The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with 5 beds, 5 warmed beds and 4 incubators is one of the most equipped specialized centers for special care of newborns and has the possibility of providing services to all newborns.

This department of Ebnesina Hospital consists of three parts:

 NICU (admission of critically ill infants), neonates (admission of infants with mild illness) and nursing (handling of newborns).

Some of the services provided in this unit is phototherapy, oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation, monitoring, blood exchange and blood transfusion and 24-hours presence of the pediatrician in the hospital to supervise the newborns with critical conditions.

One of the features of this unit is good cares and application of the best quality hygienic consumable materials and nutritional materials for the babies. Also, all the equipment existing in this unit are of most advances and up-to-date ones. Another feature of this unit is its free-of-charge mother’s room which facilitates 24-hour presence of mothers.

All the doctors working in this unit have pediatrics specialty and subspecialty degrees and one specialist doctor is resident in this unit on a 24-hour basis.

The birth of a baby is a wonderful and very complex process. Many physical and emotional changes occur for both mother and baby.

A baby must make many physical adjustments to life outside the mother’s body. Leaving the uterus means that a baby can no longer depend on the mother’s blood supply and placenta for important body functions.

Before birth, the baby depends on functions from the mother. These include breathing, eating, elimination of waste, and immune protection. When a baby leaves the womb, its body systems must change. For example:

• The lungs must breathe air.

• The cardiac and pulmonary circulation changes.

• The digestive system must begin to process food and excrete waste.

• The kidneys must begin working to balance fluids and chemicals in the body and excrete waste.

• The liver and immune systems must begin working on their own.

Your baby’s body systems must work together in a new way. In some cases, a baby has trouble making the transition outside the womb. Preterm birth, a difficult birth, or birth defects can make these changes more challenging. But a lot of special care is available to help newborn babies.

What is the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)?

Newborn babies who need intensive medical care are often put in a special area of the hospital called the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The NICU has advanced technology and trained healthcare professionals to give special care for the tiniest patients. NICUs may also care areas for babies who are not as sick but do need specialized nursing care. Some hospitals don’t have the staff for a NICU and babies must be moved to another hospital. Babies who need intensive care do better if they are born in a hospital with a NICU than if they are moved after birth.

Some newborn babies will require care in a NICU. Giving birth to a sick or premature baby can be unexpected for any parent. The NICU can be overwhelming. This information is to help you understand why a baby may need to be in the NICU. You will also find out about some of the procedures that may be needed for the care of your baby.

Maternal factors include:

• Being younger than age 16 or older than age 40

• Drug or alcohol use

• Diabetes

• High blood pressure (hypertension)

• Bleeding

• Sexually transmitted diseases

• Multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, or more)

• Too little or too much amniotic fluid

• Premature rupture of membranes (also called the amniotic sac or bag of waters)

Baby factors include:

• Baby born at gestational age of less than 

• weeks or more than 42 weeks
• Small for gestational age
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
• Seizures
• Infection such as herpes, group B streptococcus, chlamydia
• Respiratory distress including rapid breathing, grunting, or stopping breathing (apnea)
• Birth defects
• Medicine or resuscitation in the delivery room
• Need for extra oxygen or monitoring, IV (intravenous) therapy, or medicines
• Birth weight less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces (2,500 grams) or over 8 pounds, 13 ounces (4,000 grams)

• Need for special treatment or procedures such as a blood tran