What is the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)?

Newborn babies who need intensive medical care are often put in a special area of the hospital called the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The NICU has advanced technology and trained healthcare professionals to give special care for the tiniest patients. NICUs may also care areas for babies who are not as sick but do need specialized nursing care.

Some newborn babies will require care in a NICU. Giving birth to a sick or premature baby can be unexpected for any parent. The NICU can be overwhelming. This information is to help you understand why a baby may need to be in the NICU. You will also find out about some of the procedures that may be needed for the care of your baby.

Which babies need special care?

FOLLOWING ARE A FEW CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRE ADMISSION IN NICU:

Below are some factors that can place a baby at high risk and increase the chances of being admitted to the NICU. But each baby must be assessed to see if he or she needs the NICU. High-risk factors include the below.
Maternal factors include:

• Being younger than age 18years or older than age 40 years
• Drug or alcohol use
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Bleeding
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, or more)
• Too little or too much amniotic fluid
• Premature rupture of membranes (also called the amniotic sac or bag of waters)

Delivery factors include:

• Changes in a baby’s organ systems due to lack of oxygen (fetal distress or birth asphyxia)
• Buttocks delivered first (breech birth) or other abnormal position
• The baby's first stool (meconium) passed during pregnancy into the amniotic fluid
• Umbilical cord wrapped around the baby's neck (nuchal cord)
• Forceps or cesarean delivery

Baby factors include:

• Baby born at gestational age of less than 37 weeks or more than 42 weeks
• Birth weight less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces (2,500 grams) or over 8 pounds, 13 ounces (4,000 grams)
• Small for gestational age
• Medicine or resuscitation in the delivery room
• Birth defects
• Respiratory distress including rapid breathing, grunting, or stopping breathing (apnea)
• Infection such as herpes, group B streptococcus, chlamydia
• Seizures
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
• Need for extra oxygen or monitoring, IV (intravenous) therapy, or medicines
• Need for special treatment or procedures such as a blood transfusion

Who will care for your baby in the NICU?

A team of Neonatologist or Pediatrician, medical officers, trained nursing staff, Pediatric Cardiologist, Pediatric Respiratory Therapist, Pediatric Opthalmologist, Pediatric Neurologist all together will serve your critically ill babies in NICU.