The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Fairview provides quality intensive care for critically ill newborns. Recognized nationally for superior care, positive patient outcomes, excellent teamwork and innovative research, NICU staff brings together the knowledge, skills and compassion necessary to provide outstanding family-centered newborn intensive care.

With University of Minnesota Physicians, our innovative approaches and use of the latest technological advancements are helping to save lives each day. Our staff collaborates closely with parents and health care teams to keep all communications open, help families participate fully and encourage diversity and respect. Ultimately, that teamwork translates to better patient care—and perhaps even fewer days in the hospital for little ones.

We were one of the first NICUs to care for infants with congenital heart disease—preoperatively and postoperatively. We pioneered the use of transport nurses and our NICU was also one of the first in the country to make available fixed wing air transport of critically ill newborn infants. We have collaborated closely with our pediatric surgical colleagues to develop the world’s most successful management program for newborn infants with esophageal abnormalities and also regularly treat children with hyaline membrane disease and liver disease.

Our NICU has one of the lowest nurse turnover rates in the country because of our team, family-centered approach to caring for ill newborn infants.

Conditions We Treat

• Prematurity (including very low birthweight)
• Intrauterine growth retardation
• Acute and chronic bacterial and viral infections
• Ear, Nose and Throat conditions (ophthalmology and otolaryngology)
• Orthopedic problems
• Pulmonary disorders/conditions
• Gastrointestinal disorders/problems
• Cancer (tumors)
• Cardiac abnormalities
• Congenital anomalies
• Metabolic/endocrine conditions
• Neurological conditions
• Kidney (renal) conditions
• Skin disorders
• Blood conditions

Treatments We Offer

• Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
• Hemodialysis
• High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation
• Nitric Oxide Therapy
• Peritoneal Dialysis

Research Activities

Areas of research that we have been involved in include:

• Pioneering innovative diagnosis and treatment options for bacterial and fungal infections in newborns
• Exploring the effect of diabetes on the fetus
• Conducting clinical studies demonstrating the effects of early nutrition on brain development
• Developing new treatments options for chronic lung disease and severe lung growth problems (pulmonary hypoplasia) as well as severe kidney disease in infants
• Defining comprehensive care models for infants with severe metabolic disease. We were also participants in the first trials of drug treatment for lung immaturity in infants.