Children’s of Alabama Expands Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
January 9, 2025
BIRMINGHAM (Jan. 9, 2025) — Children’s of Alabama announces the expansion of its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The NICU is a Level IV unit now with an additional six beds totaling 54 private rooms for neonates and infants. The unit houses four ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) rooms, and it is the only unit in the state that provides dialysis for premature infants.
In recent years, Children’s has experienced record-breaking patient volumes and an increased need for inpatient space to treat infants. The complexity of care provided requires the largest team at the hospital: 250 staff members caring for preterm and term neonates with a wide range of conditions. More than 400 babies each year rely on the care of the Children’s of Alabama NICU.
“We care for patients from birth to two years of age ranging from critical to our complex chronic population. This addition will allow our team to continue to provide family-centered care in private rooms for our smallest patients,” said Jill Jones Smith, director of the NICU. “Our NICU regularly has a waitlist of surgical neonates from referring hospitals that require our services. These extra bassinets will help alleviate wait times and help us get to those patients and families even faster.”
The expanded NICU area will house state-of-the-art facilities like an additional dedicated nurse station, medication and milk storage room, and equipment room. The project also includes specialty equipment, technology, and furniture, making families’ time at Children’s more comfortable. The Children’s of Alabama Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) continues to serve as a lifeline for Alabama’s youngest patients.
About Children’s of Alabama
Since 1911, Children’s of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children, offering inpatient, outpatient, and primary care throughout central Alabama. Ranked among the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s serves patients from every county in Alabama and nearly every state. Children’s is a private, not-for-profit medical center that serves as the teaching hospital for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) pediatric medicine, surgery, psychiatry, research, and residency programs.
