For most families, having a baby who needs to stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can be one of the most stressful times of their lives. In many situations, parents do not have much warning that their newborn will require specialized care. In some instances, labor may have begun too early in the pregnancy, or the baby could have developed a medical condition impossible to diagnose prior to birth. Both of these situations could very easily be the reason a baby needs to be admitted to the NICU.
Newborn babies need a NICU in premature birth cases, following difficult deliveries, when birth defects are discovered or due to illness. When these situations arise, babies who need specialized care can be treated much sooner when the delivery happens in a hospital equipped with a NICU.
At Pikeville Medical Center, (PMC), a team of highly-skilled neonatal specialists have immediate access to advanced technology, with the region’s only Level II Advanced NICU.
Paige Parsley realized the importance of having a NICU when she began going into labor with her son at 34 weeks, six weeks early. Her tiny miracle was born, weighing only 4lbs, 12 oz. and spent 23 days in PMC’s NICU.
“I was beyond grateful to have PMC’s NICU right here at home when Holden was born,” said Parsley. “I was able to be with my son every day during his NICU journey without the burden of being hours away from our home and family.”
In the past two years, the PMC NICU has doubled in size, growing from 8 to 16 beds. With the Level II Advanced status, the PMC NICU staff can provide specialized care for babies born as early as 28 weeks without forcing families to travel to be with their tiny loved one.
“Parents may feel anxious when their infant is admitted to the NICU,” said PMC Neonatologist Todd Hambleton. “Physicians and nurses are available to help you understand the care your infant is receiving and to assist in any way possible during your infant’s stay in the NICU.”
Parsley says Dr. Hambleton and staff were there to answer any questions and provide progress updates on Holden throughout his entire stay.
“The entire staff at PMC was amazing to me. Everyone explained everything with compassion and made me feel comfortable about my baby,” said Parsley.
Parsley says she appreciates PMC and all they did to care for her family in their time of need and felt comfortable that things would go as planned and her child was receiving the best care possible.
“My family and I could not ask for any better care than we received at PMC. We truly received great treatment every step of our journey,” added Parsley.
