Our NICUs

NICU Levels: What do they mean?

NICU levels are defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Level 3C – Highest level available. Most level 3 NICUs in the Houston area are not equipped to offer the most comprehensive care.
Level 2 – Intensive care for sick and premature infants who need extra support.
Level 1 – Regular nursery care available at most hospitals that deliver babies.

Texas Children’s NICUs

Level 3C and Level 2 neonatal intensive care
Most experienced in greater Houston area
Partners with family at every step
Neonatologist on-site 24/7
All pediatric specialties available 24/7

Premature infants and sick infants often need the kind of medical attention and care only found in a newborn intensive care unit like Texas Children’s Newborn Center.

More than 2,000 infants are cared for each year in the Texas Children’s neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), making us one of the largest, most experienced NICUs in the country. We provide all services that critically ill or premature babies might need, including on-site neonatologists available 24/7, the highest level of respiratory support, advanced imaging, pediatric surgery, pediatric anesthesiology and more.

In our Level 3C NICU we care for babies:

who are born prematurely
who are critically ill
who have birth defects

The Newborn Center also provides a Level 2 NICU to care for babies who are healthier, bigger and may be ready to transition to home.

Not all NICUs are the same
One of only two Level 3C NICUs in the Greater Houston area and beyond, Texas Children’s offers the highest level of neonatal intensive care available, providing world-class expertise, experience and cutting-edge technology to treat complex conditions affecting newborns. In fact, many area hospitals with less advanced Level 3 NICUs transfer their infants to Texas Children’s Newborn Center for the highest level of specialized care available.

Size and volume matters in a NICU because research shows that babies treated in hospitals with highly experienced staff who treat the most babies have better outcomes. That’s because no matter how complex a premature or sick a baby might be, our doctors, nurses and other neonatal and pediatric specialists have likely seen it and treated it before.

And being a Level 3C means that Texas Children’s provides the most complex, most complete neonatal care available anywhere in the Houston region. Because our NICU is a part of Texas Children’s Hospital, leading physicians in virtually every pediatric subspecialty can visit your baby at the bedside, working with your baby’s neonatal medical team to provide the highest level of care.

Focused on your baby
Because these babies require intensive care around the clock, dedicated neonatologists, nurse practitioners and respiratory therapists are on-site 24/7. A neonatal nurse is assigned to each baby, providing consistent, compassionate care.

At Texas Children’s, your baby will have the benefit of the latest advances in evidence-based treatments combined with extensive family support to help build early bonds, even for ill infants.

Planning for NICU care
According to the March of Dimes, approximately 1 in 10 babies will need neonatal intensive care, which means complications are possible in even the most “normal” pregnancy. That’s why Texas Children’s Newborn Center specialists recommend that every expectant family develop a baby urgent medical plan (or B.U.M.P.), so you’ll know where to seek care should a health issue arise – because immediately after birth is no time to evaluate neonatal intensive care units.

For the best possible peace of mind, consider delivering with Texas Children’s Hospital and St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, where Texas Children’s Newborn Center specialists are just steps away to care for any health care need your baby may have. Ask your obstetrician to help you deliver your baby with Texas Children’s Hospital.