Newborn babies who need intensive medical attention are often admitted into a special area of the hospital called the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Newborns needing critical tertiary and quaternary care -- most often premature babies suffering from respiratory and circulatory problems -- can be admitted just minutes after birth. Our 54-bed NICU includes four multi-patient rooms, six single care rooms, four private rooms for "rooming in," and two four-bed suites. The unit also features a two-bed Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) unit. The life-saving ECMO unit is the only one of its kind in Orange County and CHOC also offers Orange County's only ECMO transport unit.

Most babies admitted to the NICU are premature (born before 37 weeks of pregnancy), have low birthweight (less than 5.5 pounds), or have a medical condition that requires special care. In the US, nearly 13 percent of babies are born preterm, and many of these babies also have low birthweights. Twins, triplets, and other multiples often are admitted to the NICU, as they tend to be born earlier and smaller than single birth babies. Babies with medical conditions such as heart problems, infections, or birth defects are also cared for in the NICU.