Saint Luke’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Saint Luke's Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) are nurseries located in our hospitals that provide around-the-clock care to sick or premature babies. It is staffed by health care providers who have special training and equipment to give your baby the best possible care. Should your baby need our NICU services, you will be an integral part of that care.

Saint Luke’s admits babies to its NICU when they:

• Are born before 35 weeks of gestation or need help with breathing, maintaining a normal temperature, or learning how to eat
• Have a possible infection, even if they appear fine
• Are born with critical medical conditions that require special treatment or surgery
• Need close supervision for a few hours before joining their mothers

NICUs are designated by level of care available:

• Level I: Basic Newborn Care
  Staff in Level I facilities can stabilize babies born near term for transfer to advanced care facilities.
• Level II: Advanced Newborn Care
  Specialty-trained staff care for babies born at 32 weeks gestation or older, or those recovering from more serious conditions.
• Level III: Subspecialty Newborn Care
  Specialty-trained staff care for babies born at less than 32 weeks gestation, as well as babies born with critical illness at all gestational ages.

Saint Luke’s has the region’s first and only human donor milk program, making nutrient-rich human milk available to fragile babies who need it the most.

We encourage families to visit the NICU as often as possible, but we may limit visits by extended family members depending on your baby’s condition. During flu season, we further limit visitors to protect our vulnerable babies.

Next Steps

Our care doesn’t end once our tiniest patients head home. Parents whose infants have been released from the NICU with medical equipment or medications are referred to the Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City Neonatal Medical Follow Up Clinic where they can receive resources and information about how to care for their child at home.

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City Developmental Follow Up Clinic offers a developmental screening program designed to periodically assess high-risk infants over their first two years of life. Using a team approach, a speech pathologist and occupational or physical therapist conduct screenings at approximately 6, 9, 15, and 21 months of age to determine if developmental milestones are being achieved within age-appropriate timeframes.

Locations

Saint Luke’s Hospital – Level III NICU
4401 Wornall Road
Kansas City, MO 64111
816-932-2000

Saint Luke’s East Hospital – Level II NICU
100 NE Saint Luke’s Blvd.
Lee’s Summit, MO 64086
816-347-5000

Saint Luke’s North Hospital–Barry Road – Level II NICU
5830 NW Barry Road
Kansas City, MO 64154
816-891-6000

Saint Luke’s South Hospital – Level II NICU
12300 Metcalf Ave.
Overland Park, KS 66213
913-317-7000

Care team

• Neonatologists—board-certified pediatricians who specialize in caring for premature and critically ill newborns
• Neonatal nurse practitioners—nurses with advanced training who help care for newborns
• Registered nurses—nurses who work closely with patients and teach them how to take care of their babies
• Respiratory therapists—specialists who help babies with respiratory issues breathe easier
• Lactation consultants—registered nurses who have special training in helping mothers and babies learn how to breastfeed
• Neonatal nutritionists—registered dietitians who design nutritional plans for preterm babies that promote weight gain, increased energy, boosted tube feedings, and decreased hospital stays
• Occupational therapists—specialists who work with parents to address their babies' developmental needs and any feeding issues that may arise
• Infant massage therapists—specially trained therapists who use massage techniques to promote a baby's development
• Pharmacists—experts who work directly with physicians to manage patient medication
• Social workers/case managers—specially trained workers who provide emotional support, assist with insurance issues, and address other needs parents may have