For parents having a baby
can be an overwhelming experience filled with excitement and nervousness.
Some parents may find their baby being admitted to Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit which by the name alone, can add to their feelings of stress.
Parents can find themselves confused about the reason for their
newborns admission the intervention provided opportunities for parental involvement in
the baby's care and the healthcare team so let us demystify
what happens in the NICU.
The most pressing question for parents and caregivers can be,
why has a newborn baby been admitted to the NICU?
Admission of newborns into the NICU
often is the result of preterm delivery or delivery
before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Another common reason for admission to NICU is low
birth weight or weight less than 5.5
pounds,
which is often associated with preterm delivery.
In the case of premature and low weight babies,
this often
includes twins, triplets or other pregnancies that involve multiple babies.
The other causes of admissions to NICU are health conditions,
which include reading problems,
breathing, complications,
heart,
problems,
infections and birth defects.
Incubators are
one of the ways that premature or sick babies
are treated in the NICU.
Incubators are fully enclosed plastic beds for the newborns
and maintain a constant warm temperature in the environment with radiant
warmers. In the case of open,
incubators, the incubator is open to the environment above and close
incubators,
on the other hand, have a closed environment.
Closed incubators can isolate newborns from outside
noises and protect newborns from airborne infectious particles and irritants.
In the case of medical conditions,
such as jaundice,
which is,
newborns. Incubators
can have special lights placed above for treatment. For parents
being separated
from the newborns is hard,
but incubators have side openings that allow parents to touch
their newborns.
A reason for NICU admission for newborns that was highlighted
was feeding problems.
Babies admitted to the NICU can face problems with breastfeeding
or bottle-feeding due to improper sucking techniques
premature babies.
That are also commonly admitted to the NICU often have
gastrointestinal tracts that are not fully developed to carry out
digestion.
Furthermore, newborns can be provided care through
equipment, such as catheters
which are flexible tubes inserted into the belly button and
ventilators,
which are machines used for assisted breathing,
which can limit newborns from feeding properly.
Let's look into how babies are provided with nutrition. Babies
in the NICU received vital fluids and essential nutrients
through the following means,
parenteral nutrition means beating intravenously through a vein
parenteral means outside of the digestive tract and bypasses the
entire digestive system this way of nutrient delivery dominates,
the NICU as it,
minimizes the metabolic.
complications,
that interrupts normal growth,
the terms,
intravenous nutrition and total parenteral utrition.
(TPN) are terms used interchangeably,
the infusion Roots can be a peripheral or central
Peripheral venous access limits
The osmolarity of fluids that can be infused through it
central venous access can be through an umbilical venous catheter.
UVC or a perfectly inserted Central catheter
(PICC)
Once the inferior vena cava is located,
blood will come out with ease.
The position of the catheter,
can be confirmed with an x-ray with termination of the
tip at the junction of the superior vena cava and
right atrium of the heart.
These are ways in which they intake nutrients until
they can take milk.
Feedings the contents include calories,
proteins, fats and electrolytes which includes sodium,
potassium and others each baby is assessed for its needs and have content
tailored accordingly. Their rate and urine amount
are also tracked daily to account for any fluid needs
Ways in which babies are fed in the NICU include gavage or
tube feedings for premature babies younger than 32 to 36
weeks of gestation who could not be fed through from
breast or bottle.
Flexible tube placed in the babies nostril or mouth and passed out into the
stomach.
Secondly,
they can move onto cup or spoon feedings
used in place of bottles for babies learning to
feed in some NICUs.
Then they move on to breast feeding or nipple feedings.
Babies can start practising while still being tube fed
as soon as they are stable and able to suck
well. Their development is gradual breastfeeding,
has all the nutrients needed for growth and development.
Thus there are certified
lactation consultants or health care
providers who are trained to help women with breastfeeding. Kangaroo care
involved with skin-to-skin contact between the newborn infant and parent.
It was originally introduced as a different approach to the
standard
NICU care of low birth weight
infants due to overcrowding nurseries, limited and costly resources such
as incubators, and high rates of neonatal infection and mortality.
Kangaroo care involves holding an infant,
typically in an upright position and with the swaddled infant
on the chest of the parent,
mainly done by the mother and other caregivers such as
the father or family members,
these sessions usually lasts.
1 - 3 hours
during which cardio-respiratory and temperature monitoring of the infant is
completed. In developed countries,
skin-to-skin contact is seen as a complimentary to incubator care
and therefore is rare.
However,
this sort of care can help to humanize a medical
experience and hospitals
have been motivated to implement it therefore a resource-rich
countries.
Use kangaroo care to ease the infant's transition to life outside
the womb and encourage early bonding and breastfeeding.
Additional benefits of the alternative NICU,
care,
have been proven,
one study examined,
the relationship between kangaroo care and neonatal outcomes.
Among infants of any birth weight for gestational age.
The results of the study showed that among newborns with
low birth rates,
kangaroo care was associated with a 36% lower,
mortality rate compared to standardized care.
It was also indicated that there was a decrease risk,
of a medical condition such as neonatal sepsis which is blood
infections in infants,
hypothermia which is abnormally low body temperatures and hypoglycemia
which is low blood sugar levels.
Kangaroo care was also associated with lower hospital
readmission rates and increasing exclusive breastfeeding.
Finally newborns that received these sessions had lowered mean,
respiratory, rate and pain measures with higher oxygen,
saturation and body temperatures.
Procedures carried out.
In order to work in the NICU,
you can choose one of four career pathways which includes
neonatal nurse,
neonatologists, dietitian or respiratory therapist.
Caregivers in the NICU undergo specialized training upon the
completion of their undergraduate and graduate Studies,
in order to achieve the ability to be able to
work in the NICU. Parents can rest assured that their
newborns are being cared for by a team of different
professionals.
Specialized in caring for their newborns.
The second question for parents and caregivers can be,
when is it time for the newborn to leave the
NICU and go home?
Well,
discharge from the NICU is achieved if the admitted infant
can adequately meet 3 milestones.
First the child must progress from an incubator or radiant
warmer to an open crib and they must be able
to maintain their temperature and gain weight.
The second requirement is undergoing a hearing test.
There are two different types of hearing test that can
be administered. The first type is called auto acoustic emissions which
test if the hair cells in the infant's ear are
responding to sound.
Second test is known as automated
auditory brainstem responses which shows that nerve cells are responding
to sound input.
These hearing tests are administered as the baby is stable
in an open crib.
The last test is known as a carseat test
This test involves monitoring the oxygen level and heart rate of the
infant over a 90 minute interval in which the child
is placed in a car seat at a 45-degree inclination.
In order to pass,
if it needs to show
stability in oxygen level, heart rate, and body heat. If failed
The test will be readmitted in 24 hours until the
infant can go home
The NICU,
can indeed be a challenging time for you and
your loved ones but be Assured Quality and Safe Care.
Will be provided for your baby so that they can
be strong to head home.
Was that too much information?
And are you looking for a summary of everything we've
mentioned? If so head over to the link in the description
below to access this infographic