NICU
Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health and Indiana University Health Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) collaborate to provide expert care to critically ill babies and mothers across the state of Indiana.
Access to Riley Innovative Treatments Simulation Center Training IU Health Lifeline Neonatal Networks
Access to Riley
Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health has the largest and highest ranked NICU in the state of Indiana. In partnership with IU Health hospitals throughout the state, Riley at IU Health provides complete obstetric services for high-risk pregnancies. Our team approach allows us to provide continuous care from pregnancy to delivery and birth. No matter the illness or condition, our team is prepared to treat even the most complicated situations.
Innovative Treatments
At Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health, our NICU program uses the most innovative treatments to care for very sick infants that may not be able to receive care anywhere else. For example, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is available for patients who have severe lung problems or need help breathing after their surgery. ECMO acts as a heart lung bypass in these critical situations. We also treat patients with inhaled nitric oxide for persistent pulmonary hypertension or abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs.
Simulation Center Training
Clinicians and physicians at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health are trained at the Indiana University Health Simulation Center where they can practice on realistic patient simulators. These patient simulators are highly innovative, producing all of the same vitals as a real infant. Simulation training allows young physicians to learn many valuable skills including: technical, behavioral and communication skills. The simulation faculty also takes the simulators on the road to community hospitals, giving additional professionals a chance to refresh and refine their skills.
Transport of Critically Ill Newborns
The Indiana University Health LifeLine transport team is specially trained to handle critical care situations. Nurses, neonatal nurse practitioners and respiratory therapists are on board every neonatal transport to care for premature infants or newborns experiencing cardiac issues or needing respiratory support. IU Health LifeLine also carries specialized equipment for treating critically ill infants. These technologies include portable ventilators, nitric oxide for babies with lung problems (pulmonary hypertension) and portable IVs to provide life-saving medications and fluids during transport.
Neonatal Networks
Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health is a member of several neonatal networks. These networks gather data on NICU patients and conduct important clinical studies with NICUs across the country and throughout the world. Through involvement in these networks, Riley at IU Health has identified areas for improvement and contributed to improving neonatal care across the country. For example, through our work with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development network (NICHD), we have begun using brain-cooling techniques for infants with perinatal asphyxia (the neurological condition that results from oxygen deprivation) in order to improve survival rates and development.