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  4. NICU – Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

In the event your baby should require specialized treatment, our dedicated and highly-trained neonatal intensive care team will monitor your baby’s health 24 hours a day. Our Level 3 NICU provides cutting-edge services for prematurely born infants or full-term infants who are otherwise medically compromised.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is Level III certified. Evidence shows that babies with very low birth weights and premature infants have better outcomes when born at Level 3 NICU centers. Our 19-bed unit is located on the second floor adjacent to the Labor and Delivery Unit and Mother-Baby Unit.

Our NICU provides expert newborn care for premature and seriously ill babies. Our expert neonatologists, experienced nursing staff and other health professionals are dedicated to providing the best and most advanced care possible to newborns with critical health challenges.

The NICU team will guide parents, educate, and communicate with them throughout their newborn’s progress. We welcome parents 24 hours a day and encourage them to touch, hold and feed their babies as much as possible.

Meet Our Team

As a Level 3 NICU we have a wide variety of staff that is highly trained in taking care of premature or very ill newborn babies.

  • Neonatologist
  • NICU House Officer
  • Registered Nurse
  • Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
  • Respiratory Therapist
  • Physical and Occupational Therapist
  • Pharmacist
  • Licensed Social Worker
  • Lactation Consultant
  • Audiologist

Supporting Staff

Physicians from other specialties such as pediatric cardiology, pediatric surgery, neurology, ophthalmology, and endocrinology may be a part of consultant teams involved in caring for your baby in the NICU.

​NICU Breastfeeding Support

Some babies cannot be fed by mouth right after birth. Our Lactation Consultants, who support mothers and babies with breastfeeding in the NICU, will teach and assist you with expressing and storing breast milk for your baby. We’ll also help mothers and babies with positioning and latching on to the breast.

For more information about breastfeeding, click here.

NICU Skin-to-Skin Care

Kangaroo Care or skin-to-skin is holding your baby against your bare chest to promote bonding and provide extra warmth. Skin-to-skin benefits include better breastfeeding success, calmer babies, better blood sugar levels, improved respiratory rates and better temperatures. When babies are very small but stable enough to be held, we encourage skin-to-skin care. Our NICU staff will offer the support you need.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is a state-of-the-art, Level III certified unit. The center delivers specialized and individualized care to babies who are born prematurely or have a medical condition.

Staffed by neonatologists, nurses and other professionals who are specially trained to provide critical care, the unit prides itself on its experience and the compassionate care it delivers. From advanced and continuous monitoring to respiratory and nutritional support, the NICU is equipped to provide babies with the best medical care possible.

The Level 3 NICU operates around the clock, ensuring that medical emergencies are addressed promptly and that parents can spend unlimited time with their infants.