Central Texas Neuro NICU cares for babies with neurodevelopment challenges

Dell Children's Medical Center is home to the first Neuro Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Program (NeuroNICU) in Central Texas. This unique program provides comprehensive care from subspecialists trained in neonatology and neurology. When families learn that their children are expected to have neurological diagnoses before birth, the neuro neonatal team cares for your child from pregnancy all the way through childhood.

When an ultrasound appointment reveals that a child might have neurological development challenges, families can find support with the Dell Children’s NeuroNICU team. The types of patients who need a NeuroNICU program are families who find out their baby has a brain malformation, who experience brain injury during the process of delivery or after, or babies who ultimately have seizures or are at risk for poor neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Neonatologist specialized in neurology

Ashley Lucke, MD, and Leah Ferrante, MD, FAAP, launched the NeuroNICU program as co-directors. For over 12 months, they have led the care team that's paved the way for the highest neurological care accessible to NICU patients. Dell Children's Neuro NICU is recognized as a Level IV NICU for the quality of care families receive, including advanced technology and team approach care with neurologists, neurosurgeons, and speech and physical therapists. 

"All team members collaborate simultaneously at the bedside and help a family understand what's going on with their baby," said Dr. Ferrante. "We have a unified approach to care that optimizes outcomes and gives every baby and child the best chance at achieving their full potential.

Dr. Lucke and Dr. Ferrante have specific subspecialty training that helps them talk to families about their children's development and treatment in the NICU. "We discuss how we're going to manage their child's care to minimize brain injury, as well as talk about potential outcomes with families," said Dr. Lucke. "It's really valuable to have that experience and subspecialty training from both the neurological and neonatology standpoint.

Advanced neurology for NICU patients in Central Texas

Dell Children's NeuroNICU program is the only program in Central Texas offering this subspecialized neurologic care for fetuses, babies and children. This program makes it convenient for Texas families to receive advanced specialty care for their children close to home working closely with the Dell Children’s Comprehensive Fetal Care Center. 

"We saw that these diagnoses were happening, and the families needed support, research, and innovation, and we knew that we had to bring it here,” said Dr. Ferrante. "We knew a family should never have to leave Austin to get the best care possible for their baby." 

Connect your patients to a leader in neuro neonatal care

Connect your patients to doctors and care teams at Ascension Seton and Dell Children’s who have the right expertise to care for their needs. Your patients and their families can expect compassionate care from the moment we receive your call. Our specialists start by listening to understand each patient to develop a personalized care plan. If you have a pediatric patient who has been diagnosed with a neurologic disorder while in vitro or as a newborn, please visit our website to learn how to transfer a patient to the NeuroNICU program. Our NeuroNICU team is ready to assist you in getting your patients the specialized care that they need.