​​Rady Children's Hospital NICU​​​

The 60-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego provides Level 4 care, the highest designation available by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Our NICU is a major referral center for the most critically ill newborns, many of whom suffer from severe heart and lung conditions or are born extremely premature. Expert care is provided by the Neonatology Division of Rady Children’s Specialists of San Diego.​

For the eleventh consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report ranks our Neonatology program among the nation’s best in its “Best Children’s Hospitals” edition.​

Designed for the best possible care and comfort, our NICU has homelike private and semi-private rooms to help parents bond with their newborns. The rooms are equipped with specially designed chairs, which enable all our infants to have skin-to-skin contact with mom and dad.

Rady Children’s operates NICUs in seven other area hospitals including level 2 NICUs at  Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista, and Pomerado Hospital​. We operate level 3 NICUs at Palomar Medical Center, Rancho Springs Medical Center​ in Murrieta and Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. We also provide services (on site and on a consultative basis) to other hospitals throughout San Diego, Imperial and Riverside counties, and across the nation and as far away as Saipan.​​

Rady Children's Hospital High Risk Infant Follow-Up Clinic

The High-Risk Infant Follow-up Clinic provides evaluation of the growth and development of infants and young children who are at risk for neurologic problems or developmental delays because of premature birth, low birth weight or other problems at birth.

Special examinations are performed by a pediatric nurse practitioner or a clinical psychologist to evaluate how your baby is growing, changing, learning and developing. The team will provide guidance and referrals based on the evaluation to help your infant achieve their full developmental potential

We evaluate:

1. Neuromotor function (muscle strength or weakness)
2. Growth and nutrition (physical growth)
3. Language development (ability to listen and talk)
4. Social interaction (ability to interact with others)
5. Developmental milestones (ability to achieve developmental stages)

The complete evaluation takes about 1 ½ to 2 hours, and the results are discussed with you.  The evaluation provides an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have about your child's development.  A copy of the evaluation report is also sent to your child's pediatrician. 

For more information, click on the links below.

Team 
Frequently Asked Questions 
Locations 

Rady Children's NICU In the News

• Fast DNA Sequencing Can Offer Diagnostic Clues When Newborns Need Intensive Care, National Public Radio, features Nathaly Sweeney, M.D., M.P.H.
• San Diego NICU Nurse Known for Writing Poems for Families Honored, 10news.com, features Linda Black, R.N.
• Medical Teams at Rady Children's Hospital Train for Emergencies by Using Simulation Dolls, kusi.com, features, Charles Sauer, D.O., and Tamara Sayegh, R.N.
• Rady Children's Hospital: Realistic Training That Will Save Lives, cbs8.com, features Charles Sauer, D.O., and Melisa Cameron, M.D.
• Rady Children's NICU at Rancho Springs Medical Center in Murrieta Wins Top Award, Rancho Springs Medical Center News, features the Rady Children's NICU at Rancho Springs Medical Center.
• Babies Who Started Solids Slept Better: Study, Reuters News, features Jae Kim, M.D., Ph.D.
• Composition of Complex Sugars in Breast Milk May Prevent Future Food Allergies, UC San Diego Health, features Lars Bode, Ph.D.
• A Mother's Day Gift for a Struggling Baby: Loving Attention, The San Diego Union-Tribune, features Rady Children's NICU
• Proceedings from the 2017 International Conference on Human Milk Science and Innovation Are Focus of New Supplement in the Journal of Breastfeeding Medicine, PR Newswire, features Rob Knight, PhD and Lars Bode, Ph.D. (press release)
• Rady Children's NICU Celebrates Families at Annual Rancho Springs Medical Center Reunion,Patch News, features the Rady Children's NICU at Rancho Springs Medical Center.
• International Conference on Human Milk Science & Innovation Explores Scientific Potential and Clinical Relevance of Human Milk, PR Newswire, features Lars Bode, Ph.D., and Rob Knight, Ph.D.
• Reader Has Great Patient Experience at Palomar NICU, The San Diego Union-Tribune, features Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego.
• Rady Children's Hospital Gains in National Rankings, The San Diego Union-Tribune, features Denise Suttner, M.D.
• Are Human Milk Oligosaccharides the Magic Bullet for Necrotizing Enterocolitis?, Nature, cites research by Lars Bode, Ph.D., Jae Kim, M.D., Ph.D.
• Babies on Drugs: Another Sad Chapter in California's Opioid Saga, Times of San Diego, features Lawrence Prince, M.D., Richard Song, M.D., and David Golembeski, M.D.
• Doctors Reconnect with Families at Rady Children's NICU Reunion Party, cbs.com, features Gail Knight, M.D., Rady Children's Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
• NEC Society Announces Nation's First Necrotizing Enterocolitis Symposium, Yahoo Finance, features Jae Kim, M.D., Ph.D.
• New Technology is Life-Saving Voice for Premature or Critically Ill Infants, UC San Diego Health, features Lance Prince, MD, Ph.D.
• MURRIETA: Rady Partnership Delivering for Rancho Springs, The Press Enterprise, features Richard Song, M.D
• Dr. Gail Knight Inspires as First African-American Woman Chief of Staff at Rady Children's Hospital, kpbs.org
• New Program at Rady Aims to Prevent Brain Injury in Infants, U-T San Diego

Related Specialties

1. Maternal-Fetal Medicine  (San Diego Perinatal Center)
2. Pediatric Surgery 
3. Rady Children's Hospital Emergency Transport  (CHET)

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