NICU Programs & Services 

All newborns need constant care, attention and love to nourish their still-growing bodies. Babies in the NICU, whether premature, multiples or very ill, need it even more. At Randall Children’s Hospital, we've focused on every detail of their care and environment, designing our NICU to promote faster healing and health recovery for your newborn.  

A stressed baby will use up more of their precious resources, including calories and oxygen. Lights and noise from medical equipment can create stress and over-stimulate newborns who should still be in the womb. In addition, their brain is still developing (at the fastest rate of their whole lives), and stress can cause complications. That's why our goal is to keep your newborn's surroundings as calm as possible. 

Our state-of-the art facility, one of the largest in Oregon, features 31 single private rooms and seven private twin rooms, in an environment proven to promote healing.  

We specifically designed our NICU to shield newborns from stressful or excess noise like medical equipment sounds. Within this calming space, your newborn is constantly monitored and watched over by our team members. 

Our calming design also includes: 

• Single, private family rooms designed for single babies, twins and multiples. 
• A sleeping couch in each newborn's room so parents have a comfortable place to stay 24/7. 
• Smaller in-room windows to shield newborns from light that may over-stimulate them. 
• A peaceful nursery environment for your baby with the latest in "quiet" technology. 
• Special crib technology to control the environment (lights, temperature, sound and humidity) specific to your baby's needs and to simulate the womb. 
• Central heart monitors so every staff member can see what's happening with every baby. 
• In addition, every NICU nurse has wireless connections on their phones to their babies' monitors, so they are notified of a change even when they're with another baby. 
• We recently completed a full NICU sound and environmental evaluation to make sure newborns and their families receive care in the most protective environment. 

Learn More About visiting the NICU

Our Services

Our physicians work together throughout your pregnancy and delivery to ensure the best possible outcome for your baby. Many issues can be diagnosed during your pregnancy by our Maternal-Fetal Medicine physicians who care for high-risk moms prior to birth and diagnose babies in-utero. They work closely with NICU physicians to develop care plans, especially for newborns with cardiac issues. 

Our services include a full range of surgical capabilities by pediatric specialists on staff, including cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, gastroenterology and orthopedic surgery.

We also offer the following support services:

Occupational and Physical Therapy

Therapists visit every baby every day to check on their progress. 

NICU Registered Dietitians 

Every day, every baby is visited by a NICU registered dietitian who monitors their weight, electrolytes and caloric intake. If needed, they may make recommendations to physicians on how to give babies the nutrients they need to grow healthy and strong. Onsite breastfeeding and a feeding clinic with donor milk are also available to supplement mom's milk if needed. 

Child Life  

Child Life therapists work with babies on developmentally appropriate activities to make sure they don't fall behind. They are also available to work with your baby's siblings. 

They also work with our nurses on ways to calm and comfort babies. They are skilled at soothing and relieving pain without chemicals and medications through techniques like touch therapy, "sweeties" (sugar water syrup), and swaddling and positioning to mimic being in the womb.  

Kangaroo Care 

Our Family-Integrated Care model. encourages skin-to-skin contact between newborns and their parents, often called kangaroo care. We want your child to feel mom and dad's heartbeat firsthand.  

• Our goal is to recreate, as much as possible, a normal home environment where parents would be cuddling their baby. 
• Studies show skin-to-skin contact has positive effects: 
• Improves the baby-parent bond 
• Encourages a more regular heart rate 
• Improves baby's sleep, which is critical for brain development 
• Reduces the chance of infection 

After birth we immediately place your newborn on mom's chest even if your child is too tiny to breastfeed. Our team will also coach your family on kangaroo care during your child’s NICU stay.  

Pediatric Pharmacy 

Randall Children's Hospital has an onsite pharmacy with pediatric pharmacists. Medication delivery response times are very fast, allowing the unit to meet, and at times exceed, quality benchmarks in the healthcare field. For example, getting newborns the antibiotics, they need within the first hour after birth. The pharmacy’s onsite location also decreases the chances for errors. 

Emotional & Spiritual Support 

We offer emotional, social and spiritual support for families with a newborn in one of our NICUs. Our support includes the services of a chaplain, social worker, dietitians, case managers, and lactation and feeding specialists. 

ECMO/Gentle Ventilation 

Randall Children's Hospital offers a treatment called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, for all ages — from newborn to adult. ECMO is a complicated technology that oxygenates blood outside the body when the lungs aren't working. We've won international recognition for our use of ECMO. Learn more about ECMO 

In many infant cases, Randall Children's Hospital uses "gentle ventilation," a newer approach that approximates normal infant breathing and reduces the chances of lung injury. We are also a national leader in using gentle ventilation. 

Get Connected & Stay Informed   

MyHealth gives you access to your child's medical records. View test results, diagnoses, medications, follow-up instructions, make an appointment and more.   

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