After you find out you’re pregnant, it won’t be long until you start planning. That includes deciding where you’ll deliver your baby. While there are a lot of factors to consider about your hospital of choice, one of the most important is choosing a hospital with an onsite neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU.
While some people may have a high-risk pregnancy or a condition that necessitates planning for a NICU ahead of time, unexpected complications can happen to anyone at any point during pregnancy or delivery. And having a NICU onsite—just in case your baby needs it—can put your mind at ease as you prepare for labor and childbirth. Here are four reasons why choosing a hospital with an onsite NICU is so important.
Immediate Onsite Care
Opting for a hospital with an onsite NICU means your baby will receive the medical attention they need right away, without needing a transfer to another hospital. Hospital transfers can put unnecessary stress on you and your baby—and feelings of worry and stress for the parents, too. If transport is necessary, you will be separated from your baby. In an emergency when time is of the essence, you won’t have to deal with the worry that comes with a transport, and can get more timely updates on your baby’s status, too.
A Wide Range of Common Health Conditions Can Be Treated
NICUs treat babies who have a wide range of health conditions. It’s important to note, these conditions aren’t limited to babies born prematurely. No matter how many weeks gestation your baby is at delivery, they will be able to receive special care and attention in the NICU for conditions such as:
- Breathing or respiratory problems
- Heart defects or conditions
- Feeding assistance
- Gastrointestinal conditions
- Low blood sugars
- Need for antibiotics
While this list is by no means comprehensive, conditions ranging from mild to more severe are able to be addressed immediately when a NICU is onsite. The highly-trained providers in the NICU are equipped to deal with it all.
Ease of Access for Feeding and Kangaroo Care
We know that if your baby needs special care in the NICU, it can be a confusing and emotional time for parents. And when you’re onsite at the same hospital, your ability to be immediately involved in your little one’s care is huge. You’ll be encouraged to visit with baby whenever possible, bathe, change diapers and perform kangaroo care when your little one is strong enough. You’ll be as involved as early as possible with feeding your newborn through pumping, breast, or bottle feeding.
When a transfer to an offsite NICU happens, there may be a bit of time when you and your baby are separated. If your condition is stable and you’ve recovered enough from childbirth, you may be able to join baby on the transfer to the NICU facility. However if you still need your own medical care after delivery, you may need to wait until you’re discharged to go see your little one.
High Level of Neonatal Care = More Specialized Medical Attention
When narrowing down hospitals with NICUs, it’s important to understand the different levels of newborn care, and what kind of treatment each is able to provide:
- Level I: Newborn Nursery—Level I care is typically sufficient for babies who are born near or at-term, and are considered stable.
- Level II: Special Care Nursery—Level II nurseries are equipped to take care of most babies who are born after 32 weeks gestation and weigh more than 3.3 pounds. While babies may have some health conditions at birth, they are not so serious that they require a higher level of care. Some babies are discharged and transferred from a Level III or IV NICU to a Level II facility for a short time before being able to go home.
- Level III: NICU—Level III NICUs have the ability to care for babies born before 32 weeks, of any age or weight, who are in need of medical attention. Level III NICUs can also treat babies who need special equipment to help them breathe, as well as those who may need certain types of surgeries.
- Level IV: Regional NICU—This is the highest level of NICU care, and specializes in babies who need specialized surgeries for birth defects or other disorders. This is the most acute level of newborn care available.
Our NICU at Women & Babies Hospital is Lancaster County’s most advanced Level IIIB NICU. We can care for babies born as early as 23 weeks. A dedicated team of neonatologists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants provide 24/7 onsite care in our 29-bed NICU. We are also part of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia neonatology division and have access to the most advanced research and treatments.
While it might feel strange to choose a hospital based on what could happen during or after delivery, we encourage you to cover all bases by ensuring a highly-rated NICU is onsite if your newborn needs some extra care in their first days of life.