Single-Patient Neonatal Care Rooms
Cook Children's is the only neonatal intensive care unit in Tarrant County to offer single-patient NICU rooms. You and your baby can be together throughout your NICU stay in one of our 99 rooms. Research shows that a private room can improve outcomes for medically fragile newborn babies.
Why single-patient NICU rooms are important for growth and development
Studies show that premature babies and those with complex medical needs heal and grow faster in a more controlled environment. We designed our single-patient rooms to:
- Minimize disruption from other babies: Newborns in a single open unit take cues from other babies, who might cry or keep your baby awake.
- Allow parents to regulate lighting and ambient noise in the room: Bright lights and noises from breathing machines or monitors on other infants can create a sensory overload for already fragile newborns.
- Provide a more controlled environment to reduce stressors: For most NICU babies, the optimal setting is one where you can allow them to rest, heal and grow. Individual rooms make this much easier.
- Minimize the risk of infection: Medically fragile babies in single-patient rooms are separated from other infants and less likely to be exposed to infections or illnesses.
Parents involved in baby's care
Parents with babies that need advanced medical care often have a lot of concerns and questions. In a single-patient NICU room, you can see and participate in more of the care our physicians, nurses and team members provide. Having the opportunity to observe, ask questions and interact at any time helps you feel more prepared, comfortable and confident in your ability to care for your child when they leave the NICU.
Comfortable accommodations with room for everyone
We designed our single-patient rooms with parents and families in mind. You can stay in the medical center with your child throughout their entire treatment. Bring your child's siblings in to meet with our Child Life specialists and learn how to participate in the baby's care in a safe and loving way.
Every room includes a rocker/recliner for skin-to-skin contact. Research shows that skin-to-skin care is beneficial for your baby's brain activity, heart rate and stress levels. It's also an opportunity for parents to bond with their baby in the NICU.
Parents can sleep on a comfortable sofa bed overnight and have access to:
- Showers
- Laundry
- Internet
- Parent lounge to store food
- In-room breast pump
- Milk lab for breast milk storage
We also have rooms specially designed for multiple babies to stay together with parents in a single room. Some NICU rooms can accommodate twins, triplets or quadruplets.
Technology to connect you and the care team to your baby
Our state-of-the-art technology allows parents and babies to stay together in single-patient rooms. We monitor your baby 24 hours a day with a communication device that your nurse has with them at all times. The system includes a backup alarm at the charge nurse station so that someone can respond whenever your child needs attention.
Our nurses are divided into small groups to provide an optimal nurse-to-patient ratio. Babies with highly complex medical needs get one-on-one nursing care throughout their stay.
We also have secure webcams in the NICU. Each infant bed is equipped with a camera that parents can access online at any time. It's a convenient and safe way to see your baby and stay connected when you can't be at the hospital.
We're here to help
Watch a video tour of our NICU, or call 682-885-4375 to speak with a member of our team. You can find NICU referral and appointment contact information here.