Neonatology

Children’s National offers a wide range of minimally invasive surgery for newborns, including procedures unavailable elsewhere in our region. Instruments designed for the tiniest patients help our surgeons make fewer incisions, leading to superior outcomes. Babies experience less pain and scarring and shorter hospital stays.

This is the only program of its kind in our region and one of a dozen in the nation. A brain-protecting treatment procedure, called whole-body cooling, is crucial for minimizing trauma to newborns born with brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation or limited blood flow.

This complex care for infants born with a genetic anomaly or metabolic disorder is the largest program of its kind in North America. As patients grow, they can continue to receive care through our renowned Rare Disease Institute.

Children’s National is a national leader in ECMO, a form of lifesaving heart and lung bypass. In 1984, we were the first U.S. pediatric hospital to offer this technology. It provides patients with respiratory or cardiac failure minute-to-minute bedside support. Our program, the nation’s largest, is recognized as an ECMO Center of Excellence.

Families with newborns in our NICU can stay connected, even when they can’t be by their baby’s side. Our NicView™ camera system, made possible by philanthropy, enables parents to see and bond with their infants in real time. They can watch every nap, breath and diaper change through a secure online web portal.