On March 17, 2010, CHOC opened its Small Baby Unit within the neonatal intensive care unit, to care for the unique needs of the smallest and sickest babies. Since then, the unit has delivered specialized, high-quality care to close to 300 neonates. In honor of the unit’s fifth anniversary, read about one of the many remarkable patient stories from this special place.
For twins Damian and Victoria Daboub, timing is everything. They made their debut too early — at 27 weeks. Damian was 2 pounds, 14 inches, and Victoria was 2 pounds, 13 inches. Yet their timing was perfect because they arrived just as CHOC opened its 12-bed Small Baby Unit in March 2010.
Designed expressly for low birth weight babies born at less than 28 weeks or weighing less than 1,000 grams, the Small Baby Unit has its own dedicated team of specialists and is the only one of its kind in Southern California. Further, the unit is designed to aid in the babies’ development with dim lighting and low noise levels.
Damian stayed in the Small Baby Unit for 85 days, and Victoria was there for 105 days. Mom Miriam credits the Small Baby Unit for the twins’ survival. Today, they are “off the charts” in terms of height and weight, and are gregarious, joyful preschoolers. While their language is a bit delayed, it doesn’t stop them from enjoying all of their activities. Miriam truly believes her children’s successful outcome is the direct result of this “little wing where they can focus on growing.”
Learn more about the CHOC Small Baby Unit.
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Learn more about CHOC’s Neonatology Services
CHOC Hospital was named one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report in its 2024-25 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings and ranked in the neonatology specialty.
