Neonatal Services (NICU)

Many hospitals offer intensive care units for newborns, but only a select few are rated by the American Academy of Pediatrics as Level 4 – the highest rating available – and even fewer are ranked among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. The CHOC neonatal program is that and more. With three neonatal intensive care units, a team of board-certified neonatologists and special units just for small babies and those who need complex surgery, no one on the West Coast is more dedicated to giving babies a healthy start.

CHOC has expanded to offer 36 new private rooms at our top-ranked NICU in Orange County.

Newborn babies needing critical care now have a private space to get better, with their parents comfortably by their side during their entire stay. In our newly opened neonatal intensive care unit, CHOC has created an environment as much like home as possible—until babies can go home for good.

The new NICU features 36 private rooms with the latest technology and innovations in neonatal care. Located on the fourth floor of the state-of-the-art Bill Holmes Tower, the 24,000-square-foot unit is nearly triple the size of CHOC’s prior NICU space.

Private NICU rooms are good for baby

Research has shown that babies in private rooms do better—they gain more weight, require less intravenous nutrition, get fewer infections, require fewer medical procedures and overall, they experience less stress and pain.

Private rooms also give families the privacy they need and deserve. With a place all their own, families can bond with their new baby, have privacy for skin-to-skin holding and breastfeeding, and sleep just a few feet from each other.

Comfort for the whole family

The new NICU features a multipurpose family lounge where grandparents and visitors can stay close, an activity room just for siblings, a kitchen and dining area, a family bathroom and shower, and other enhanced amenities. For families with multiples, one large room can accommodate twin newborns, and other rooms adjoined by doors can accommodate twins and triplets. All rooms are equipped with NICVIEW web cams, allowing families to log on and see real-time, live video of their infant remotely.

Take a virtual tour of our new NICU.

Here for You, Before You Need Us

Young kid with his mother looking at laptop while sitting on couch at home

During the course of a pregnancy, prenatal testing may identify issues with your baby that will need attention immediately after birth. You have a choice about where to bring your baby for medical care. Our highly trained neonatologists and pediatric specialists will meet with your family before birth to discuss a comprehensive plan for transferring your baby to CHOC and mapping out the tests, procedures and treatments your baby will need. Talk to your obstetrician about making CHOC the preferred hospital for your baby after birth.

Special Units for the Unique Needs of Babies

CHOC Hospital in Orange offers special units within the NICU to provide highly customized care for babies who are born between 24 and 28 weeks or weigh less than 1,000 grams, babies who need complex surgery, and babies who have neurological and cardiac concerns. You won't find this level of specialized care anywhere else on the West Coast.

Small Baby Unit

The CHOC Small Baby Unit is a very special unit within our NICU where we care for the unique needs of the smallest and sickest babies. Designed for babies born at 27 weeks gestation or less or who weigh less than 1,000 grams, it is the only unit of its kind in the Orange County area. Its dim lighting and low noise levels are designed to aid in the babies’ development. Published studies show that babies born before 28 weeks gestation or weighing less than 1,000 grams do better in a dedicated, high-volume program like ours where the specially trained team provides guidelines-driven care. Learn more about our Small Baby Unit for preterm, premature and low birth weight babies.

Surgical NICU

We are one of only a handful of hospitals in the country to offer a surgical unit in our NICU, providing specialized care for babies who need surgery. Our neonatology and pediatric surgery teams collaborate at a level not seen at most hospitals, and together they have set specific standards for caring for babies who need surgery. Learn more about our Surgical NICU.

Neurocritical NICU

Special rooms of our NICU are designated for the Neurocritical NICU, where we have the expertise and equipment to carefully treat babies with neurological issues such as seizures, asphyxiation and brain damage. Our pediatric board-certified neurologists are available 24/7 to partner with our neonatologists to make a specialized treatment plan together for our patients. Learn more about our Neurocritical NICU.

Cardiac NICU

The Cardiac NICU at CHOC provides comprehensive care for babies with congenital heart defects, including those complicated by prematurity, low birth weight or multi-organ disease. CHOC is the only hospital in Orange County that performs open heart surgery on newborns. Led by physicians who are dual-trained in both neonatal intensive care and cardiac intensive care, the eight-bed Cardiac NICU features the latest technology, including full ECMO support and the capability to perform emergency bedside surgery if needed. The Cardiac NICU promotes multidisciplinary collaboration with daily rounds between cardiac-neonatologists, pediatric cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons and neonatal-cardiac nurses, and the unit is actively researching techniques to maximize neuro-developmental outcomes and minimize long-term complications.

Not All NICUs are Created Equal

Many hospitals have NICUs, but not all NICUs are the same. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) differentiates newborn care units by their ability to care for patients. At CHOC, we are proud to be a Level 4 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the AAP’s highest level.

What is Level 4 care?

Bringing a baby to our neonatal intensive care unit means that child will be provided the greatest care possible with the latest advances in medical treatment by specially trained physicians and nurses. Most hospitals offer Level 1 neonatal care. The basic care in these units includes a well-newborn nursery, the evaluation and postnatal care of healthy newborns, neonatal resuscitation and the stabilization of ill newborns so that they can be transferred to a more advanced hospital, like CHOC.

Beyond the first level, units are recognized as providing specialty neonatal care (Level 2) and intensive care (Level 3). As a Level 4 unit, we exceed the standards of a traditional NICU. We provide care to babies of all birthweights and gestational ages. Our pediatric surgeons and anesthesiologists are on site to perform minor and major surgery—in some cases, even in the patient’s bed. We provide advanced respiratory support such as high-frequency ventilation and inhaled nitric oxide and offer prompt, on-site access to a full range of pediatric medical subspecialists. We also offer advanced imaging such as MRI with the ability to have experienced pediatric radiologists read those images quickly. We are also able to provide ECMO, cardiac critical care, therapeutic body cooling, real-time seizure monitoring and much more. Learn more about the life-saving technology used in our NICU.

Do Your Homework

While it is comforting for most parents to know that CHOC neonatologists—physicians specially trained to treat newborns and their unique health conditions—practice at or have privileges at hospitals throughout the region, it is important to research the actual level of care available at or near the hospital in which a child will be born. It is also important to note whether each given NICU provides the same level of care for all babies. Some hospitals can only provide higher levels of care for a small amount of babies; CHOC is licensed to provide Level 4 (Level IV) care for all of our patients. In many cases, our physicians may be able to be in the delivery rooms for at-risk babies, but if they do not have the life-saving equipment the baby needs close at hand, they will have to have the baby transported to CHOC.

Three NICU Locations for Your Baby

We offer a 91-bed neonatal intensive care unit at CHOC Hospital in Orange. CHOC also operates a 13-bed NICU at St. Joseph Hospital and a 22-bed NICU at Mission Hospital.

CHOC Hospital NICU
1201 W. La Veta Ave.
Orange, CA 92868
714-509-8540
FAQs about Visiting

CHOC NICU – St. Joseph Hospital
1100 W. Stewart Drive
Orange, CA 92868
714-509-9820

CHOC NICU – Mission Hospital
27700 Medical Center Road
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
949-365-2417