Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU): Understanding Treatment & Support for Premature & Sick Babies

Dr.Gaurav Jain, 4 mins read

Birthing is one of the most wonderful and complex processes on this planet. Many physical and emotional changes occur at this moment. Before birth, the baby’s basic functioning is dependent on the mother. These functions include breathing, eating, immune protection and elimination of waste, to name a few. But when the baby leaves the womb, the baby has to make many physical adjustments, such as:

• The lungs start breathing.
• The digestive system starts processing food and excretes the waste.
• Cardiac and pulmonary circulation changes.
• Kidneys start working on balancing the fluid levels and excreting the waste.
• The immune system and liver start working on their own.

The baby’s body system has to work in a new way outside the womb. Most babies are able to adapt to the changes. But in some cases, the baby has trouble making the transition. These cases include preterm birth, birth defects and a difficult birth. These babies need special care.

To provide supportive care to these babies, a specialised intensive care unit has been designed. These units are known as NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).  The NICU has specially trained staff and advanced supportive equipment and is often put in a special area of the hospital. 

Many babies needing specialised care are admitted to NICU within 24 hours of their birth. How long they stay there depends on their health. Some stay for only a few hours or days, whereas others may need to stay for weeks or sometimes even months.

Parents can visit and spend time with their babies staying in the NICU as per the doctor’s advice. Depending on the baby's health needs, you might be allowed to hold and breastfeed your little one. 

Which Babies Need Specialized Care

• Babies with any health condition, like sepsis, respiratory distress syndrome, heart problems, congenital abnormalities, low blood sugar level, seizures and infection (herpes B, chlamydia and group B streptococcus).
• Preterm birth (babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy).
• Babies with low birth weight (less than 2.4 kg).
• Babies with birth defects or needing oxygen support, monitoring, IV medicines and blood transfusion.

Medical Staff and Equipment at NICU

Medical Staff

To care for the newborns, the hospital appoints some specially trained professionals. These experts include:

1. Neonatologist
2. Respiratory Therapist
   
3. Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
   
4. Neonatal Fellow
   
5. Lactation Consultants
   
6. Paediatric Resident

Equipment

NICU is a special area equipped with specialised equipment to support newborns. Here are some of the common equipment available at NICU:

• Phototherapy
  
• Infant warmers
  
• Incubators
  
• Special monitors
  
• Oxygen hood or nasal cannula
  
• Ventilators
  
• Central and arterial lines
  
• IVs
  
• Feeding tubes

Final thought!

NICU is a special area in the hospital equipped with specialised staff and equipment to care for preterm and sick babies round-the-clock. Having a baby in the NICU is a stressful period for parents. At this time, parents should ask for regular updates about their babies' health from their doctors and take care of themselves. 

Also, Read: Vitamin D and Your Child