Doc Talk FAQs for new NICU parents

Our level-III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provides the highest level of care for ill and premature babies available in the San Gabriel Valley. Among other benefits, donor support allows us to attract and retain prominent specialists who have the experience and skills necessary to care for babies with even the most complex medical needs. One of these talented clinicians is Jamie Powers, MD, medical director of neonatology, who answered the following FAQs for families whose babies need treatment in the NICU.

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Whenever possible, we strongly support one or both parents holding their infants after they are born. We know that doing skin-to-skin care, also called kangaroo care, helps to stabilize a baby’s heart rate, breathing and temperature, not to mention the emotional benefits for both parents and baby. There are a few special circumstances when holding their baby following delivery may not be an option: For example, if an infant is delivered extremely premature or is very sick. Even for these infants, we encourage parents to hold their baby’s hand, read stories at the bedside, and even participate in taking the temperature, giving baths and changing diapers. Once the infant is ready, we start kangaroo care on a regular basis.

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Newborn infants, especially sick and premature infants, have very special needs that are different from an adult or even small child. The small houses the infants are kept in, called isolettes, can help to regulate temperature, humidity, sound and light — in ways that are crucial for appropriate development. Depending on the baby’s needs, we can also monitor the heart rate, breathing rate, oxygen levels, carbon dioxide levels and brain activity, just to name a few items. Since every infant is different, the equipment that we need to use will be different for every infant. Regardless of what we are monitoring, it is all designed to ensure we are catering to each baby’s very special needs so that she continues to grow healthier and stronger.

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A baby’s length of stay in the NICU depends on why he was admitted. The stay can be as short as a few hours, like for babies with low blood sugar levels or in need of a little breathing help, to as long as several months, like for an infant born extremely premature. The care team meets with families on a routine basis so that parents know when to anticipate their baby’s homecoming.

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Unlike the remainder of the hospital, regular visiting hours do not apply to the NICU. Parents are welcome to visit any time they are able, whether it’s 2 a.m. or dinnertime. We understand that leaving your baby in the hospital to go home is very stressful for families. Knowing that, we open our door to parents whenever they want to visit.

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We strongly encourage mothers to provide breast milk for their babies whenever possible. Not all babies are able to breast or bottle feed when first born, but we have lactation consultants available to help support mothers with pumping their milk in the interim. When the infants are big enough and strong enough, we do promote breastfeeding while the babies are still in the NICU. Many of our NICU graduates are exclusively breastfed once home, or at least on a combination of both breast and bottle feeding.