Emergency care focused on kids

Kids are not just mini adults — so their emergency care should be treated accordingly. Our emergency services are just for kids: Every physician in our ER is certified by the State of Missouri in pediatric emergency medicine.  

High-volume expertise

We treat nearly 50,000 kids each year with injuries and illnesses that range from minor to complex. We are prepared and ready for your child. On a 24-hour basis, we have available:

  • Pediatric surgeons

  • Anesthesiologists

  • Physician specialists

  • Nurses

  • Pediatric resuscitation equipment

  • Operating room

Private rooms

Our 30 private treatment rooms feature kid-sized medical equipment, DVD players and flat-screen televisions. Four dedicated trauma rescue bays feature the latest medical technology to treat the highest level of traumatic injuries.

“Ouchless” care

Our goal is to make your child’s experience in the ER better and less scary. Ouchless care involves a number of techniques such as:

  • Having child life specialists distract children from focusing on stressful aspects of their procedure through tablet computers, toys or books

  • Using a local numbing gel to reduce the pain of needles

Free parking

We want your visit to be as stress-free as possible, including providing free parking. Families may park in the Visitor Parking Garage, located directly across from the ER main entrance. You will receive parking validation for free parking in the emergency room. Free valet parking is also available daily from 10 a.m. - midnight.

Highest level of trauma care

St. Louis Children’s Hospital has been a designated Pediatric Level 1 Trauma Center since 1981 in Missouri and since 2011 in Illinois. This means that Trauma Services at St. Louis Children’s Hospital have the highest level of resources, specialists and programs to treat your child.

Pediatric replantation and revascularization services

We are the only pediatric center in the region providing replantation and revascularization services 24/7. These services can potentially save fingers or other body parts lost during a traumatic incident.

Specialized trauma programs

We have highly specialized trauma programs to continue the care your child needs beyond the emergency room. These programs include:

  • Neurocritical care

  • Neurorehabilitation

  • Sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE)

  • Trauma clinic

  • Pediatric acute wound services (PAWS), including specialized therapy services for treating burns through our Burn Clinic