Blacktown Hospital expanding care for premature babies in western Sydney

As western Sydney continues to grow, so has Blacktown Hospital’s Newborn Care Unit – expanding its capacity to care for 18 premature, small or sick babies and their families.

Blacktown Hospital’s Newborn Care Unit consists of a dedicated team of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals that nurtures small, growing babies and those with health problems requiring specialist care.

Take a tour of Blacktown Hospital’s Newborn Care Unit

Newborn Care Unit nurse unit manager Terry Freeman said additional cots will help meet the needs of the community and deliver high-quality clinical care for families.

“We use these humidicribs to treat sick or small babies which keep the baby warm and allow the parents to see their loved one at all times,” she said.

“The babies we care for require extra medical care and are admitted to our unit from the birthing and maternity units, from home or other hospitals in NSW.

“Our staff provide high-quality specialised care in a safe, supportive environment.”

Mother of three, Li Du recently spent time in Blacktown Hospital’s Newborn Care Unit with her two day old son, Felix.

The Schofields resident was unaware that anything was wrong with Felix until the visiting midwife identified some non-life threatening issues and he was admitted.

“At first we thought this was a bit excessive but they were very thorough with his treatment,” Li said.

“We’re very grateful for the kindness and excellent care shown to us by the midwife and the staff.”

Felix has since been discharged from hospital and is now feeding and settling well.

“Blacktown Hospital is a special place for us and we have complete trust in the staff,” said Li, whose other children aged seven and five were also born there.

Blacktown Hospital’s Newborn Care Unit is equipped with:

• Spacious rooms with room for parents to recline next to the baby’s cot/humidicrib
• Parent accommodation rooms to help parents transition from hospital to home
• A parent’s retreat with a kitchen available for use at any time and play area for siblings
• A Mother’s-only expressing room for privacy

They work closely with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Westmead Hospital to treat babies from surrounding areas in western Sydney.

The expansion of the Newborn Care Unit was part of Stage 2 of the Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospitals (BMDH) Expansion Project to accommodate the growing population of western Sydney.

Blacktown Hospital’s Newborn Care Unit can be contacted on 02 9881 8000.