Babies who are born prematurely or who are sick might need to be cared for in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or in the Special Care Nursery (SCN). Specialised teams of doctors and nurses will give your newborn around the clock care.

The NICU is at Centenary Hospital for Women and Children. We have an SCN at Centenary Hospital for Women and Children and at North Canberra Hospital.

When your baby is admitted to NICU or the SCN we will meet with you to talk about their condition and how you can help with your baby’s care.

Watch our tour of the NICU and Special Care Nursery to familiarise yourself with the unit before your visit.

We understand that your baby’s stay in the unit can be an anxious and stressful time for you and your family. Parents are welcome to the unit and we will provide you with information and education about your baby’s treatment and development while they are here.

When your baby no longer needs intensive care, your baby will progress to a special care nursery.

The NICU and SCNs in the region work together to provide care for all babies. As the only tertiary NICU/SCN in the region, we need to ensure that once babies are well enough to leave intensive care/specialised services, they transfer to another area that can provide special care.

Our NICU is needed for babies in urgent need of intensive and specialised care and when your baby is doing well and ready to be cared for in another hospital or ward, we will discuss next steps with you. This may mean moving to North Canberra Hospital, your local regional hospital, a step-down regional hospital, or another appropriate ward, for example paediatrics at Canberra Hospital, even if this isn’t your closest hospital or your first preference.

Our mission is to provide exceptional health care for all babies. To do this we work with you so that together we can provide your baby with family centred care. This means giving you every opportunity for you and your family to bond and care for your baby.

It can be difficult to know what to bring, where to park and how to find your way around Centenary Hospital or North Canberra Hospital. Use our guide to help you during your stay at Centenary Hospital.