
Need a Referral to an Obstetrician?
(831) 757-3627
Our 11-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit allows us to care for the most critically ill babies, including those who are premature, have a very low birth weight or are medically fragile. Our specialists collaborate as needed for each baby’s unique needs. For example, if a pediatric cardiologist is needed, we link to Stanford University via a high-speed audio/video network. This allows our neonatologists to securely transmit the results of an infant's echocardiogram to a pediatric cardiologist at Stanford using two-way, real-time video and audio communications to determine the best course of care for each tiny patient. If needed, transportation of these fragile babies is jointly coordinated between our NICU and the transport team at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford by a specialized mother/infant critical care transport vehicle called a “NICU on wheels.”
Breastfeeding is important, and we do all we can to support this healthy practice. We are proud to have met the standards for accreditation as a Baby-Friendly hospital. This global program, sponsored by the United Nations International Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization, recognizes birth centers that offer an optimal level of care for infant feeding. Once you have delivered, our board-certified Lactation Consultants will introduce you to the principles of breastfeeding and help you and your little one with any breastfeeding difficulties. And if breastfeeding issues don’t occur until after mother and baby have gone home, we offer our Outpatient Lactation Clinic twice a week (by appointment) for additional support.
All patients are carefully screened prior to being admitted to the hospital for care. In addition, we have put many other steps in place to ensure that you and your baby will be safe at all times. If you have any questions about our screening or safety processes, please ask us.
Salinas Valley Health is uniquely qualified to ensure that every baby leaves the hospital healthy and strong – even if they need a little help before they are ready to go home. Our 11-bed, Level III NICU allows us to care for newborns who make an early entrance, have a very low birth weight or are medically fragile.
Our NICU staff are equipped to care for the smallest and most critically ill babies born at Salinas Valley Health Hospital. We believe having family close by is beneficial for babies and reassuring for mom and dad, so we offer expanded visitation for parents, siblings and other family members. We also do all we can to keep parents informed and teach them at-home care for when their babies are ready to leave the hospital. If more intensive critical care is necessary, we transfer infants to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford until they are big and strong enough to return to our NICU.
Each premature or seriously ill infant patient in our NICU has his or her own set of medical needs. To meet them, we offer: