A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a hospital unit for sick newborns, especially premature babies who may have health problems. The NICU has a team of specialized doctors and nurses who work around the clock to care for the babies. The environment is designed to meet the needs of newborns and is kept clean. Parents are usually welcome at certain times and are assigned a staff nurse to keep them updated on their baby’s condition.
A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a hospital unit dedicated to the care of very sick newborns. Most commonly, a newborn is sent to the NICU because they are premature and prone to a variety of health problems. Seriously ill babies may also spend time in the NICU until they are stabilized, at which point they may be moved to more general daycare or sent home. For parents, the NICU can be a very intimidating and scary place, but parents should be confident that their babies receive the best care when they are sent to the NICU.
Newborns face a number of unique health issues that don’t affect adults, especially when they’re premature. Premature babies may have problems with breathing, swallowing or other basic reflexes because they are not fully developed. They are also extremely vulnerable to infections, even common infections that wouldn’t normally be harmful, even to the most developed children. The NICU environment is specially designed to meet the needs of newborns.
The adult corollary of a NICU is an intensive care unit (ICU). In both cases, patients are assisted by dedicated personnel who have specific training in intensive care. In a NICU, a team of nurses work for the babies around the clock, alongside specialists such as respiratory therapists and surgeons. Doctors may choose to specialize in neonatology, the care of very young and sick infants, in which case they are known as neonatologists; a NICU often has several of these specialist doctors on staff.
While in a NICU, babies are typically kept in enclosed incubators with heating pads. They’re hooked up to an assortment of monitors that track their health, and can also be hooked up to fans, feeding tubes, and other devices to help them survive. Access to the NICU is strictly controlled and the environment is kept meticulously clean. Parents are usually welcome at certain times and parent-infant contact is recognized in most regions as an important aspect of critical care for children.
You may also hear about a NICU called a Special Care BaUnit (SCBU) or Natal ICU. Generally, when a baby is sent to the NICU, a staff nurse is assigned to the family; In addition to taking care of the baby, she also keeps family members updated on the baby’s condition. Many hospitals provide extensive support programs for parents with babies in the NICU, recognizing that the situation can be very stressful for new parents, especially with critically ill babies who are taken away at birth before parents can even interact with them. .
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