NICU

Babies born prematurely or with conditions that require special medical care typically spend their first days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

At Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic, our neonatal specialists provide expert care for these vulnerable infants. Whether your baby needs just a few days or several months in the NICU, our compassionate team is here for your family.

What is neonatal intensive care?

Newborns who need advanced care are placed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) immediately after birth. The healing environment of the NICU combined with 24/7 care and monitoring helps these infants thrive.

There are different levels of neonatal care. Higher levels of care aren’t available at every hospital or birthing center.

• Level I: Well-baby care for those born at or close to full term.
• Level II: Special care nursery, capable of providing short-term care for moderately ill infants and stabilization for premature infants prior to transfer to higher-level care.
• Level III: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit can provide sustained life support and other advanced care for babies born at any stage of gestation or with potentially life-threatening illnesses.
• Level IV: Regional NICUs provide the highest level of care. They are typically located within a large hospital, allowing immediate access to a range of pediatric and neonatal specialists and surgeons.

Types of treatment in the NICU

The types of medical treatment your baby receives in the NICU will depend on their medical needs. The care team monitoring the NICU 24/7 includes a range of specialists, such as:

• Neonatologists
• Pediatric cardiologists
• Neonatal nurses and nurse practitioners

You and your baby will also receive care and consultation from:

• Lactation consultants
• Occupational therapists
• Physical therapists
• Respiratory therapists
• Speech therapists (for feeding disorders)

Conditions treated in the NICU

Babies are most often admitted to the NICU because of premature birth and low birth weight. Other common health conditions that may require a stay in the NICU include:

• Birth defects
• Breathing trouble
• Feeding difficulty
• Heart problems
• Infection
• Jaundice
• Temperature-regulating difficulty (can’t stay warm enough)

Benefits of treatment in the NICU

When your baby receives treatment in the NICU, you can rest assured they are getting the advanced medical care their condition requires. Beyond medical needs, a stay in the NICU also provides other care vulnerable newborns need to thrive.

During their time in the NICU, your baby will benefit from:

• Breastfeeding assistance: Lactation consultants work with you and your baby to best support breastfeeding or expressing breast milk for tube or bottle feeding.
• Donor breast milk: If you’re unable to provide milk for your baby, you may be able to use donor breast milk to feed your infant in the NICU.
• Family-centered care: Families – including siblings age 3 or older – are allowed to visit the NICU as much as they want, 24/7. The neonatal team also includes the families in daily discussions of their newborn’s care and progress.
• Healing environment: To help premature and sick infants thrive, the NICU provides them with a calming, therapeutic setting. This includes gentle, adjustable lighting and cradling, warming beds.
• Kangaroo care: Skin-to-skin contact (also called kangaroo care) is essential for babies in the NICU. It helps improve a newborn’s breathing, heart rate, body temperature regulation, sleep, breastfeeding and weight gain. We work with parents to establish this bond throughout baby’s time in the NICU.

Related conditions

Anemia

Congenital heart defects