A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is an area of a hospital (usually a major medical center) for neonates (infants from birth to 4 weeks of age) that are born too early, have serious illnesses, and/or have life threatening medical problems of sudden onset. Infants in an NICU require close monitoring and constant, complicated, detailed nursing and medical care. In other words, the care is extreme or intensive, hence the name Intensive Care Unit. Unfortunately, about 6% of all newborns are so sick that they need to be treated in an NICU.

Infants in an NICU are kept in small chambers, known as isolettes, that serve to control aspects of their environment, such as temperature and oxygen. Keeping infants in these chambers also helps to reduce infection. Infants are kept in the NICU for as long as is medically necessary. If given the best care, even infants that weigh as little as two pounds have a good chance of surviving in an NICU.

The NICU consists of highly specialized, complicated devices and equipment for monitoring infants and for reviving them from apparent death or unconsciousness. An NICU has staff such as nurses and doctors that are educated and trained to provide the specific type of health care needed to neonates. This is very important because the doses of drugs, control of temperature, and the amount of fluid and oxygen required by neonates is unique. NICU staff members are also highly trained in understanding the processes that occur in a neonate's body that leads to disease. Neonate comes from the Latin word "neos" meaning "new" and the word "natus" meaning "born." Put the two words together and you get "new born."

Back to main page Contact MedFriendly.com Copyright © 2001, MedFriendly.com. All rights reserved. You may not reprint or redisplay this material for commercial use without the express written consent of MedFriendly.com. Use of MedFriendly.com is subject to reading this disclaimer & the terms and conditions.