Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
OakBend’s Fort Bend NICU provides comprehensive, intensive and progressive care for premature infants and critically ill newborn. Our Fort Bend-based neonatal and infant care specialists offer a caring, family-like atmosphere for all families welcoming new arrivals. Our NICU in Fort Bend home to highly qualified newborn intensive care specialists, pediatric hospitalists, neonatal doctors, and features the most technologically advanced equipment to care for your new baby. The goal of our pediatric specialists and our NICU in Fort Bend is to take care of the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of all patients. We offer infant medical monitoring in the Fort Bend area and social worker and pastoral care are available upon request.
OakBend’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Fort Bend provides exceptional Neonatal Care for:
- Infants born at 32 weeks gestation or older, or a weight of 1500g (3.3 lbs) or greater, who are moderately ill with problems expected to resolve quickly
- Infants requiring stabilization prior to transfer for higher level of care
- Multiples
- Infants of diabetic mothers
- In-utero growth problems
- Substance exposure
- Term infants with respiratory disorders or infections
- Infants who are feeding and growing stronger, or recovering after intensive care
- Infants requiring mechanical ventilation for a brief duration or continuous positive airway pressure
OakBend is where small miracles create big results. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality neonatology and pediatric care to our patients and their families. We ensure that each patient receives the full spectrum of medical care that they need and we embrace all patients with compassion to enhance their health and well-being. Our physicians and nurses provide around-the-clock specialized, high-quality care for you and your baby and are trained to handle the most high-risk situations. Neonatologist attendance at high-risk deliveries is always available. Babies who need care in our Fort Bend NICU will receive specialized care in our Level II nursery and have access to top-quality neonatal doctors, pediatric intensive care specialists, as well as a staff of highly skilled and trained neonatal professionals.
Choosing where to deliver your baby is important. At OakBend Medical Center’s Williams Way Campus, our staff feels honored each time we are chosen to be a part of such a memorable journey. We recognize that the arrival of a new baby is a special delivery unique to each and every family. We are here for you during your pregnancy, at your baby’s birth and beyond. And just in case your baby needs it, you’ll be reassured to know that we have the most advanced neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Fort Bend County. Our experienced staff is trained to take care of pre-term babies, high risk infants and babies with feeding or breathing problems. Our staff can also assess and stabilize infants in preparation for transfer to a facility that can offer a higher level of care.
Preparing for birth at OakBend Medical Center:
OakBend Medical Center offers the expertise you need with over 1600 babies delivered each year. Our birthing suites are designed with your comfort in mind; to take you through labor, delivery and recovery all in the same spacious suite. Each suite is tastefully decorated and includes a full bathroom, television and sitting area complete with Internet access. Our highly trained nurses and 30 bed full-service nursery provide a range of services for the newborn requiring special medical attention. The Level II nursery, newborn intensive care unit, neonatologists, intensive care specialists and staff are available on site to care for premature babies and infants who need extra monitoring and care following delivery.
Skin-to-Skin and Rooming In:
At OakBend Medical Center, we don’t take your baby away unless it is medically necessary. This practice promotes bonding and contact with the newborn, which enables you to learn your baby’s responses and behaviors. Babies who stay with their mother breastfeed more frequently and have more opportunity for skin-to-skin time. This improves your confidence and prepares you for your new role. These goals aim to confer lifelong health benefits for women and their babies. Immediately after birth, we will place the baby on mom’s chest for skin-to-skin contact. We will leave the baby with mom this way for at least one hour to promote health and bonding. It has many special advantages for both mom and baby, including regulated body temperature, stabilized breathing and heart rate, and the release of the “love hormone” oxytocin. In addition, milk supply improves and doubles the chances of successful breastfeeding. Overall, babies, mothers, and family members will experience relaxation and a special period of bonding. Both premature babies and full term newborns benefit from this method, but skin-to-skin especially helps premature babies in the newborn intensive care unit by:
- Stabilizing heart rate and blood pressure
- Increasing milk supply for mother
- Increasing body temperature
- Stimulate brain and lung function
- Improving oxygenation of the blood
- Improving sleep function
- Reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol for both baby and mother
- Reduces baby’s susceptibility to infection
Texas Ten Step Program:
OakBend Medical Center has taken a giant step towards improving the health of newborns and infants by earning the Texas Ten Step Program facility designation from the Texas Department of State Health Services. The Texas Ten Step Program encourages breastfeeding as the preferred method of feeding for newborns and infants. OakBend joins a growing number of Texas birth facilities that are supporting new mothers through breast-feeding initiatives, skin-to-skin time, and letting mothers room in with their babies after birth. Breastfeeding helps protect your pre-term baby from:
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Childhood Obesity
- Diabetes
- Diarrhea
- Ear infections
- Eczema
- Respiratory Infections
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
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Hear From Patients:
“We had great nurses. They were very open, very welcoming, they always did whatever they could so that we could come see the baby. If I had any questions, they never hesitated. It was a blessing to even have them answer my questions, even when it seemed like a crazy question. I was there literally every morning; I would come back in the early afternoon, and late at night. Sometimes I’d be there until 12-1 in the morning. I was there all the time. Even when we left, they said if we have any questions to feel free to call them. The nurses were wonderful and told us to come back because they want to see the baby. All the nurses are welcoming and open, and they loved on every single baby.” – Erica C.
