If your baby is sent to the NICU, your first question probably will be: What is this place? With equipment designed for infants and a hospital staff who have special training in newborn care, the NICU is an intensive care unit created for sick newborns who need specialized treatment.

Sometimes the NICU is also called:

• a special care nursery
• an intensive care nursery
• newborn intensive care

Babies who need to go to the unit are often admitted within the first 24 hours after birth. Babies may be sent to the NICU if:

• they're born prematurely
• difficulties occur during their delivery
• they show signs of a problem in the first few days of life

Only very young babies (or babies with a condition linked to being born prematurely) are treated in the NICU — they're usually infants who haven't gone home from the hospital yet after being born. How long they'll remain in the unit depends on the severity of their illness.

• Neonatal intensive care, for the most seriously ill babies.
• High-dependency care, for babies who do not need to be in the NICU but who still require complex care.
• Special care, for babies who are catching up on growth and development after a premature birth. These babies have less serious health problems or are getting better after more complex treatment.

There might also be transitional care. This happens just before your baby is ready to go home. Transitional care gives you a chance to take care of your baby yourself, but with the nurses nearby. Sometimes this means staying in a side room on the neonatal ward with your baby for a while. 

Every hospital has a neonatal unit, but some may not be equipped to provide the level of care your baby needs. Your baby might therefore have to be transferred to a unit far from your home. This could also happen if your local hospital does not have enough room.

• breathing problems
• breathing problems
• bleeding in the brain
• heart conditions
• gut and digestive disorders
• eye problems
• jaundice
• anaemia
• infections

In the neonatal unit, the nurses and doctors are always checking for the signs of any of these problems. They can treat your baby promptly if they need to.

Who will care for my baby in the unit?

On the neonatal unit, a skilled team from different professions will care for your baby. Some of the people you may meet include: 

• Staff and specialist neonatal nurses.
• The senior nurse in charge of the unit, called the sister or unit manager.
• Consultant paediatrician or neonatologist, who leads your baby's care.
• Other specialist doctors, such as surgeons.
• Staff grade doctors.
• Junior doctors.
• Physiotherapists to help with your baby's development.
• Radiographers, who take x-rays and scans.
• Dietitians who advise on nutrition.
• Pharmacists.
• Nursery nurses.
• A social worker to help you with family issues, financial worries, and support that might be needed after you take your baby home.

Last but not least, there's you, the parents. You know your baby best and are always her most important carers. The professionals will recognise this and treat you as part of the team. They should encourage you to take an active part in your baby's care, as far as possible.