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Enhancements in Neonatal Care at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford has unveiled a newly renovated neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), designed with both advanced technology and utmost comfort in mind for mothers and their newborns. This transformation reflects a dedication to improving the care experience for families during crucial early days of life.

Newly Designed Spaces for Enhanced Comfort

On March 3, 2025, the hospital proudly announced the completion of its renovated 16-bed NICU, named the Axe and Blaise Wanstrath Unit. It features 14 newly constructed patient rooms, including 12 private rooms and two semi-private options designed to accommodate twins. This upgrade is intended to enhance the overall medical care experience for both the infants and their families.

Paul A. King, CEO of Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, emphasized the health institution's unwavering commitment to family-centered care. He stated, “We focus on the comfort of our patients and families throughout our organization. This new patient unit is a testament to our dedication to ensuring every mother and newborn experience the highest quality of life starts.”

The pediatric hospital is noted for its high-performance care and has been ranked among the best in the nation, sustaining its focus on providing top-tier maternity care for both expecting mothers and their infants.

A Supportive Healing Environment

The transition of families into this state-of-the-art unit has commenced, where the serenity of private and semi-private rooms is expected to foster a healing environment. Dr. Lawrence Prince, head of the Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, remarked on the benefits of the newly designed spaces: “These new rooms are constructed to provide a calm and enriching environment which is especially vital for our tiniest newborns who require a specific kind of protective care.”

The upgraded NICU is equipped to handle critical cases, including those requiring urgent surgeries and advanced interventions like Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), a life-saving technology for newborns with severe medical conditions. Dr. Prince mentioned, “For newborns with critical illnesses, ECMO is often a last-resort therapy that can save lives. The new rooms help to ensure that the babies recover peacefully with their families by their side, minimizing the stress associated with shared spaces.”

New Child Nutrition Laboratory Initiated

In addition to the NICU enhancements, Lucile Packard Hospital has opened a new Pediatric Nutrition Laboratory. Here, breast milk is prepared and fortified, centralized under strict quality controls by Clinical Food Services. This assures that each infant receives tailored nutrition while allowing mothers to express milk without disrupting their time with newborns.

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital remains committed to its mission of providing outstanding maternal care. Looking ahead, future renovations will focus on upgrading remaining NICU units and opening a new maternity unit by summer 2025, alongside the Bass Center dedicated to pediatric cancer treatment and blood disorders. This project is supported by generous philanthropic contributions, underlining the community's commitment to providing exceptional care.

For further media inquiries, contact Elizabeth Valente, media manager and project lead at Stanford Medicine Children's Health. 1-650-269-5401.

For more information about Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and its various programs, visit stanfordchildrens.org.