Welcome to The Smith Family NICU at Brigham and Women's Hospital. We are honored that you have chosen to entrust your baby’s care with us.
Our state-of-the-art NICU, the largest in Massachusetts, provides expert newborn care for nearly 3,000 premature and seriously ill babies and their families each year. Our internationally-recognized neonatologists, expert nursing staff and other health professionals are dedicated to providing the best and most advanced care possible to newborns with critical and unique health challenges.
The Smith Family NICU at BWH cares for babies:
The NICU space and team are also prepared to accommodate and care for twins, triplets and higher-order multiples.
Parents are the most important members of their baby’s care team. Because of this, we welcome parents 24 hours a day, every day of the year. With our assistance, parents are educated in techniques for caring for their babies and are encouraged to touch, hold, and feed them as much as possible. Our expert staff will also help parents identify the best ways they can help their babies recover, grow, and develop.
Even when you are in the best place with the best doctors, nurses, and other staff, we understand that a stay in The Smith Family NICU can be a very challenging time. Your newborn will receive individualized, specialty care from a dedicated team that will help your baby grow and thrive while in the hospital. This comprehensive team will guide you through your newborn’s stay, communicating and educating you about your baby’s progress, teaching you about our efforts to overcome medical challenges, and providing resources to educate and support you through this difficult time.
The primary members of your baby’s health care team include:
Other important members of your baby’s health care team will include dietitians, respiratory therapists, developmental specialists (such as physical and occupational therapists), pharmacists, social workers, NICU family support specialists, nurse practitioners, and other pediatric specialists.
Learn more about the following BWH services for infants and families:
Breast milk provides essential nutrients and other factors that protect against infection, and offers other important benefits to your baby's growth and development. Some babies are not ready to drink by mouth right after birth. The lactation specialists and nurses instruct new mothers on pumping their breast milk and storing it for feeding by tube until their baby is ready to breastfeed. Once a baby is able to transition to the breast, our lactation specialists and nurses also assist mothers and babies with positioning and latching onto the breast.
Skin-to-skin, or ‘kangaroo’ care, involves holding your baby against your bare chest to provide extra warmth and promote bonding. This method benefits both baby and the parents. Our staff assists parents in accomplishing this, even when babies are very small or sick, and often helps to relieve the feeling of separation experienced by some parents. Babies who have skin-to-skin contact generally have better breastfeeding success. They may also be calmer, have better blood sugar levels, improved respiratory rates and healthier body temperatures than babies who do not receive skin-to-skin contact.
Hearing their parents’ voices helps a baby’s brain develop. Reading is a great way to offer this brain stimulation. Our program introduces parents to reading favorite childhood books to provide this brain stimulation in a way that can be best received by their very small or sick infants.
The team in The Smith Family NICU will keep you informed about your baby’s care, and you may call or visit at any time. If you have questions or concerns about your baby’s care, please ask us. Your baby’s nurse or social worker can arrange a family meeting with members of the baby’s health care team to discuss your baby’s diagnosis and treatment plan.
When your baby is ready to be discharged, the attending neonatologist will provide your baby’s pediatrician with detailed medical information about your baby’s stay and coordinate with your pediatrician as needed for ongoing care.
Supporting families is an important part of the care we provide. Care coordinators assist nurses and social workers in providing families with the information and support they need throughout their stay. They also can assist families in preparing for the transition home. We also offer other services to help families cope during and after their baby’s stay in The Smith Family NICU.
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About BWH
