|
Fall 2009 Caring for Our Tiniest PatientsWhile no soon-to-be mother or father wants to see their newborn transferred to an intensive care unit, it does happen. Babies sometimes are born prematurely, before their tiny systems are fully developed, while other times unforeseen complications arise during delivery. Regardless of the scenario or situation, parents want the best possible medical care where they can be with their babies at all times. Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) offers that level of care. Designated as a Level IIIB NICU, AAMC can care for the most critically ill newborns, allowing babies born early or with complications to stay with their mothers at AAMC. Hospitals that do not have this high level of NICU care often must transfer babies to other health care facilities, meaning that mothers and babies cannot remain together. AAMC is the only hospital in Anne Arundel County to offer this level of care. The AAMC NICU, also known as “Teddy’s Place,” is a state-of-the-art, 26-bed unit, equipped with life-saving technology and staffed by full- and part-time neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists and nurses with specialized NICU training. On average, 18 babies a day are cared for in the AAMC NICU, and approximately 10 percent of all babies delivered at AAMC will spend some time in this special unit. The NICU staff at AAMC takes care of a wide range of tiny patients, from babies termed “feeders and growers,” who simply need to get bigger and stronger before they go home, to patients with complex, intricate problems who may suffer brain bleeds, abnormal heart rhythms, respiratory distress, and jaundice before they are healthy enough to go home. These life-threatening conditions all can be treated at AAMC Teddy’s Place. While we hope every delivery is healthy and uneventful, parents can rest assured that if their newborn needs specialized care, AAMC’s high level of NICU care is there. |
For Email Marketing you can trust
|
