Welcoming a new baby is an exciting time.

But sometimes newborns need a little extra support before they are ready to go home. The level II special care nursery (SCN) at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center provides specialized care for babies who need additional observation or treatment, while allowing families to remain close to home in their own community.

Not only will the babies receive exceptional care, the parents will receive support, too.

“Families come from eight different counties in Colorado, as well as southern Wyoming, to deliver at YVMC’s birth center,” said Barb Carlson, a neonatal nurse practitioner at YVMC. “Our community is fortunate to have this resource here. We can take care of babies who may require a higher level of care and avoid separating them from their families. Parents can remain in their familiar environment and can continue to be supported by families and friends nearby.”

What is the SCN?

At YVMC, the SCN team provides care for babies as premature as 32 weeks, as well as full-term babies who require a higher level of neonatal care. The SCN team includes neonatal nurse practitioners from Children’s Hospital Colorado, pediatricians from Pediatrics of Steamboat Springs, nurses, lactation consultants, respiratory therapists, rehabilitation therapists and pharmacists.

Any baby born prior to 37 weeks is considered premature or preterm and may require more intensive monitoring and/or care due to respiratory problems, jaundice, infection or feeding immaturity.

The birth center includes rooms for parents to stay and sleep at the hospital while their newborn is in the SCN. The SCN nurses are very experienced in caring for preterm or ill babies and focus on family-centered care.

Parents are encouraged to participate in the care of their infant, which may include diaper changes and taking temperatures, and most importantly, providing kangaroo care, or skin-to-skin contact.

The SCN has capacity for five infants, which usually includes a mix of pre-term and full-term infants. If a higher level of care is needed, babies can be transferred to a tertiary care center like Children’s Hospital of Colorado.

“We can utilize and brainstorm with Children’s Hospital Colorado physicians and their extensive team regarding any issues or questions we encounter here” said Amy Milne, a neonatal nurse practitioner at YVMC.

Why do babies need the SCN?

Babies may be transferred to the SCN for number of reasons including:

• Hypoxemia, or respiratory distress. “An additional challenge we face here is being at higher altitude,” said Milne. “Some babies, even full-term infants, may require a small amount of oxygen to maintain saturations in the appropriate range.”

• Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. “Babies who are at higher risk for developing hypoglycemia include infants of mothers with diabetes, infants who are small for gestational age (less than the 10^th percentile) and those who are large for gestational age (greater than the 90^th percentile),” said Milne. “Sometimes they can be supported in the level 1 nursery, but other times they may require IV fluids to maintain appropriate levels” Milne said.

• Low birth weight.

• Jaundice that requires phototherapy.

• Monitoring for infection or other medical concerns.

Milne said parents who deliver a preterm infant can typically expect their infant to stay in the SCN until their original due date. For example, if a baby is born at 34 weeks, parents should prepare for approximately six additional weeks in the hospital.

However, many infants tend to go home sooner than expected.

“Preemies sometimes take two steps forward and one step back,” said Milne. “It can be a roller coaster those first few days and weeks, but we are here to support them and their parents.”

Mary Gay Broderick writes for UCHealth. She can be reached at marygaybroderick@comcast.net.