Dealing with a baby that needs emergency neonatal care can be a stressful experience for you and your family. Fortunately, an advanced neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can provide your baby with specialised care and give them the best start to life. Babies born before 30 weeks are usually referred to the NICU, where they receive a high level of care until they are well enough to go home.
A typical NICU is divided into three zones: a family zone, a baby caregiving zone, and a specialist zone. Here’s a peek inside each.
The family zone is reserved for the family of the baby and serves as an around-the-clock resting area for parents. The zone houses breast pumps and a refrigerator for new mothers to pump and store milk, in addition to other thoughtful devices and services.
This zone is the heart of the NICU and provides highly specialised care to premature and unwell babies. The zone consists of a plethora of advanced neonatal technologies including incubators, radium warmers, intravenous pumps, bedside monitors and ventilators.
The specialist zone is an area designated for neonatologists, paediatricians and other specialists, as well as nurses and support staff.
Premature birth can be a traumatic experience for you and your baby. The staff inside the NICU is trained to support new parents psychologically, emotionally and spiritually, easing their stress by helping them connect with their baby.
The goal of the NICU staff is to envelop the baby and the parents in equal care, by encouraging skin-to-skin contact, one-on-one feeds and diaper changes; all while still in the NICU. This bonding time can be precious in one’s early days of parenthood.
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Parents with their babies in the NICU need clear, consistent communication about their baby and the treatment progress. They require empathy from the healthcare professionals and emotional support from doctors. They will also require support and practical help from friends and family. Involving them in actively caring for their baby can help reassure them and make them feel less helpless.
The basic understanding of the NICU is that it is a special unit for premature or other babies born with health issues that require close and advanced monitoring. These babies will require doctors and nurses specially trained in neonatology, with knowledge of specialised equipment and advanced medical tools. The NICU helps stabilise and support the fragile health condition of a newborn.
"The seven core measures of the NICU are – *A healing environment *Positioning and handling the baby *Partnering with families to care for the baby *Safeguarding sleep *Minimising stress and strain *Protecting the baby’s skin *Optimising nutrition. "
The most important role of parents in the NICU is to cooperate and support the healthcare team in caring for their baby. They have to partner up with the doctors and advocate for their baby’s well-being. Their role also includes changing diapers, feeding, burping, and cleaning up their babies. If advised, they should also provide kangaroo mother care.
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