Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Young boy in blue raises his hands and smiles

Providing treatment for premature and critically ill newborns

When your baby is born early (prematurely) or with health complications, the whirlwind of activity may feel scary and overwhelming. St. Luke’s team of top neonatal specialists in the Lehigh Valley is here to help you navigate this difficult time. You and your family are in excellent hands with St. Luke’s team of pediatric specialty providers.

Overview

Staffed 24/7 by board certified neonatologists and specially trained nurses, the NICU locations at St. Luke’s provide care to newborns born early or with complex medical conditions soon after delivery. St. Luke’s operates a NICU at each campus where labor and delivery services are offered as well as a surgical NICU at St. Luke’s Bethlehem Campus.

St. Luke’s Anderson Campus – Level III NICU
Level III NICU – The Level III NICU at St. Luke’s Anderson Campus provides care to babies born as young as 22 weeks.

St. Luke’s Allentown Campus - Level III NICU
Level III NICU - The Level III NICU at St. Luke’s Allentown Campus provides care to babies born at 28 weeks and above.

St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus – Level II NICU
Level II NICU - The Level II NICU at St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus provides care to babies born at 32 weeks and above.

St. Luke’s Children's Hospital Bethlehem Campus – Surgical NICU
Babies born at any St. Luke’s delivery campus can be safely transported to the NICU at St. Luke’s Bethlehem Campus when surgical intervention is required soon after birth.

For families with a high risk pregnancy, tours of the NICU and prenatal consultation with our neonatology team are available.

Neonatal ICU

Staffed 24/7 by board-certified neonatologists and specially trained nurses, the NICU locations across St. Luke’s University Health Network provide care to newborns born early or with complex medical conditions soon after delivery.

Care Delivery

St. Luke’s NICUs offer exceptional care for newborns and their families. Our wide range of programs, services, and amenities means we’re equipped to treat even our tiniest patients–starting immediately after delivery.

Once your newborn is safely delivered, they’ll be placed in a temperature-controlled bed. Our team of neonatologists will determine what therapies your newborn needs and begin coordinating treatment. Some of these therapies may include:

Breathing assistance
Head protection
Supplemental nutrition
Intravenous infusions

Experienced specialists

St. Luke’s neonatology team has access to a robust team of pediatric specialty providers. Together these providers will coordinate care for your child during their NICU stay. Some of these specialties:

Cardiology
Endocrinology
Nephrology
Neurology
Pulmonology
Several surgical pediatric specialties
Nutrition services
Occupational therapy
Pediatric Pharmacology
Physical therapy
Respiratory therapy
Speech therapy

Upon discharge from the NICU, the neonatology team will coordinate care with your child’s St. Luke’s pediatrician and any needed pediatric specialists, many of which are located in St. Luke’s Pediatric Specialty Center.

Family-centered care

At St. Luke’s, we believe that you and your family are the most important part of your newborn’s care team. Research shows that family engagement in neonatal treatment is crucial to a healthy recovery. As a result, we encourage families to take an active role in the care of their newborn. We offer the following services:

Family-centered rounds
We encourage families to be at the bedside daily and participate in daily rounding with your newborn’s care team.

NIC view cameras
This service provides a HIPAA-compliant baby camera so you can see your baby anytime, anywhere.

Translation services
We provide translators (as needed) to ensure clear and comfortable communication.

Discharge preparation
The most common question our parents ask is “when will my baby be ready to go home?” Our team provides each family with a discharge map outlining all of the milestones your newborn will achieve before discharge.

Breastfeeding support
Breast pumps and refrigerators for storing breastmilk are available in each room. Lactation consultants are available upon request to address any breastfeeding issues upon discharge. And your lactation consultant can refer you to our Baby & Me Center for outpatient support.

Environment
Depending on the needs of your newborn, private and semi-private rooms are available.

In addition to these services, St. Luke’s offers numerous specialized programs—keeping us at the forefront of neonatal healthcare.

Watchful Eye Program
This award-winning retinopathy program provides eye exams to newborns as needed. Our NICU team will coordinate additional care upon discharge as necessary.

Pneumothorax Project
Developed as part of the Network’s collaboration with the Vermont Oxford Network– care delivery has been redesigned to decrease pneumothorax rates and standardize care between providers.

Eat Sleep Console / Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Program
Developed by Yale University, this program provides specialized care for substance-exposed newborns reducing length of stay and promoting family support.

Cuddler Program
This program provides volunteers to hold newborns when their families aren’t available.

Baby & Me Support Center
The center offers support from lactation consultants to address all breastfeeding needs as well as counselors to help moms struggling with post-partum depression and anxiety. Various support groups are also available.

Donor Breast Milk Program
This program provides families with the option to use breast milk from the Mid-Atlantic Breast Milk Bank.

Department accolades

St. Luke’s NICU provides world-class care by combining specialized programming, quality providers, and cutting-edge technology. We’re proud to have received the following selected recognitions:

St. Luke's Quality Awards initiating Eat, Sleep, Console Project for Infants with Substance Exposure
St. Luke's Quality Award for Improving Growth Outcomes in the Very Low Birth Weight Infants
St. Luke's Quality Award for Small Baby Unit Project
Hospital Association of Pennsylvania Excellence in Care Award for Pneumothorax Project
Thermoregulation QI Project at Premier Conference