Newborn Services

Our Division of Neonatology and Newborn Services provides state-of-the-art care to the smallest patients of our community.

Here at NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island we deliver about 1,400 children into the world each year; about 240 them benefit from our Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which uses some of the latest monitoring and ventilating machines.

A Board Certified neonatologist manages the NICU, and physicians provide around-the-clock, seven-day-a-week coverage. Our neonatal nurses are all certified in the neonatal resuscitation program. And our pediatricians, neonatologists, nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, occupational and physical therapists, and social workers participate in daily rounds to provide the highest possible quality of care to the most fragile of our patients.

Recently, we have developed proficiency in providing nasal CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), a non-invasive method of providing ventilatory support that results in less lung injury in these susceptible patients. The work continues in the NICU and the evolving field of neonatology with the goal to deliver the very best specialized care to this high-risk and vulnerable group of patients.

Newborn Services

Location: Tower Building Room 106
Hours: Monday, Wednesday 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Telephone: Call Center 1-844-UR-CONEY

Safe Sleep

NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island is an active participant in the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program. Coney Island has implemented policies and procedures consistent with safe sleep best practices endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN).

Members of the interdisciplinary team, including providers, nurses, social workers, and unit clerks are all trained in safe sleep practices and act as educators and advocates. Our patients and their families receive the education and tools they need to implement safe sleep for every sleep.

What is infant safe sleep?

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of death among infants between one month and one year of age. Below are some tips for what you can do to help your baby sleep safely and to reduce your baby’s risk of SIDS.

To create a safe sleep environment:

• Supervised skin-to-skin contact is recommended for all mothers and infants immediately following birth and continued for at least an hour, regardless of feeding or delivery (as soon as mother is medically stable, awake, and able to respond to her newborn). Once mother starts to get sleepy, return baby to bassinet.
• Always place a baby on his or her back to sleep for naps and at night to reduce the risk of SIDS.
• Keep your baby’s sleep area in the same room where you sleep (for the infant’s first year). Room sharing, not bed sharing. Always place the baby in a safety-approved crib, bassinet, or portable crib for sleep.
• Use a firm sleep surface covered by a fitted sheet; a crib, bassinet, portable crib, or play yard that meets the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is recommended.
• Your baby should not sleep in an adult bed, on a couch, or on a chair alone, with you, or with anyone else.
• Sitting devices like bouncy seats, swings, infant carriers, or strollers should not be used for routine sleep.
• Keep soft objects such as pillows, blankets, toys, and bumpers out of your baby’s sleep area.
• Do not use wedges and positioners.
• Do not smoke during pregnancy or allow smoking around your baby.
• Do not let your baby get too hot during sleep.
• Breastfeed your baby.
• Follow your health care provider’s guidance on vaccinations and regular health checkups for your baby.