The full form of NICU in medical is Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The unit is specialized in a healthcare facility or hospital for newborns requiring intensive medical treatment care. NICU is usually well-equipped and managed by trained and professional healthcare providers. These units are specialized for babies who are not as sick but require specialized nursing care.
Few newborns need proper care in NICU. These babies are either premature or sick after delivery. Those babies also require care in NICU because they have a low birth weight or have severe health conditions, such as heart problems, breathing trouble, infections, or congenital disabilities.
If you have any severe conditions or complications in pregnancy, it is best to deliver your baby to a health facility or hospital with a NICU department. Moving from one hospital to another during this period is always risky.
NICUs are classified into three different levels based on the care required for the newborn. Level 1 care is provided to a newborn weighing up to 1800 grams or having gestational maturity. Level 2 care should be given to the newborn in the 1200 to 1800 grams range. Level 3 is the highest level of care for a baby weighing less than 1200 grams.