Having a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a frightening and exhausting time for parents, full of alarms, tubes and hard waiting. God holds your little one even more tenderly than you do. Below are Catholic prayers for a premature or sick newborn, for healing and growth day by day, for parents at the bedside, for the NICU doctors and nurses, a word about emergency baptism, and saints who watch over babies and mothers.
A prayer for a baby in the NICU
Written for this page:
Lord Jesus, you were once a tiny baby in Mary’s arms.
Look with love on (name), so small and so fragile.
Strengthen his (her) lungs and heart, help him (her) to grow,
protect him (her) from infection and every danger,
and bring him (her) safely home to us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, hold our baby close. Amen.
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast protected me from my mother’s womb.
I will praise thee, for thou art fearfully magnified: wonderful are thy works, and my soul knoweth right well.
My bone is not hidden from thee, which thou hast made in secret: and my substance in the lower parts of the earth.
Thy eyes did see my imperfect being, and in thy book all shall be written: days shall be formed, and no one in them.
A prayer for growth, one day at a time
Lord, every ounce and every breath is a gift.
Thank you for today’s small victories.
Give (name) strength for tonight,
and give us patience for the long road ahead. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
A prayer for parents at the bedside
Lord, we cannot hold our baby the way we long to,
and we feel helpless and afraid.
Give us rest when we can rest, strength when we must be strong,
and peace when the monitors beep.
Keep our marriage close and our faith alive,
and let our baby feel our love through every touch. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. See the Catholic prayer for anxiety.
A prayer for the NICU doctors and nurses
Lord, bless the doctors, nurses and therapists who care for our baby.
Give them skill, wisdom and steady hands,
gentle hearts for every tiny patient,
and strength for their long shifts. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
Emergency baptism
If a newborn is in danger of death, he or she should be baptized without delay. A priest or deacon can be called to the hospital, but in an emergency anyone, even a parent or a nurse, may baptize, by pouring water on the baby’s head three times while saying: “(Name), I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Tell your priest afterward so the baptism can be recorded and, if the baby recovers, the other rites can be celebrated in church. Hospital chaplains can also help.
Saints who watch over babies and mothers
- St. Gerard Majella, patron of mothers and babies. See the St. Gerard prayer.
- The Holy Child Jesus and the Infant of Prague. See the Infant of Prague novena.
- St. Brigid, patron of newborns and midwives. See the St. Brigid prayer.
- St. Raphael, whose name means “God heals.” See the St. Raphael prayer.
Scripture of hope
Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? and if she should forget, yet will not I forget thee.
Behold, I have graven thee in my hands: thy walls are always before my eyes.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good prayer for a baby in the NICU?
A simple prayer entrusting the baby to Jesus and Mary, asking for strength, growth and healing, such as the prayer at the top of this page, and short prayers through the day like “Jesus, I trust in you.”
Can a nurse or parent baptize a baby in danger of death?
Yes. In an emergency anyone may baptize, by pouring water while saying the words of baptism with the intention of doing what the Church does.
Who is the patron saint of premature babies?
St. Gerard Majella is widely invoked for mothers and newborns, and many parents also pray to the Infant Jesus.
More prayers
- Catholic prayer for a newborn baby
- Catholic prayer for pregnancy
- Catholic prayer for children
- Catholic prayer for healing
- Prayer for good test results
- Catholic baptism guide
- Catholic prayer after a miscarriage
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 138:13–16 (139:13–16 in modern Bibles); Isaias (Isaiah) 49:15–16, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- On emergency baptism: Catechism of the Catholic Church 1256; Code of Canon Law, canon 861.
- The prayers were written for this page.