NephroNICU Program

If your expected baby or newborn has been diagnosed with a serious kidney condition, our multispecialty NephroNICU program at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health offers innovative care and hope. Kidneys are vital organs, and when a baby’s kidneys are not functioning properly, they need expert care in the womb and after birth. Our NephroNICU care team of neonatologists (newborn doctors), pediatric nephrologists (kidney doctors), and other experts along with highly specialized nurses, dietitians, and developmental specialists, can help your new baby grow and develop so he or she can have the best possible chance for a positive outcome.

If your baby has certain serious kidney conditions (e.g., lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO), some types of CAKUT, a congenital metabolism disorder, or acute kidney injury), he or she may need dialysis. When your baby needs specialized kidney care, we care for him or her in a specialized area of our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where we help your baby survive, grow, and live a healthy life.

Why choose us for highly specialized kidney care before and after your baby is born

With us, your baby will receive exceptional care. Here’s why:

• Innovative preemie and newborn care for your baby’s best chance. We are one of a handful of centers in the U.S. to offer this level and type of kidney and neonatal care for newborns and young babies, including the smallest premature infants. Families from around the country come to us for our deep expertise in caring for fetuses and newborns with kidney failure. Our research informs our expertise and improves care for your baby; we welcome you to ask about clinical trials.

• We offer the unusual: advanced kidney dialysis for newborns. If your baby has one of the conditions that we treat in our NephroNICU program, he or she may need dialysis (a machine that filters the blood) immediately after birth. Dialysis in small newborns is challenging, and only a few medical centers in the country offer it. We provide a leading-edge mode of dialysis (kidney replacement therapy) for newborns, and we have an excellent track record of success.

• Your baby receives holistic, comprehensive care from our large team of experts. You can feel confident that your baby is receiving the highest level of care that’s personalized to his or her needs, because our team includes pediatric experts in kidney dialysis, kidney failure, kidney transplant, pediatric urology, and interventional radiology. In addition, our team of neonatology doctors and nurses constantly watch over your baby in our nationally recognized Level IV NICU, providing comprehensive care, including nutritional support, feeding therapy, and developmental-behavioral support.

• Whole-family support to help you stay focused on what matters—your well-being and your newborn. We understand that you may need to temporarily relocate close to our hospital for your delivery and/or your newborn’s care. Our team is here to support not only your child, but your entire family with a comprehensive range of family-centered support services, including lodging assistance, social services, parent mentoring, psychological support, spiritual care, and more.