Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Exceptional Care for Exceptional Babies

At Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, we understand how emotional the birth process can be, especially when the unexpected happens. Our experts in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are prepared for the unexpected and are committed to providing dedicated, life-saving care around the clock to your newborn. We bring 45 years of compassionate experience as the experts looking after infants in need of special treatment.

Life-saving Care and Technology

At the Orlando Health Winnie Palmer NICU, we provide life-saving care for critically ill newborns, with one ultimate goal in mind: to help your baby thrive. We’re committed to you throughout their growth, making sure you know and understand all of the options our NICU has to offer. You can lean on us, taking comfort in the fact that your child is in the best place possible during this delicate time.

We have developed one of the largest and most technologically advanced NICUs in the nation. Our Level IV NICU provides the highest level of care for premature and high-risk newborns.

• More than 1,400 families trust our NICU each year, and more than 50,000 babies have been successfully treated since the unit opened in 1975.
• Our NICU consistently demonstrates the best outcomes in the state of Florida for low-birth-weight babies, with a 96 percent survival rate.
• Each year, 30-40 babies are referred from hospitals in Central Florida for our state-of-the-art ECMO treatment, which takes over for the heart and lung function in seriously ill infants until they can heal.

Most Commonly Treated Conditions

Our team is second to none in treating premature babies, as well as any newborn in need of specialized care. We treat infants born with heart problems, lung problems, infections, birth defects and more. Our teams recognize that no two babies face the same set of challenges, and we are ready to accurately diagnose and treat your baby’s unique needs.

At Orlando Health Winnie Palmer, we treat a variety of conditions, including:

• Prematurity and the complications that can arise from births that occur three or more weeks ahead of the planned due date.
• Respiratory distress caused by fluid and circulation issues as well as lung abnormalities.
• Patients requiring assistance with ventilation.
• Congenital anomalies that can affect the way a child looks, develops or functions. These anomalies can be found in various parts of the body, including the chest and abdomen, the spinal cord, the ears, and the mouth and palate.
• Surgical anomalies, requiring the care of a pediatric surgeon.
• Cardiac anomalies are the most common anomalies present at birth. Heart defects can affect the septum, heart valves, or the arteries or veins.
• Genetic anomalies in newborns are screened for and include cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease and critical congenital heart disease. In many cases, prompt diagnosis and management can prevent many serious complications.
• Neurological abnormalities can affect the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves and muscles. The most common neurological abnormalities seen in newborns include seizures, brain hemorrhaging and a lack of alertness, known as encephalopathy.

Awards and Recognition

Orlando Health Winnie Palmer has been recognized by national and international organizations for its excellence in perinatal and neonatal care:

• Named a “Best Children’s Hospital” in neonatology by U.S. News & World Report; offering the top newborn care in Florida.
• An ECMO Center of Excellence, one of only four in Florida
• NICU recognized with consecutive Beacon Awards for excellence in bedside care by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses 
• Achieved Magnet designation — the gold standard for nursing excellence — from the American Nurses Credentialing Center
• First hospital in Orlando to earn Perinatal Care Certification from the oldest and largest accrediting body in healthcare, The Joint Commission

Specialties that Assist When It’s Needed Most

As a sister hospital to nationally-ranked Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, we at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer can offer our patients a wealth of pediatric services, allowing us to care for nearly any condition on site. Experts are on hand and available to deliver care in specialties, including:

• Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery
• Craniomaxillofacial Surgery
• Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology
• Orthopedics
• Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine
• Urology