Neonatal intensive care

State-of-the-art healing for newborns

When newborns arrive early or have medical complications, they need a special place to grow and heal. We understand that having your newborn in the NICU can be overwhelming, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Our NICUs combine advanced medical technology with compassionate, family-centered care — ensuring your baby receives the highest level of around-the-clock support in a safe, healing environment. Our dedicated team is here not only for your newborn, but for you and your family as well.

The family is an important part of the care for these newborns, and parents are encouraged to hold, change and visit with their babies throughout the day. Our NICUs also feature AngelEye bedside cameras, so parents can securely view baby when away from the hospital.

Specialized staff provide instruction on breastfeeding, caring for fragile newborns and other skills to prepare parents to care for their babies at home. The staff includes physicians and nurses who specialize in neonatology, nutritionists, rehabilitation therapists, lactation specialists, respiratory therapists, social workers and research specialists.

Resources for NICU parents

• Guiding parents through the NICU experience
  This specialized guide from Sharp Mary Birch Hospital (also available in Spanish) provides important information about what to expect as a NICU parent, such as caring for your baby during the first few weeks of life and preparing for your baby’s discharge from the hospital.

• Newborn and baby care classes and support groups
  We offer a variety of newborn and baby care classes, as well as postpartum support groups, to help you feel informed, supported and prepared as you transition into the fourth trimester with your newborn.

• Infant CPR
  While the thought of using cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on your baby is frightening, knowing what to do in an emergency could save a life. The Sharp Training Center created this brief instructional video (also available in Spanish) that shares how to perform CPR and chocking prevention techniques on an infant.

• Kangaroo care in the NICU
  We encourage you to be as hands on and involved as possible with your baby, even while in the NICU. Learn how to do skin-to-skin contact, also known as kangaroo care.

• Hydrotherapy in the NICU
  Hydrotherapy treatments are used to promote brain development and motor patterns in babies born earlier than 32 weeks.

• Sharp Mary Birch NICU Parent Facebook Group
  We created a safe place exclusively for current and past NICU parents across Sharp Mary Birch locations to share stories, photos and support one another. Join by searching “Sharp Mary Birch NICU Parent Support Group” on Facebook. Click the “Join Group” button and one of our staff members will confirm your information and grant you access.

• Postpartum mental health support at Sharp
  The postpartum period can bring unexpected challenges. Sharp provides compassionate mental health resources to support you during the fourth trimester, so you feel supported every step of the way.

Sharp Mary Birch San Diego NICU resources

Improving outcomes for our tiniest patients

The research and clinical trials conducted at our Neonatal Research Institute lead to innovative treatments and medical practices that improve the health and growth of preterm babies and newborns throughout San Diego County and beyond.

At our Nemeth NICU Follow-up Clinic, preterm babies get specialized follow-up care and assessments that promote growth after leaving the NICU.