NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Mycaela Scalzo and Donovan Martin, parents of one with another on the way, were going to their 20-week ultrasound appointment with the typical feelings of anxiousness and excitement parents have. During this appointment, the baby’s size, organs and overall health are checked. But Mycaela and Donovan’s excitement soon turned to fear. During the check-up, an unknown mass was found on their baby’s face. The provider suspected it was oral teratoma – a noncancerous but still potentially dangerous tumor that could block the baby’s airway, create feeding issues and more.

Mycaela Scalzo and Donovan Martin, parents of one with another on the way, were going to their 20-week ultrasound appointment with the typical feelings of anxiousness and excitement parents have. During this appointment, the baby’s size, organs and overall health are checked. But Mycaela and Donovan’s excitement soon turned to fear. During the check-up, an unknown mass was found on their baby’s face. The provider suspected it was oral teratoma – a noncancerous but still potentially dangerous tumor that could block the baby’s airway, create feeding issues and more.

Mindy Torres has dedicated three years to working at Children’s Minnesota. When Mindy was just 22.6 weeks pregnant, her water broke due to a pregnancy complication and her baby Javier was then born at just 24.3 weeks, which meant that he was nearly four months premature! Javier was immediately brought to the NICU where he spent 133 days slowly getting stronger and stronger every day.

When Darby, and her husband Brad, went in for a routine check-up at their family care provider in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the doctors diagnosed baby Muller with spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when a section of the baby’s spinal column does not form properly and a gap appears.

Recently, Elliot, diagnosed with spina bifida before he was born, set one very important goal for himself: he wanted to ride the bus to school. But there was one thing in his way. He needed to learn to climb the bus stairs by himself.

When Darby and Brad went in for a routine check-up at their family care provider in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the doctors diagnosed baby Muller with spina bifida.

In honor of Neonatal Nurses Week, September 13-19, 2021, we are highlighting Jill Bauer, registered nurse and health professional liaison for neonatal at Children’s Minnesota. Jill has been an RN for 40 years and has been a NICU nurse for 36 years.

We talked with Dr. Lia Gravari, associate medical director of ECMO for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Children’s Minnesota, about ECMO, how it helps save babies and the award-winning ECMO program at Children’s Minnesota.

Families in the Twin Cities north metro now have access to 24/7 neonatal experts providing care for even more prematurely born infants.

Dr. Thomas George, system medical director for neonatology at Children's Minnesota, talks about his journey as a neonatologist and his favorite moments treating newborns. He also explains what's so special about our neonatal team that works across three sites — St. Paul, Minneapolis and Coon Rapids — and collaborates with hospitals across the region.