Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

What does the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) take care of?

The neonatal intensive care unit is a particular part of the hospital that provides intensive medical care to newborn babies who need it. Even the most minor patients can get specialised nursing care in NICUs, which are filled with cutting-edge equipment and staffed by skilled medical experts. Some neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) take care of babies who are very sick and need specialised nursing care. It's important to remember that some hospitals don't have neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). When this happens, babies may need to be sent to another hospital for care. Knowing why a baby needs NICU care and how it works can help parents deal with the stress of having a sick or premature baby, even though it can be stressful.

What kind of care do certain babies need?

• Babies who need special care because they were born too early, had a low birth weight, or had other health problems are often sent to the NICU.
• Transporting multiple babies to the NICU is more common than transporting a single baby because multiples are smaller and are born younger.
• Diabetes, high blood pressure, bleeding, sexually transmitted diseases, and having more than one baby increase the chance that a baby will be admitted to the NICU.
• Foetal distress or birth asphyxia, breech birth or other abnormal positions, a nuchal cord, forceps, or a caesarean delivery could also increase the chance of a baby going to the NICU.
• A baby may need care in the NICU if they have trouble breathing, have an infection, have seizures, have low blood sugar, need more oxygen or monitoring, IV therapy, a blood transfusion, or other specialised treatments or procedures.

Each baby must be looked at to see if they need care in the NICU.

Who will take care of your baby in the NICU?

In the NICU, one neonatologist, one neonatal fellow, one paediatric resident, one neonatal nurse practitioner, one respiratory therapist, one physical therapist, one occupational therapist, one speech therapist, one dietitian, one lactation consultant, one pharmacist, one social worker, and one hospital chaplain will care for your baby. The neonatologist is in charge of the care team, which includes other doctors and nurses in charge of your child's care and well-being.

Together with the parents, the NICU staff makes a plan to care for babies at high risk. You can ask the NICU about support groups and activities for parents to help them deal with the stress of having a child in the NICU.

What kind of things will I see in the NICU?

When you see your baby for the first time in the NICU, a very specialised place, it may be hard to take it all in. If you know how the NICU works, you can take care of things better so you can focus on your baby. Visitors must wash their hands with soap and water or antibacterial gels to stop illnesses like colds, flu, and diarrhoea from spreading.

In the NICU, your baby will be taken care of by a team of specially trained doctors and nurses, such as a neonatologist, neonatal fellow, paediatric resident, neonatal nurse practitioner, respiratory therapist, physical, occupational, and speech therapists, dietitians, lactation consultants, pharmacists, social workers, and a hospital chaplain.

The neonatologist is in charge of your child's care team, which comprises other doctors and nurses in charge of your child's health and care. The NICU team works with the parents of babies at high risk to make a care plan for them. You can ask the NICU about the support groups and programmes for parents to help them deal with the stress of having a child in the facility.

Request an appointment at Apollo Cradle, Hyderabad - Jubilee Hills. Call 1860-500-4424 to book an appointment.