Mother Baby Services

Mercy Medical Center is home to a 15-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) unit. This designation, awarded by New York State, signifies that the unit provides competent and complex care to all premature and sick newborn infants.

The unit, headed by Swarna Devarajan, MD, Director of Neonatology and Newborn Services, cares for some 300 premature and sick newborns each year.

At Mercy, the neonatal relationship starts prior to the birth of the premature baby when neonatologists meet the families and offer them a tour of the NICU. Here, they have an opportunity to meet the staff that will care for their baby, learn about equipment, and ask questions.

Infants in the NICU are delivered in our Labor and Delivery Suite; attended by a comprehensive team including a neonatologist, pediatrician and neonatal nurse.

In order to deliver technologically advanced care, the NICU is equipped with state-of-the-art radiant warmers, omnibeds, isolettes, respirators and cardio-respiratory monitors.

A team of board certified neonatologists, pediatricians, registered neonatal nurses, physician assistants, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, social workers and chaplains work together to provide nurturing care to the infant, education to the family, and promote developmental and physical growth of infants in a family-centered environment.

The Mercy NICU offers a Parent to Parent support group coordinated by a neonatal social worker. This group forms as needed for parents of premature infants.

After discharge, the neonatal team continues to provide care to our graduates through the Neonatal Outpatient Developmental Assessment Program.

Read About Our NICU Babies - click here