a What to Know if Your Baby is in the NICU by Robert Davis RD Heritage | Nov 25, 2022 | Blog, Robert Davis RD Heritage
As neonatal care has become more common in hospitals around the country, it is likely not surprising to learn that these hospitals have focused on building out their neonatal intensive care unit, also commonly known as NICU. The NICU is dedicated to helping infants who are born with serious health concerns or had a particularly di몭cult birth and provides the biggest needs to infants. While it can be a di몭cult situation to deal with an infant in NICU as a parent, there are important things to know about how the unit functions that can help parents. Interacting With Your Infant Most hospitals that include a NICU will allow parents of an infant to visit them on a daily basis, giving them the opportunity to spend time together and build their relationship. Additionally, the time that parents spend with their infant in the NICU can help them learn more about how their baby interacts, what touches they enjoy, and what types of needs they might have. Before entering, parents will be required to thoroughly wash their hands and may have to wear protective gowns provided by the hospital, as this can help prevent the spread of germs in the NICU. The rules surrounding holding infants will vary based on the infant’s health condition, as well as if the mother will be breastfeeding the infant. While each situation will di몭er from one another, these are the most common rules to be aware of if your infant is in the NICU.