As part of Neonatal Medicine at The Royal Children's Hospital, Butterfly - Newborn Intensive Care provides the best neonatal care for the sickest babies and infants from Victoria, interstate and overseas.

With up to 851 admissions each year, Butterfly - Newborn Intensive Care cares for patients from other hospitals in Melbourne and country Victoria, southern New South Wales and Tasmania and from the RCH Emergency Department.

Babies admitted to Butterfly - Newborn Intensive Care have a wide range of complex medical and surgical problems. Some require the support of a ventilator for their breathing and many require specialised surgical procedures.

The management of our babies is overseen by a team of Neonatologists, Neonatal Nurses and Allied Health specialists. Particularly complex or long term patients are appointed a Nurse Coordinator to co-ordinate their care.

The care of Butterfly - Newborn Intensive Care patients involves extensive co-operation with many other teams and departments within the RCH. These include:

• Surgical teams from areas including: General Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, Urology, Neurosurgery, Otolaryngology, Plastic Surgery, Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery and Cardiac Surgery
• Sub-specialist medical teams including: Neurology, Gastroenterology, Clinical Nutrition, Thoracic Medicine, Cardiology, Nephrology, Ophthalmology, Endocrinology, Genetic Medicine and Metabolic Medicine
• Speech Pathology, Physiotherapy, Music Therapy, Educational Play Therapy, Audiology and Occupational Therapy

Parents may spend time with their baby in Butterfly - Newborn Intensive Care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. General hospital visiting hours are 2pm until 6pm (all visitors must be over the age of 18). There can only be a maximum of three people (ICU) or 2 people (HDU) at the bedside at any one time, and at least 1 must be a parent/ Guardian.  Siblings can visit on Weekends and public holidays from 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm.  If your baby is in Pod 1 with a respiratory illness, only parents/ Guardians can visit.

Please do not visit if you are feeling unwell. 

Once discharged from Butterfly - Newborn Intensive Care, babies are followed up by either their General Practitioner, Paediatrician or Neonatologist. RCH Neonatologists see their patients in the RCH Specialist Clinics (Outpatients), and appointments are arranged prior to discharge.

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