The Newborn Center at The MED is one of the oldest and largest newborn intensive care units in the United States. Over 1,300 premature or critically ill newborns are treated here each year. It is one of only 14 member institutions of the National Research Network, which is supported by the national Institute of Health's Child Development Program.

Since its inception in 1968, over 39,000 premature babies have been treated successfully, some weighing as low as one pound. In 1968, Memphis had one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country. The Newborn Center has helped to reduce that rate to just over 2 percent in 1997.

The newborn Center credits its success to a multi-disciplinary approach to caring for patients. Teams of doctors, residents, nurse practitioners, nutritionists, lab technitians, as well as social worker attend each patient. Specially trained social workers and perinatal workers help the whole family cope with this very difficult period.

The Newborn Center is a training and research facility. To date, 38 physicians have been trained in Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine at the Newborn Center, and 500 scientific papers have been published since 1968.

Dr. Sheldon Korones is Founder and Medical Director.