Every year 78 out of every 1,000 babies born remain in the NICU, where most of them are premature babies.
NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is an intensive care unit for newborns. It is a high-tech nursery with specialized equipment and highly trained staff who care for preterm and other newborns who need serious medical care. High-tech monitors in most NICUs check important signs, such as your baby's heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. Many have ventilators to help your baby breathe easier and have CT and MRI machines to capture detailed images of your baby's body, including your baby's brain.
Different levels of NICU:
- Level 1 NICU: As a basic stage of intensive care for newborns, the level I unit is able to revitalize newborns, provide treatment to newborns, stabilize and care for babies born between 35 to 37 gestational weeks. In the latter case, it is usually an interim arrangement until the child is transferred to another facility with the necessary level of care. The ecosystem in the Phase I NICU is usually composed of pediatricians, general practitioners, nurses, and other medical professionals.
- Level 2 NICU: The level 2 NICU provides all the services of level 1 and additional specialized services. They are composed of pediatricians, neonatologists, neonatal nurses, and all medical specialists who require a level 1 NICU. The level 2 NICUs extend care for babies born premature for up to 32 gestational weeks or weigh up to 1,500 grams. They are suitable for infants with underdeveloped immune systems or moderate to severe diseases and for those who require mechanical ventilation or advanced care after intensive care.
- Level 3 NICU: It is the next stage of intensive care for newborns after level 2 NICU. In addition to the layers required for the level 2 NICU, they should include pediatric surgeons, pediatric medical specialists, pediatric anesthesiologists, and pediatric ophthalmologists. This level provides critical life support, special care for infants born before 27 to 30 weeks of age, treatment for serious illnesses, and full-spectrum respiratory support including high-frequency ventilation and advanced imaging.
- Level 4 NICU: This is the highest standard of neonatal intensive care, consisting of pediatric surgical specialists, as well as all specialized care providers and the specialist services of the level 3 NICU. Additionally, it also offers services such as additional corporeal membrane oxygenation and hospital-to-home transport services. A stage IV NICU is usually anchored to a large hospital that specializes in surgical repair of serious congenital or acquired conditions.
What does the NICU look like? Heat incubators help keep the baby's body at a constant temperature. Depending on the needs of the baby, they get oxygen, especially after birth. Heart rate and oxygen monitors keep tabs on its vital signs and a small IV can run to the hand, foot, or scalp.
In the NICU, medical needs come first and this includes some restrictions on visiting. You and your partner can visit at any time (though not during shift changes). After all, hospitals are aware of the important role parents play in the well-being of their newborns. But other visitors, family members are not allowed.
And before you go in, you have to scrub in the sink just like every other staff does after handling each child. You may need to wear full protective gear (PPE), including masks and face shields and gowns, gloves to make sure that the baby is safe from outside infectants.
Ensure the best care for your newborns at Kangaroo Care,the best NICU hospital in Bangalore.
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