LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new unit within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Norton Children's Hospital opened earlier this month and it's dedicated to the smallest patients.

The Tiny Baby Unit officially opened on April 1. It's for babies weighing about two and a half pounds or less, many of which are born at 28 weeks or earlier.

"The concept of the Tiny Baby (Unit) originated from some research that I did several years ago about taking a large NICU, such as ours, at 101 beds, and making it feel smaller, both for our staff, our providers, and our families because the sheer size alone can be overwhelming," Mia Nellums, the NICU nurse manager for Norton Children's, said. 

She said the article included discussions about streamlining care into different units. 

"So, we started with the Tiny Baby (Unit) a few years back, and then were overcome by circumstances such as COVID, and then we really went live with it in April," Nellums said. 

Two patients who arrived just in time for the official opening this spring are identical twin brothers, Tate and Tripp Myers. Their parents said the boys were born at 26 weeks and six days.

"They're just doing phenomenal and we could not ask for a better place for them to be," the twins' dad, Austin Myers, said.

Under dim lights and blankets in the Tiny Baby Unit, the boys were stretching their arms Wednesday morning. 

"One's a little more dramatic than the other," joked Austin Myers. "You get a lot of screaming coming from one side versus the other side is normally pretty quiet."

"Tripp, the small one, is feisty," added mom, Jillian Myers.

The family is from the Paducah area but came to Louisville to deliver the boys. They've been here several weeks now and their stay will likely continue until closer to the boys' due date, which had been this summer.

"When you're in the position to have babies as early as we did, you couldn't ask to be to be at a better place for it," Austin Myers said. 

Myers said his sons were one pound, 11 ounces and one pound, 14 ounces when they were born.

They're nearly one month old now and have already outgrown the tiniest diapers. Tate and Tripp are both up to more than two pounds. 

Jillian Myers smiles with her identical twin sons

Jillian Myers smiles with her identical twin sons, Tripp and Tate, at the Tiny Baby Unit at Norton Children's Hospital, which opened April 1, 2024 in downtown Louisville. (photo provided by Jillian Myers)

"I never thought that I could be so excited about something so tiny and they're just amazing. You can see them, they have little personalities already, they're both doing different things," Austin Myers said.

Nellums said this Tiny Baby Unit did not add additional beds to the already-existing NICU but it is filling a need within.

"We provided additional education to the nurses that take care of those babies and we have them assigned to that area each day," Nellums said. 

She said over time, families and staff really get to know each other. 

"The nurses get to know the babies, they know -- as mom and dad referred to -- they know their personalities. They know what's normal for that baby, they know what's abnormal for that baby and they're able to pick up on subtle changes sometimes sooner than someone who might come in and not be as familiar with the baby," Nellums said. 

Nellums said since the unit officially opened April 1, it's already cared for around 20 babies.

"We have 15 beds in that area and then we've had some patients move in and move out," she said. 

As babies in the unit grow, they'll be able to move out of the Tiny Baby Unit into a different level of the NICU. That typically happens when they surpass three pounds.

Nellums said she's proud to see this unit come to life. 

"At the end of it, it's going to be tremendous for the babies and their families and that's the focus," she said.

Nellums said the extra education for caretakes in the Tiny Baby Unit helps when it comes to seeing the smallest patients. 

"What we need to do is continue to grow them outside the womb. Their mommas take care of it up until the point that they need to be delivered and then from there, our goal is to grow them outside the womb in the best way that we can, which is to simulate the womb," Nellums said. 

She said that's why babies are placed in an incubator that provides humidity, on a ventilator of some sort to help with respiratory status, and have IV lines that provide nutrition. 

Tiny Baby Unit opens at Norton Children's NICU

One of Austin and Jillian Myers' sons at the Tiny Baby Unit at Norton Children's Hospital, which opened April 1, 2024 in downtown Louisville. (photo provided by Jillian Myers)

Nellums said the NICU at Norton is a Level Four NICU, which provides a higher level of care than some surrounding areas, leading to babies being transfer to Louisville.

Austin Myers has been driving back and forth to Paducah for work but said for the situation his family is in, he's blessed his boys are at the Tiny Baby Unit.

"Everybody asks, 'Are you going to transfer them back home if you can?' I don't see the point in it," he said. "They're getting the best care they could possibly get here. So why take them away from it to go to an unknown. Yeah, it's a three hour drive but it's worth it."

According to Nellums, there are 92 babies currently the entire NICU.

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