When a baby is born, everyone wants the baby to be healthy and self-sufficient to face the world. Some babies may need a little extra care and monitoring in the NICU.
Did you just cross the NICU in the hospital, or did the doctor just mention the NICU for your baby? If you are lost and need to learn the full form of NICU or what NICU is in the hospital, here are some important details that can help you better understand the need for and role of NICU.
First, let's understand what NICU is in full form. NICU stands for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
The NICU will have advanced technology, and the healthcare professionals will be differently trained to look after the tiniest human beings with extra care. It is not just the newborn babies who go into the NICU. Even those babies with some health concerns and need extra medical support will be taken to the NICU. The NICU will have all the additional equipment to monitor such babies.
When babies are born, they must make many adjustments to come out and survive in the real world. All these months, they were safe inside the womb. When the baby does not make these adjustments when required, they will be taken into the NICU for better assistance and care.
When your baby has to go into the NICU, as a parent, it can be very stressful and quite scary. Remember, this is the best course of action for your baby. Your baby will receive extra care and attention inside the NICU, and the doctors won't put your baby in there unless they feel it is necessary.
Here are 10 important things all parents should know about the NICU:
1. Babies with the following issues will need to go into the NICU for better care and support:
2. The NICU will have the following professionals to take care of their tiny patients:
3. A baby's stay in the NICU varies depending on the issue and how the baby responds. Some babies can leave the NICU within a few hours, and some may need to stay in for a few days.
4. If a baby is born in a hospital without a NICU, the baby will be shifted to the nearest hospital with a NICU. The risk associated with shifting a newborn is much lesser than not providing that care and treatment for the baby.
5. For preemies and babies who need to spend a few days or weeks in the NICU, the parents will be allowed to visit and spend time with the baby daily. Skin-to-skin contact is also encouraged where necessary.
6. Even babies born before 30 weeks of gestational age or severely underweight stand a good chance to survive when they are in a well-equipped NICU under the watch of well-trained professionals.
7. NICUs are not always calm or quiet. They can be noisy and chaotic with beeping monitors, family members visiting their babies, medical professionals doing their work, etc.
8. In most premature birth cases, the baby will stay in the NICU until their due date. They are discharged after they complete their 40 weeks.
9. Some NICUs also allow the mothers to stay with their babies for most of the day and care for them. The babies are kept in the NICU for close monitoring, but the hospital will not interfere with the mother-baby bonding.
10. You cannot always prevent your baby from going into the NICU. The cause of most premature births and other birth complications is unknown. Only in a few cases can the doctor anticipate complications during the delivery, which will require the baby to go into the NICU for a short while
What Can You Do if Your Baby is in the NICU?
As a new parent, watching your baby inside the NICU, with so many monitors around them, can be disheartening. Remember, your baby gets the best care possible for their benefit. Your baby will do better and get healthier during this stay in the NICU. Meanwhile, here are some things you can do:
A baby going into the NICU or staying there for a few days is never easy news to digest. With the right team of doctors and support system, you and your baby can come through this tough phase.
Parents should know many babies go into the NICU for a short while, at least for various reasons. Premature babies will do better after getting the necessary care from the NICU.
Babies get extra care, close monitoring, and all the necessary support or treatment to help them adjust and survive in the real world.
NICU stands for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
