The Special Care Nursery at Delnor Hospital is designated Level II with Extended Capabilities by the State of Illinois. This designation means that the state recognizes the ability to care for low birth weight infants (2 pounds, 12 ounces or greater), premature infants (30 or more weeks gestation), and term infants with medical complications.

The Special Care Nursery features seven private rooms designed to provide your infant with the best possible care, and your family with a comfortable, supportive environment.

If a higher level of neonatal intensive care unit is needed, our Lurie Children’s neonatologists will transfer your infant to the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Central DuPage Hospital which is also staffed by Lurie Children’s specialists.

Once discharged, babies continue to receive special care at home. Through the Neonatal Follow-Up Program, a focused clinical team follows your baby’s growth. You’ll receive information on topics such as feeding, child care, and growth and developmental stages — including speech and language — over the first year of your child’s life.

Multidisciplinary Team Approach

The Special Care Nursery medical team knows they have a very special job to do in caring for your infant. They also care about you as parents and share your concern about your baby’s condition. This medical team includes:

• Lurie Children’s board-certified neonatologists
• Lurie Children's neonatal nurse practitioners
• Certified lactation consultants
• Registered nurses with advanced training in neonatal care
• Physical, occupational and speech therapists
• Child life specialists

Multidisciplinary Neonatal Follow-Up Program

Once discharged from the Special Care Nursery, your baby will be followed in our Neonatal Follow-Up Program, in which a focused clinical team follows your baby’s growth. You’ll receive tips on feeding, child care and growth and developmental stages—including speech and language—over the first year of your child’s life.