Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for High Risk Newborn

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Neonatology department at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care to high risk newborns and newborns with genetic birth defects in Missouri, Kansas and the Midwest region.

How is the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Children's Mercy Hospital different?
Our Level IV Intensive Care Nursery (ICN) or neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provides the most advanced technology in neonatal and surgical care available in the Midwest region, including ECMO and nitric oxide therapy. Patients and referring physicians have immediate access to our board-certified neonatologists and pediatric subspecialists who support the intricate medical and developmental needs of sick infants and high risk newborns. We also provide the only 24-hour per day ground and air transport service in the region dedicated to neonatal patients in Missouri, Kansas and entire Midwest.

Why is Children's Mercy the best children's hospital for neonatal care?
Children's Mercy accepts referrals from all regional hospitals and provides the area's only comprehensive medical and surgical management service for technology dependent infants and high risk newborns. Despite an increased severity of illness, our organized, comprehensive discharge care has resulted in significantly shorter lengths of stay for neonates, compared to the national average.

What type of facilities does the neonatal intensive care unit and neonatology department have for high risk newborns?
Our 42-bed nursery is very different from most units in the Kansas City metro area. We have designed the nursery to have more space between each clinical unit, noise control measures and customized lighting. The nursery environment remains relatively quiet and restful in comparison with other intensive care areas. This parent-friendly facility allows for more frequent and longer visits. We encourage the parents to participate in the care of their high risk newborn. Our parent-friendly facility allows for more frequent and longer visits. Parents are encouraged to participate in the care of their high risk newborn.

For more information on neonatology at Children's Mercy, see the following care cards:

• Neonatal Hearing Screening

Ikechukwu Ekekezie, MD, Neonatologist
Specialty Interests: Fetal and neonatal pulmonary research

Fred K. Hall, DO, Neonatologist
Specialty Interests: Congenital spinal defects

Howard Kilbride, MD, Neonatologist
Specialty Interests: Low birth weight follow-up, perinatal substance abuse, bronchoscopy

Kristin Melton, MD, Neonatologist
Specialty Interests: Neonatology

Felix A. Okah, MD, Neonatologist
Specialty Interests: Neonatology

Gary Pettett , MD, Neonatologist
Specialty Interests: Bioethics and human subjects, perinatal epidemiology

Christine Robertsen, MD, Pediatrician in Neonatology
Specialty Interests: Neonatal follow-up, spinal defects, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, infants with complex health care needs

Michael B. Sheehan, MD, Neonatologist
Specialty Interests: Neonatal epidemiology, medical education

William E. Truog, MD, Neonatologist
Specialty Interests: Neonatal pulmonary disorders

Wendy Turnbull, PhD, Developmental Psychologist
Specialty Interests: Development, parenting, feeding problems of infancy and toddlers

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Common Diagnoses

• High risk newborn
• Low birth weight/pre-term newborn
• Acute newborn respiratory disorders
• Aspiration pneumonia
• Brain transitional disorders
• Chronic lung disease
• Conditions requiring Extra-Corporeal Membrane
• Oxygenation (ECMO)
  Congenital anomalies
• Congenital infections
• Genetic disorders
• Meconium aspiration
• Metabolic disorders
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Respiratory distress syndrome
• Seizures
• Sepsis/meningitis
• Surgical emergencies
• Transient tachypnea

Complex birth defects

• Congenital diaphragmatic hernia
• Congenital heart defects

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Services & Treatments

Multidisciplinary care of complex cases:

• All pediatric subspecialties
• Genetic counseling
• Surgical cases
• Neonatal social work services

Mechanical ventilation:

• Conventional
• High-frequency oscillatory ventilation

Surfactant replacement therapy

Inhaled nitric oxide

ECMO

Home Care

Outreach Education

Community hospital consultations:

• High-risk delivery attendance
• Emergency neonatal consultation
• Inpatient management of intermediately ill newborns

Neonatal Office
(816) 234-3591
FAX (816) 234-3590
WEEKDAYS
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

ICN Nursery
(816) 234-3000
FAX (816) 855-1908
Toll Free (800) 467-6428
EVENINGS (after 5:00 p.m.)
& WEEKENDS

Neonatal Care Outpatient Clinics

Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics is the Kansas City region's exclusive pediatric medical center and health care network. Our physicians, nurses and technicians are all trained specifically to work with children. We provide the finest care possible in the following pediatric subspecialties: Adolescent Medicine; Allergy/Asthma/Immunology, Anesthesiology; Bone Marrow Transplant; Burn/Trauma Care; Cardiology; Cardiovascular Surgery Cleft Palate/Craniofacial; Clinical Pharmacology; Clinical Toxicology; Critical Care Medicine; Dentistry; Dermatology; Developmental and Behavioral Sciences; Ear, Nose and Throat (Otorhinolaryngology); Emergency Medicine; Endocrinology/Diabetes; Gastroenterology; General Pediatrics; General/Thoracic/Urologic Surgery; Genetics; Gynecological Surgery; Hearing and Speech; Liver Transplant; Hematology/Oncology; Home Care; Hospitalists; Infectious Disease; Medical Research; Minimally Invasive Surgery; Neonatology; Nephrology; Neurology; Neurosurgery; Nursing; Occupational Therapy; Ophthalmology, Orthopaedic Surgery; Pathology/Laboratory Medicine; Physical Therapy; Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Pulmonology; Radiology; Rehabilitation Medicine; Respiratory Care; Rheumatology; Transport; Transplantation; Vision Sciences. Click here for additional information.