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Baby laying on a furry white blanket while a doctor listens to the baby's heart through a stethoscope

Prenatal Pediatrics Institute

Delivery Planning and Neonatal Care

Baby laying on a furry white blanket while a doctor listens to the baby's heart through a stethoscope

Bringing a baby into this world is a life-changing experience for you and your family. At Children’s National Hospital, we do everything possible to ensure you deliver at the hospital of your choice. Our meticulous prenatal planning means your baby gets the best available neonatal care as quickly as he or she needs it.

Support and Planning for a Safe Delivery

Our Zickler Family Prenatal Pediatrics Institute team at Children’s National works with you and your obstetrician or maternal-prenatal medicine specialist to plan a safe delivery. If your baby needs neonatology care after birth, Children’s National offers that care through one of the top-ranked Neonatology programs in the country.

This may include:

  • Choosing a delivery hospital. In most cases, you can deliver your baby where and when you choose. If your baby is at risk for a life-threatening condition immediately after birth, we may recommend you deliver near Children’s National. However, this rarely happens.
  • Determining whether your baby needs advanced delivery planning available through our critical care delivery program. Developed by one of our renowned prenatal cardiology experts and an award-winning surgeon, we plan for the immediate needs of babies at risk for complications after birth. We are the first program in the country offering this level of delivery coordination for babies.
  • Transporting your baby to Children’s National. If treatment is needed immediately after birth, we can arrange the fastest and safest possible transportation right away. We are the only hospital in the Washington, DC, area with a rapid air and group transport system dedicated exclusively to pediatric patients. Learn more about Transport Medicine.
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Transitioning from Prenatal Care to Neonatal Care

Your baby’s birth is just the beginning of your family’s journey with us. As one of the best transitional care programs in the country, we offer some of the best care for any neonatal condition.

We offer many neonatal care programs. Depending on your baby’s condition, he or she may receive care in our:

  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. As the largest Level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the area, we provide the highest level of care to our most fragile patients. With round-the-clock care and one of the country’s top-ranked neonatology programs, we give your baby the expert care she or he needs. 
  • Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Our cardiac intensive care unit is where we provide advanced care to babies and children with heart conditions. In fact, we perform the highest volume of cardiac surgery in the Washington, D.C., area, often in a baby’s first days of life.
  • Neonatal Neurocritical Care Program. This program is the only one of its kind in the mid-Atlantic region. Here, we provide the latest treatments while also developing experimental therapies to help babies with brain conditions. Learn more about our Neonatal Neurology and Neonatal Neurocritical Care Program.
  • Follow Up Clinic. If your baby doesn’t need intensive care, you may be able to bring him or her home a few days after birth. He or she will receive follow up care at one of our specialty care locations. Our patient experience liaison will help you know which doctor or doctors you need to see and help you make appointments.

We're Here to Answer Your Questions

If you have questions or need more information about the Zickler Family Prenatal Pediatrics Institute, please call 202-476-7409 or email us.