NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Childbirth is a wonderful thing, and we as social beings are fortunate enough to be able to express the happiness in various ways. But then, have you ever thought about the challenges that a newborn faces after leaving that comfort zone of bein inside the mother’s womb? Well, if you haven’t, that’s what a neonatal care unit is designed for.

So, when the baby is in the mother’s womb, it depends on the mother for every single process, be it breathing, eating, or excreting. Once the baby enters the world outside the mother, it is not very easy for them to immediately adjust to the atmosphere. The process of breathing air, kidney functioning and ability to digest and eliminate food play a significant role in the adjustment phase. However, sometimes babies might be born preterm, or might have certain complications at birth. A neonatal intensive care unit comes into the picture in this case.

A neonatal intensive care unit is a specially designed ward with an incubator and constant medical monitoring of babies born early or if they are diagnosed any life threatening issue. A neonatal care unit comprises of a combination of advanced technology, and neonatologists (paediatric specialists who have an additional and specialised training in newborn baby care). Sometimes babies who are not that sick also might need a little extra care based on certain needs such as low birthweight. These babies will have to be put in the NICU for a couple of days till they attain better health.

WHO TAKES CARE OF THE BABIES IN THE NICU?

Although the NICU is equipped with a lot of treatment technology, there has to be some special care apart from medication. There are various people trained to monitor the babies in the NICU of which, the nurses are the ones who look after the babies 24/7. Neonatologists, pharmacists, and primary neonatal nurses are the main people who take charge of the babies and their development during their stay in the NICU.

Babies who are fragile or premature are prone to catch infections easily. Hence, only the mother is usually allowed inside the NICU for feeding the baby. In case of visitors being allowed, it is important to remove footwear and use a sanitizer before going close to the baby. However, it is advised that people don’t go into the NICU for hygiene purposes.