Kangaroo Care
Kangaroo care, also called skin-to-skin care, means holding your baby next to your bare chest. The name comes from the way a mother kangaroo cares for her prematurely born baby by holding her little one close to her body in her pouch.
Kangaroo care is good for both mother and baby. When a mother snuggles her baby against her chest, the baby relaxes, breathes easier, sleeps better and may gain weight more quickly.
Care-by-Parent Rooms
Because most neonatal patients require special care even after discharge, parent education is important. Our seven care-by-parent rooms offer parents an opportunity for “on-the-job” training in which they learn home care techniques and treatments their infant may require.
Parents may take the time they need, spending the night if necessary, until they feel fully prepared to provide the care their baby needs at home.
Neonatal Pain Management
Comfort activities have been shown to help newborns experiencing pain. These activities include gentle handling and movement, holding the newborn snugly next to your body, rocking, swaddling in a blanket, positioning or holding the baby with arms and legs tucked close to the body, keeping the room quiet and calm and providing a pacifier or fingers for sucking.
When pain is strong, medicine may be needed for relief. Pain medicine can be swallowed, applied to the skin, injected into the skin or muscle or given through a small tube placed in a blood vessel (intravenous catheter or IV).
How the medicine is given depends on the medicine itself, the type and location of the pain and the age and abilities of the baby.
Care Conferences
Family sessions with the members of your baby's care team are a good way for parents to help plan their baby's care during hospitalization. Care conferences may be called by anyone who is part of the baby's team, including parents. They can be very helpful for babies with multiple care needs.
Updates on Your Baby's Condition
Our neonatal medical team will make every effort to meet with you in the afternoon to discuss your baby’s progress and any issues that may have developed. The team is available daily until 5 p.m.
After 5 p.m., doctors on call staff the nursery, and they may not know all the details of your baby's care. If you can only visit at night, please let the nurse know. We can make special arrangements to schedule an evening meeting when your doctor is on call.
At Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital we understand the emotional stress of having a child in our Neonatal Care Unit. We are here to assist you every step of the way.
For your baby's safety and security, a picture ID is required of anyone entering the nursery, including parents.
Nursery Closed Hours
The Neonatal Special Care and Neonatal Intensive Care units are closed from 6:15 to 7:15 mornings and evenings to allow our nurses to complete their change-of-shift reports. The nurseries are also closed during medical team rounds. In the Level III NICU, rounds are scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon. In the Level II Special Care Unit, rounds take place from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
Ronald McDonald House
Families of critically ill children can rest and recharge in the home-away-from-home environment of the 14-bedroom Ronald McDonald House located within Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. A true collaboration between the hospital and Ronald McDonald House of Houston, the House includes seven rooms that serve the Pediatric ICU and seven more that serve the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Ronald McDonald House of Houston furnished and decorated the rooms to create a comfortable environment that includes Internet service, refreshments, books, games and other services. The House also has two large family living rooms, laundry facilities and a kitchenette. Each sleep/nap room with adjacent bath is designed to give parents a place to rest or spend the night.
Bedrooms are available from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on a first come, first served basis by checking in at Ronald McDonald House office located on the seventh floor of the Hermann Pavilion. Overnight rooms are available from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 a.m. and are assigned by your child’s nurse.
Married Parents
If the parents are married, both husband and wife are legal guardians of their baby, and they determine who may visit. A parent must accompany visitors during each visit.
With the parents’ permission, two designated visitors or grandparents may visit by themselves. For privacy, only minimal information will be given to these designated visitors. Parents will be asked to designate a password so that the staff may give detailed information about their baby’s condition by telephone.
Unmarried Parents
If the mother is single, the mother is the legal guardian of the baby, and she determines who may visit.
With her permission, the father may come into the nursery by himself. The mother can designate two visitors or grandparents who may visit without her presence. For privacy, only minimal information will be given to these designated visitors. The mother of the baby will be asked to designate a password so that the staff may give her detailed information by telephone.
Children as Visitors
Brothers and sisters of the baby may visit if they are at least 3 years old and accompanied by a legal guardian of the baby. Children younger than 3 years may not come into the nursery. Children other than siblings must be at least 13 years of age to visit.
Preventing the Spread of Infection
Sick and premature babies can catch illnesses from adults and children. Parents and visitors who are ill should speak with a staff member about their symptoms before going into the nursery. If you have sores, suspect you have a contagious illness or have been around someone who is sick or may have chickenpox, please avoid coming to the hospital.
Patient Stories
Read about families and their first hand experience with Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.
When families come to Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, they expect to find the technological advances and healing expertise of a full-service, university-affiliated hospital. What continues to surprise them is the special compassion and focus on family that distinguishes us as one of the finest children’s hospitals in the nation.
Contact Us
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