's new Pavilion for Women together house 173 NICU beds, making the hospital the largest NICU in the nation. Texas Children's Newborn Center cares for nearly 2,500 babies each year and offers the most complete and complex level of care available, with 24/7 access to neonatologists and pediatric subspecialists. Babies are often transported to Texas Children's Newborn Center from other medical facilities because they require a higher level of care.

About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to creating a community of healthy children through excellence in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation, Texas Children's has recognized Centers of Excellence in multiple pediatric subspecialties including the Cancer and Heart Centers, and operates the largest primary pediatric care network in the country. Texas Children's has completed a $1.5 billion expansion, which includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; and Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston. For more information on Texas Children's, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news from Texas Children's by visiting the online newsroom and on Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.

Contact:
Veronika Javor Romeis
Texas Children's Hospital
832-824-2157 (o)
713-837-6289 (c)
[email protected]

SOURCE Texas Children's Hospital