Pediatric Neonatology (RNICU)

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In Trusted Hands

Every second your baby is in distress counts. Neonatologists at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital are equipped with the most advanced technology and the most trusted expertise to provide all necessary interventions for your baby if he or she requires immediate care.

We are the only Level IV Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (RNICU) in the Hudson Valley, serving the entire 6,200 square-mile area between New York City and Albany. As a Level IV facility, which is New York State’s highest clinical designation, we care for the region’s tiniest and sickest babies. Our neonatal service features state-of-the-art tools designed to transfer your baby from a local community hospital to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital to receive the expert care only available here. In most cases, our ambulance and helicopter service can be at your baby’s bedside in less than an hour.

Advanced Care, Compassionate Care

Our division is composed of 24 neonatal physicians and also includes 13 neonatal fellows, 17 nurse practitioners, and over 175 nurses, therapists, and technicians working together for the purpose of getting your newborn healthy and supporting patient families through often-difficult newborn hospitalization. We offer family support services, parent coffee breaks, scrapbooking events, music therapy, dedicated physician meetings and joint rounds, which encourage you to hear the physicians discuss the daily care of your infant as he or she progresses in the RNICU.

Pre- and Post-Birth Support

If you are likely to give birth prematurely, or have been diagnosed with a pregnancy that will require neonatal care, such as conditions affecting the stomach, intestines, heart, or brain, our physicians can arrange for a pre-birth visit to the hospital. At these pre-birth visits, you can meet with the neonatologists and surgeons to discuss the expected care for your baby, tour the facilities where your child will stay, and have all your other questions and concerns addressed. Our physicians include specialists in neonatal and pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, neurology, genetics, endocrinology and pulmonology. Scheduling a pre-birth visit is as simple as contacting your Obstetrician or calling 914.493.8558.

The RNICU also cares for infants after they are discharged from Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. With our network of clinics devoted solely to the health of babies once hospitalized in the intensive care unit, your infant will continue to grow and thrive under the watchful eyes of specialists in neonatal and intensive care.

Academic Faculty and Research Programs

Our academic faculty provides care to the most critically-ill newborns in the state. They are recognized by their peers as experts in the field of neonatology, advance the practice of neonatal care through active research programs, train the next-generations of pediatricians and neonatologists, and are regional health policy experts on child health.

Regional Perinatal Center

New York State defines Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital as a Regional Perinatal Center, which charges us with the responsibility of teaching other hospitals in our region how to better care for newborns in the initial minutes after birth, as these decisions can have life-long consequences. Our Regional Outreach Program educates physicians at other institutions about how to best handle newborn medical emergencies.

Fellowship Program

Ours is the only neonatal fellowship program in the region entrusted by the American Board of Pediatrics to train the neonatologists of tomorrow. Our fellowship program provides trainees with a comprehensive education in all aspects of neonatology. Our 800 annual admissions of the most critically ill newborns in the state provide significant learning opportunities and the chance to see rare conditions. Neonatal Fellows also enjoy the wide variety of clinical and basic science research that comes with a university-based program. The Fellowship participates in the ERAS Match Program.

High Risk Neonatal Follow-Up

Since prematurity or illness in the newborn period may affect your baby's development, many babies admitted to an intensive care nursery need to be followed closely for appropriate milestones during their development. To discuss the type of follow-up services that may be necessary for your baby, please contact one of our neonatal physicians at 914.493.8431.

Liquid Gold Donor Milk Program

For at-risk, low-birth-weight and pre-term infants, breast milk is a critical source of nutrition. It increases survival rates and starts the path to sustained health. But premature and ill infants’ mothers, who often struggle with complications of pregnancy, cannot produce enough breast milk to meet their child’s needs. Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital’s Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (RNICU) created the Liquid Gold Donor Milk Program in 2015 to address that—and the life-saving difference is clear. Since the program's inception, 26,550 ounces of full-term pasteurized donor human milk have been dispensed to more than 225 severely ill babies weighing under 1500 grams, or 3.3 pounds. This has led to a 75 percent decrease in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening disease that attacks the premature baby’s intestines, and a 90 percent decrease in RNICU babies requiring surgery for this disease. Now, the Liquid Gold Donor Milk Program extends to a distinctive milk bank dispensing premature milk exclusively, which is richer in protective nutrients. See how our milk bank is helping to save the lives of preemie babies.

Pulmonary Hypertension Team

Premature or full-term infants with pulmonary hypertension receive the highest standard of care at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. Our ultra-specialized team of pulmonologists, neonatologists and cardiologists offers all recommended therapies of pulmonary hypertension and has the experience to manage these infants. Patients with this condition are often referred to our hospital from other neonatal intensive care units.

Short Gut Team

Infants with abnormalities of the intestinal tract specialized care early in life to prevent early injuries with the potential to cause your child life-long problems. Our specialized team of neonatologists, gastroenterologists, developmental specialists, pediatric surgeons and nutritionists collaborate to offer your child the best possible outcomes. Our hospital also often receives patients from other neonatal intensive care units who either have, or are at high risk for, this condition.

Transport Team

Our neonatal transport team is specially trained in transport critically ill newborns from hospitals to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. Our transport team features helicopter and ground transport services. We are one of a handful of Regional Hospitals in New York State that provide high-frequency ventilation and nitric oxide therapy during transport. Call 1.866.468.6962 to request transport.

Specialized, Comprehensive, Critical and Intensive Care for Newborns

The Division of Newborn Medicine treats babies who are premature, near-term, full-term and post-term. With a collaborative care team of neonatologists, pediatric anesthesiologists, specialists and nurses, newborns here receive the highest standard of care with any surgery they may need. As full partners in their baby’s path to healing, parents remain involved and informed from diagnosis to recovery.

Neonatologists focus on caring for newborns with varying degrees of illness, from simple feeding problems to complex medical issues, including:

• Premature birth: Our Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (RNICU) is a life-saving resource, able to care for the complex medical needs of babies born before 37 weeks gestation, when virtually every organ system is under-developed and not capable of supporting your infant’s needs.

• Low Birth Weight: Infants born at full term (37-41 weeks gestation) and under 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces) require the RNICU to manage potentially life-threatening problems.

• Failure to Thrive: A condition where your baby doesn’t grow appropriately. The RNICU is equipped to maximize your baby’s growth in the pivotal early part of life, which if not achieved can cause problems which can extend through childhood.

• Newborns Requiring Surgery: The RNICU is staffed and equipped to care for your baby’s unique needs before and after any surgical procedure, including Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) or heart-lung bypass and congenital heart defects.

• Genetic Disorders/Congenital Malformations: Also known as birth defects, congenital malformations occur when a body part, or bodily system, hasn’t formed correctly or doesn’t function properly. Sometimes the cause is genetic or related to conditions during pregnancy; but often, it is unknown. Parents may be aware of some conditions before their child is born; other times, the condition is detected at or after birth. Our team of providers utilize the resources and expertise found here to create a treatment and care plan while extending support to the entire family. These children may require surgery and need multi-physician complex, coordinated care available only in the neonatal intensive care unit.

• Other common neonatal problems such as jaundice (yellowing of the skin, which if untreated can cause brain damage; low blood sugar (which if prolonged, impacts the brain's ability to function); newborn seizures, and all types of newborn infections.

Common Issues Treated by Systems:

Brain/Nervous Systems

Intraventricular Hemorrhage
Hydrocephalus
Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy
Retinopathy of Prematurity
Birth/Perinatal Asphyxia
Post-Hemorrhagic Hydrocephalus
Congenital Brain Tumors
Congenital Brain Malformations
Periventricular Leukomalacia
Myelomeningocoele
Meningitis
Seizures
Strokes
Spina bifida

Cardiac

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Tricuspid Atresia
Transposition of the Great Arteries
Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return
Tetralogy of Fallot
Truncus Arteriosus
Double Outlet Right Ventricle
Ebstein’s Anomaly
Pulmonary Valve Atresia or Insufficiency
Aortic Valve Atresia or Insufficiency
Heart failure in the newborn due to any cause
*Any combination of these congenital issues or any birth defect of the heart
Pulmonary Hypertension due to prematurity
Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn
Persistent Fetal Circulation

Respiratory

Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Meconium Aspiration Syndrome
Respiratory Failure
Apnea/Desaturation
Pneumothorax
Chronic Lung Disease of the Newborn
Lung malformations: Whether they appear as cysts filled with fluid or as solid masses near the lungs, these conditions interfere with a baby’s breathing, digestion and even heartbeat. With video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, tiny cameras guide tools as precise as three millimeters to remove blockages and restore function.
Pneumonia
Pulmonary Interstitial Emphysema
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: This opening in the diaphragm, or muscle between the chest and abdomen, allows organs such as the stomach, small intestine, liver or spleen to occupy the chest cavity, crowding the lungs and causing breathing problems. Heart specialists and lung specialists lead the care team in performing this emergency repair, which places the organs in their proper place and repairs the opening.
Airway birth defects that can make breathing more difficult for a baby such as Laryngomalacia and/or Tracheomalacia

Gastroenterology

Abdominal wall defects: In this condition, an opening develops in the abdomen that allows the stomach and intestines to break through, bulge out and in some cases begin to grow outside the proper place. Working closely with the neonatal team, surgeons will repair the hole and reconstruct the abdomen shortly after birth. There are two types of abdominal wall defects: omphalocele and gastroschisis.
Anal/rectal malformation (or anorectal malformation): Various abnormalities of the rectum and anus, including lack of an opening, an opening in an unusual place, or a connection joining the intestine with the vagina. Corrective surgery will create a stoma, or opening; create or close off connections; and align the rectum correctly, if needed.
Biliary atresia: In this disorder, the tubes that normally carry bile from a baby’s liver become blocked, interfering with the liver’s role in filtering toxins from the body. Symptoms usually appear within the first two weeks of a newborn’s life and include jaundice, dark urine, and a swollen abdomen. Surgery will remove blockages to restore proper flow and function.
Choledochal cyst: This condition involves blockage of the bile duct with a cyst that surgeons can extract through a minimally invasive procedure.
Esophageal atresia / Tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF): Most often occurring jointly, these conditions involve an abnormal esophagus, or tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. The upper portion doesn’t connect with the lower portion and is often fused to the trachea, or windpipe. Our specialists will correct the structures so the baby can feed and digest properly.
Hirschsprung disease: A deficit or lack of nerve cells in the colon is the key feature of this condition, which causes constipation and delayed bowel movements in newborns. Surgeons will remove the affected section and create proper nerve connections through microsurgery.
Intestinal atresia: The narrowing, absence, or twisting of the intestines, causing problems with digestion and increasing the risk of dehydration. Tiny incisions in the belly will correct structure and create openings, guided by a miniscule camera.
Tracheo-esophageal Fistulas
Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC): This infection in the walls of a baby’s intestine demands immediate attention and treatment. Through antibiotics and surgery to remove the affected area, babies can heal and thrive.
Pyloric stenosis: This condition can develop up to five months after birth, often catching parents off guard. It occurs when the pylorus, which connects the stomach and small intestine, thickens and tightens to prevent food from traveling downward. This causes forceful vomiting, dehydration, and a swollen belly. This relatively common occurrence is highly treatable with laparoscopic repair that widens the opening between the stomach and small intestine, restoring normal digestive function.
Inguinal hernias: A common occurrence in premature babies, these hernias occur when the inguinal ring within the abdomen remains open, instead of closing before birth. As a result, parts of the abdomen break through the ring and into the groin. This condition appears as a bump or bulge that may only be visible when the baby strains or cries. Our care team will monitor the newborn until he or she gains sufficient weight to safely receive the surgery, a laparoscopic repair with tiny incisions.
Short Bowel Syndrome
Feeding Issues/Difficulties
Omphalocele: An opening in the center of the abdominal wall, where the baby’s umbilical cord meets the abdomen; the intestines, stomach and liver become covered by the cord’s protective membrane. Babies may have respiratory distress due to constrained space for the lungs; a heightened risk of asthma; and difficulty feeding.
Gastroschesis: Through an opening just to the right of the umbilical cord, the baby’s large and small intestines poke through the abdominal wall, but are not covered by a membrane. The exposure to amniotic fluid may cause damage to the organs.
Reflux

Endocrine

Hypoglycemia/ Low blood sugar
Growth Disorders
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Metabolic bone diseases
Infants of Diabetic Mothers
High Insulin Levels
Thyroid disorders of the newborn

Hematology/Oncology

Anemia of Prematurity
Congenital Anemias
Congenital Thrombocytopenias
Congenital Neutropenias
Neonatal Leukemias
Neonatal Tumors such as Wilm’s Tumor or Neuroblastoma

Infection

Pneumonia
Neonatal Blood Infections
Meningitis
Congenital/Perinatal Acquired Infections

Other

Cranio-Facial Defects
Congenital Kidney, Bladder or Urologic Issues

Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital
100 Woods Road
Valhalla, NY 10595
914.493.8558

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Train

Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital is served by Metro North's Harlem line via two stations:

• White Plains - Bus transfer options available
• Hawthorne - Taxi service available

For train fare and schedule information, call 1-800-METRO-INFO or go to www.mta.info/mnr.