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Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) - Credit Valley Hospital

  • Our Regional Advanced Level II NICU
  • Physical capacity is 35 bassinets
  • Just over 600 admissions (73%) to the unit annually come from the Birthing Suite
  • Stays in the NICU range from a few days to several weeks
  • For mothers who have been discharged prior to their newborns being ready to leave, residence rooms available for resting between breastfeeding and infant care
  • 2 care-by-parent rooms will be available to parents 24-48 hours before their infant's discharge so that parents can become comfortable providing care
 

Service Provided:

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is equipped and staffed to care for the infant that requires ventilatory support, oxygen therapy, medications, phototherapy, and assessment and continued monitoring.

During every infant's stay in NICU our heath care team consisting of paediatricians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, dietitians, lactation consultants, pharmacist, occupational therapist, respiratory therapist, social worker and psychologist, participate with the family in the plan of care.

The team believes in a family-centred approach to care. Parents are encouraged to be present and participate in their baby's care as much as possible. We also encourage the involvement of healthy siblings.

For some infants, specialized feeding is required to support growth. This includes continuous or intermittent nasogastric feeding or intravenous nutrition. This is included as part of the individualized feeding plan customized for each infant.

Breastfeeding support is provided by NICU nurses as well as referrals to our registered lactation consultants as required. Breastfeeding support following discharge is provided by referral to the on-site breastfeeding clinic or public health clinics.


Ongoing care of infants born at The Credit Valley Hospital requiring "special care" or infants transferred from other facilities is provided in isolettes or cots as appropriate. Electronic monitoring of infant's vital signs is provided on an individualized basis.

High risk deliveries and caesarian births are attended by a team from the NICU comprised of a paediatrician and/or neonatal nurse practitioner, respiratory therapist and NICU nurse to provide initial stabilization and care as needed.

Infant Hearing Screening is provided on site, in accordance to The Central West Infant Hearing Program.


ROP Clinic (Retinopathy of Prematurity)

The outpatient clinic provides eye exams for babies from Credit Valley and the rest of the region. Eye exams are performed in this clinic bi-weekly and provide infants residing in the Peel region with care closer to home. Inpatient eye exams are performed on site by an ophthalmologist.

RSVP Clinic (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prophylaxis)

This clinic operates weekly throughout RSVP season (typically November to May) providing referred infants meeting specific criteria with monthly prophylactic treatments for RSVP.

Neonatal Follow-Up Clinic

This multidisciplinary clinic operates twice weekly providing assessment of physical, motor and cognitive development at scheduled intervals up to 24 months (corrected age) for infants from NICU and physician's practices who meet the specific regional follow-up criteria. Referral to community services and professional consultants are made on a case by case basis resulting in communication and coordination of services across the continuum to enhance care closer to home.

Location

NICU is located in Erin Mills Women's and Children's Health Centre of the Credit Valley Hospital (Sun Zone - level 3)
See PDF map of all levels »

Contact:

Telephone: 905 813-2200 ext 3945

 

Links

The Ronald McDonald House Toronto Family Room At The Credit Valley Hospital

An extension of Ronald McDonald House Toronto, the Family Room provides a "home away from home" for families of seriously ill children – within a hospital setting.

It is situated adjacent to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the Erin Mills Regional Women's and Children's Health Centre. [read more »]


Intensive Care Nursery - Mississauga Hospital

Mississauga Hospital's Level II Nursery has a 12-bed capacity and provides care to newborns requiring intensive care supporting short-term ventilation of pre-term infants 32 weeks gestation or greater. Lactation consultants are available to support breastfeeding. The Nursery also features a Care-by-Parent Room to facilitate bonding between the pre-term infant and mother prior to discharge.

Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Phone: 905-848-7636