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Find Care Pay My Bill Careers Find Care Nationwide Find specialty, primary and urgent care near you Our Services Prenatal Care Support for woman’s health, pregnancy and high-risk care Toggle Sub-menu Maternal-Fetal Medicine Obstetrics and Gynecology Neonatal Care Expert care for newborn babies Toggle Sub-menu Neonatology Newborn and Nursery Services Newborn Hearing Screening Pediatric Care Pediatricians and specialists to care for your child Toggle Sub-menu Audiology Cardiology Critical Care Medicine Developmental Medicine Emergency Medicine Endocrinology Gastroenterology Adolescent Gynecology Hematology Hospital Medicine Infectious Disease Neurology Newborn Hearing Screening Newborn Nursery Ophthalmology Orthopedics Otolaryngology Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Primary and Urgent Care Surgery Urgent Urology Adult Care Extended services throughout your care journey Toggle Sub-menu Congenital Cardiology Gynecology Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery For Hospitals For Clinicians For Investors CareersPediatrix.com Find Care Practices Pediatrix Neonatology of Texas Pediatrix Neonatology of Texas Contact Us Contact Us Online Form - Contact Us Explore Our Practice Pediatrix Neonatology of Texas Jump to: About Our Practice Services and Doctors Locations Patient Resources Refer a Patient Careers More About Our Practice Pediatrix Neonatology of Texas provides care to babies in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) throughout the state. The NICU is a special nursery dedicated to taking care of sick newborns. Babies who require special care in the NICU have problems that range from minor to serious. Some babies may stay only hours, while others may stay for months before they are ready to go home. The baby’s physician will determine his or her length of stay depending on the care needed. If your baby is admitted to a NICU where we provide services, he or she will be cared for by neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, developmental pediatricians, pediatric nurse practitioners and pediatric hospitalists. They work in rotating teams to provide care for your baby 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Services Offered PICC Line A thin tube that is inserted into a vein in order to give medicine and fluids directly into the infant’s bloodstream. It is used if a baby needs to be given medicine, blood or fluids many times over several days, weeks or months. Blood Transfusion in Newborn Process in which blood is given to a baby. This is a common need in premature babies and full-term babies born with health problems. A blood transfusion is a way to provide extra red blood cells (RBCs) to the baby. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body and it is vital that the baby has a certain amount. Umbilical Catheter A thin tube that is placed in the body in order to draw out blood to be used for testing or to allow fluids and medicines to be given. This device serves as a passage that allows doctors and nurses to perform these functions as needed. An umbilical catheter is inserted into the umbilical cord in one of two ways; either into a vein (called an umbilical venous catheter or UVC) or into an artery (called an umbilical arterial catheter or UAC). Conditions Treated Prematurity A term used to describe infants born before the 37th week of pregnancy. Infants born prematurely may experience motor, language, cognitive or other developmental delays, sensory losses such as hearing or visual impairment or feeding difficulties. Air Leak Syndrome A term used to describe problems that happen when air collects within a baby’s chest, but outside the normal air cells of the lungs. The air then creates pressure on the lungs and makes breathing very difficult. Apnea of Prematurity A condition in which a baby temporarily stops breathing while sleeping or resting. Many newborns have short pauses in their breathing (less than 20 seconds), but a baby is said to have apnea if he or she stops breathing for at least 20 seconds, has a slowed heart rate (bradycardia) or has a bluish color to the skin with a shorter pause in breathing. Periods of apnea may be accompanied by bradycardia and these events are called "spells" or "alarms." Babies Born with Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia) The amount of sugar in our blood, called blood sugar or blood glucose, is the fuel that keeps all of our body systems working. If this level dips too low, it is called hypoglycemia. Low blood sugar can happen in any newborn, but some babies have a higher risk for it. Because a baby’s body requires so much energy (sugar) after birth, low blood sugar usually occurs within the first few hours after birth. In general, the risk for low blood sugar in a healthy, full-term newborn declines shortly after birth. Yet, if blood sugar stays too low for too long without treatment, it can affect the brain. The effects can range from mild to severe, and may result in learning problems, vision problems and impaired development of motor skills and speech. Brain Injury May result from damage of the fragile blood vessels and/or the white matter in premature babies. Often, this is caused by a complex mix of events that may occur while the fetus is in the womb, during the delivery or after birth. Chronic Lung Disease Also known as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), occurs if growth in parts of a baby’s lungs are disrupted, altering the lung structure and function. CLD can lead to continued lung problems for some children. Because severe CLD can cause decreased oxygen to parts of the baby’s body, it also can lead to problems with the baby’s heart, and with hearing, motor skills, speech and learning. Congenital Heart Disease Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a term used to describe a group of problems present at birth that affect the structure of the heart and/or the large vessels near the heart. There are many types of CHD. Some types may be detected before birth and, in some cases, may be treated before birth. Other types are not found until the baby is born, during childhood or in adulthood. Congenital Malformations Congenital malformations, also called birth defects, are abnormalities that happen while a baby is still in the womb. There are many types of congenital malformations that may affect organs (such as the heart, lungs or brain) or body parts (such as eyes, hands, fingers or feet). Jaundice A term used to describe a yellow color in a baby’s skin and in the white parts of the eyes. Jaundice sometimes appears when there is a high level of a substance called bilirubin in the baby’s blood that causes the yellow color. Meconium Aspiration Syndrome Occurs when a baby breathes in a waste substance, called meconium, before birth or during delivery, which then causes injury to the lung tissue. Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) Necrotizing enterocolitis is a gastrointestinal disease that mainly affects babies born prematurely and those born with extremely low birth weight (ELBW) (less than 2.2 pounds or 1,000 grams). Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) A problem with a baby’s heart that occurs when a small blood vessel that passes between the two largest blood vessels just outside the heart does not close up after birth. Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) A problem in which the blood pressure in a baby’s lungs is too high. Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) A problem in which a baby, usually a premature infant, has trouble breathing. RDS happens when the baby’s lungs do not produce enough of a series of soap-like chemicals called surfactant to make the lungs less stiff so they can work well. Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) A problem with a baby’s eyes. The retina is a thin layer of tissue that covers the back portion of the eyeball. In babies born early, blood vessels still need to grow in the retina. In some babies, these vessels grow too fast and in a corkscrew...