Pediatric Critical Care

The Critical Care Medicine team provides patient- and family-focused care to infants, children, and adolescents with life-threatening conditions. The expert team collaborates with pediatric specialists and surgical specialists, as well as those in diagnostic and therapeutic radiology, to bring a coordinated approach to care.

The team is comprised of experts in the use of advanced support technology such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a device that supports or replaces the functions of the heart and lungs when these organs are failing. Many patients transported from referral hospitals are admitted directly to our intensive care units by our Pediatric or Neonatal Critical Care Transport Teams. 

Pediatric Consultation Line and 24/7 Y Access Transfer Center

Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital (YNHCH) Pediatric Consultation Line is a unique service provided by pediatric specialists for physicians. With one call to our 24/7 Y Access Transfer Center at 888-YNHH-BED (888-964-4233), physicians can receive quick and easy access to YNHCH specialists for patient care consultation or to arrange patient transfer. Our dedicated pediatric and neonatal transport paramedics provide safe and timely transport of critically ill or injured infants and children

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

The intensive care units at Yale New Haven Children's Hospital provide around the clock care to infants, children and adolescents with life-threatening illnesses and injuries, as well as those recovering from major or high-risk surgery. Our 21-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) provides highly specialized care for critically ill infants, children and teens and also encompasses pediatric cardiac intensive care. Medical and nursing staff are in close proximity to patients at all times. Specialized nurses provide intensive care for children recovering from catastrophic illness, trauma and surgery.

Patients are admitted to the PICU from other sites within the hospital's emergency department, operating rooms, units and from other hospitals by our highly skilled critical care transport team, available 24 hours a day. Referring physicians receive regular updates on the progress of their patients.

Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU)

The Yale New Haven Children's Heart Center pediatric cardiac intensive care unit is a six-bed designated unit within Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital's PICU. This unit is the only dedicated pediatric cardiac ICU in the state of Connecticut, providing cutting edge therapies for children with cardiac concerns. Our pediatric cardiac critical care team follows an innovative clinical model, referred to as an "adaptive care model". This model provides continuity of care by allowing our same team of cardiologists, advanced practice providers and specially trained cardiac nurses to care for your child throughout their stay until the time of discharge. This skilled team specializes in a variety of treatment options to care for patients with congenital heart defects and other cardiac anomalies requiring intervention.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Applying the latest developments and best practices in neonatology, we created a NICU designed to support family-centered care, enhance outcomes and advance research in neonatology. Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital is one of the first NICUs in the country to offer couplet rooms where mothers and their babies can remain together during their hospitalization. This unique model brings to the NICU the same standard of care provided to healthy newborns by fostering skin-to-skin contact and supporting breastfeeding.

The NICU, located on two floors of the Children’s Hospital, provides in-patient intensive care, consultative support and neonatal transport services for critically ill newborns in Connecticut and beyond. The devoted medical team has specialized expertise in the care of critically ill newborns and are leaders in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a special procedure that is used for life-threatening heart and/or lung problems.

Yale New Haven Children's Hospital has campuses in New Haven and Bridgeport, providing families with access to neonatology services from one of the country's best hospitals. Regardless of which campus you visit, your child will receive exceptional care from our expert neonatologists. From advanced technology in monitoring and responding to an infant's needs to our highly skilled specialists, The Allison Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Bridgeport campus promotes high-quality, family-centered care. It also means families will have the best experience and know they gave their baby the best possible opportunity at a healthy, happy life. 

Learn more about the NICU, Bridgeport Campus.

Family and Patient Support

As a patient- and family-centered care facility, Yale New Haven Children's Hospital welcomes parents as equal member of our team. Parents are encouraged to participate in daily, multidisciplinary rounds. The Family Resource Center offers families access to computers, the internet, a parent library of books, resources and information related to children's health care, specific diagnoses, health care financing and advocacy.

Members of the care team include a social worker and chaplain. Complementary and massage therapy are available for patients and families.