Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (Part of UAMS Medical Center)

For high-risk pregnancies, premature births, or medical needs, our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is ready to care for the tiniest patients and their families.

We have a convergence of technology, the latest thinking in neonatal care, and nationally known experts in neonatology. Hope for the future health of your child is offered by the knowledge that your baby is being cared for by the compassionate specialists at UAMS.

In a comparison of survival rates among infants weighing less than two pounds, three ounces, our NICU program surpassed 90%, which is ahead of national averages. Due to our high survival rate, doctors across the state refer infants born before the 37-40 week gestation period or who have medical problems.

About Your Baby’s Stay

Every new mom gets a private room, including rooms equipped for multiple births. By placing each mother and baby in a private room, it can reduce stress during this vulnerable time by controlling the noise level and physical stimuli. Because each baby has a private room, you can stay with your newborn for as many days, nights, or weeks as you choose.

If your doctor has advised you that your baby will likely have to be in our NICU, we offer tours of the NICU facility before your baby is born. We want you to be as prepared as possible and to have peace of mind about where your baby will be. Tours need to be scheduled in advance, so call 501-686-7791 to schedule a tour.

When you cannot be with your infant, we bridge the distance through web-based cameras. Our ANGEL Eye program is an online system allowing parents and other authorized family members to view babies via a secure website.

Our neonatologists, maternal-fetal specialists and obstetrician/gynecologists include many on staff at UAMS affiliate Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Visitors with a fever, cold or flu symptoms or other infectious are asked to avoid visitation for the protection of our patients, employees and other visiting guests. Please do not visit if you are sick.

Visitors under the age of 12 will receive a documented health screening prior to visiting the NICU and a temperature screen prior to visiting the other Maternal/Infant patient care areas each day. Children should remain in the patient’s room while visiting or in the waiting rooms on the first floor of the hospital. Also, a children’s area is available on the first floor of the hospital. Children are not allowed to stay overnight in the maternal and infant areas; they must leave the building at 8:30 p.m. and may return after 8:00 a.m. They must be supervised by an adult other than the patient at all times, and hospital employees are not to supervise visiting children.

An ID badge must be worn in the NICU at all times, and visitor badges are required in all other maternal and infant areas.