We provide the highest level of intensive care to sick and premature newborns. In fact, we rank among one of the best in neonatal care among children's hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Our neonatal expertise expands beyond our hospital campus in downtown Akron. We also own and operate NICUs at a few adult hospitals, as well as special care nurseries at our Beeghly campus and a couple other adult hospitals.
We provide a quiet and nurturing environment that closely mimics the womb with subdued lighting and noise; slow, gentle motions when treating preemies; and swaddling to provide a sense of security and flexion.
Research has shown that these practices result in:
Once settled in the unit, your baby will receive care tailored to his specific needs. We are not only committed to providing the most advanced neonatal care, but also to providing you with the emotional and practical support you need through parent mentors and lactation consultants.
Among the common prenatal conditions we treat are breathing, intestinal and surgical problems, congenital heart defects, prematurity and very low birth weight.
We're always looking for ways to improve neonatal care and give our tiniest patients the best quality of life possible. We evaluate neonatal patient outcomes and benchmark our results against other neonatal intensive care units across the U.S. and Canada.
We're a member of the Vermont Oxford Network, a data-sharing collaboration of neonatal professionals worldwide, and one of only 12 centers to be part of the network's quality improvement initiative called, "Your Ideal NICU." One improvement that came from this initiative is cue-based feeding, which reduces hospital stays and feeding issues. Cue-based feeding sets standards for how premature babies are transitioned from tube feedings to bottle.
Oxygen therapy is another advancement. We now know that more oxygen is not better with premature infants. Following a model called POLAR, infants who are on a ventilator and weigh less than 1500 grams (3.3 lbs) get the least amount of oxygen. Studies have shown that POLAR reduces risks associated with chronic lung disease and a potentially blinding disorder, known as retinopathy of prematurity.
Other initiatives are less high tech, but equally proven. Kangaroo Care, or skin-to-skin contact between parent and newborn, has been found to stabilize vital signs, such as heart and respiratory rates, and lessen the need for oxygen, while also encouraging bonding.
Site Director, Mahoning Valley Neonatology; Neonatologist
Director, Neonatology; Neonatologist
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Associate Director, Fetal Treatment Center; Neonatologist
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Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
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Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
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Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
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Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
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Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
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Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
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Physician Assistant
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Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
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Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
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Neonatal Nurse Practitioner; Co-Lead Advanced Practice Provider
Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
At Akron Children’s, your child’s health and safety is our priority. Please continue to bring your child for wellness visits, vaccinations or sick care appointments that keep children healthy. We want to assure you that we have taken additional precautions to ensure a safe environment for your child and family. The following are additional safety efforts, in addition to our normal cleaning protocols, that we are taking to help you be comfortable bringing your child to an appointment.
The number of caregivers permitted to accompany a child to an appointment is dependent on the department you are visiting. Everyone visiting an Akron Children's facility is asked to wear masks or face coverings, except for kids under 2 or those with sensory issues. Masks will be provided for visitors who do not bring their own.
Akron Children's now offers Mobile Check-in to limit your exposure to others. You'll receive a text an hour before your child's appointment arrival time. Click the link in the text when you reach the Akron Children's facility for your child's appointment. You will receive a confirmation text that reminds you to wait in your car. Once we determine appropriate spacing is available inside the building, you'll receive a third text to let you know it's OK to come in for your appointment.
Immediately upon entering the building, your temperature will be taken, either by a thermal scanner or a greeter who will also ask you a few questions.
If you are in a waiting room, you’ll notice signs and a limited number of chairs. This is to remind our patients to keep 6 feet of physical distance between your family and others.
Call your child’s healthcare professional if your child is sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing and has been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19, or if you live in or have recently traveled from an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19. Your health care professional will work with Ohio’s public health department and the CDC to determine if your child needs to be tested for COVID-19.
View all the safety precautions Akron Children's is taking.
birth defect, failure to thrive, hyperbilirubinemia, jaundice, respiratory distress syndrome, retinopathy of prematurity, transient tachypnea-newborn