Newborn Intensive Care Unit

The Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at UnityPoint Health - Meriter is the best place for premature or sick newborns to receive the advanced care they need. In fact, we are recognized as a premier regional center for excellence in high-risk newborn care.

UnityPoint Health - Meriter and UW Health work together with you to ensure fragile newborns and women with high-risk pregnancies in our region have access to a full team of specialists, the most advanced facilities and the best possible care to meet their individual needs. Board certified neonatologists and perinatologists work in partnership to provide medical care for a combined total of more than 800 infants annually at both hospitals. Learn more about your baby's care team. 

While most babies are born at Meriter, others arrive via helicopter or a specially equipped ambulance from hospitals throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest that do not have advanced newborn services available.

Many of the babies we care for are premature. Because they were born before all of their body systems were ready, they may require assistance with breathing and learning how to eat. Other infants are full-term but may have complications such as infections, surgical needs or birth defects. Some of the babies in the NICU are critically ill. Others need specialized care and observation while they grow and develop.

We are equipped to care for any problems that a pregnant woman or newborn may encounter. The NICU is a critical component of the Center for Perinatal Care, a joint program of UnityPoint Health - Meriter and UW Health that combines the best in medical care, technology and clinical research with all the benefits of care in a community hospital.

Tour Our NICU