Neonatal ICU

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Help for Parents

Babies in the Memorial Hospital West Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) need special care that only medical professionals can provide. However, research has proven that babies who have the active involvement of their parents gain weight and get better faster.

Below is a list of some of the ways parents can participate in their baby's growth and development:

• Visit your baby daily. Depending on your baby's condition and gestational age, daily needs may vary. The nurse will let you know how you may participate in your baby's care, which may include diaper changing, temperature taking, bathing and holding.
• Hold your baby and include Kangaroo Care, which is also called skin-to-skin contact. Kangaroo Care is the practice of holding your preterm infant, wearing only a diaper, against your chest, skin-to-skin. During Kangaroo Care, the baby receives stimulation due to the physical closeness and the familiarity of parental touching. Kangaroo Care provides an opportunity for you to develop that special bond with your infant that can be difficult to attain in the NICU. Ask your nurse for additional information.
• Talk to your baby. Your baby will recognize your voice and will be comforted by it. Newborns are calmed by a soft, monotone voice.
• Make your baby's isolette like a little nursery. Bring in receiving blankets, a blanket to cover the isolette and keep light out, a music box or a tape player with lullabies, and family photos. You may bring in T-shirts and sleepers when your baby is big enough — ask your nurse when it is appropriate.
• Breastfeed your baby. If you plan on breastfeeding your baby, you should begin pumping your milk during your hospital stay. (The postpartum nurse will give you a pump kit.) Milk transported to the NICU should be on ice. You will be directed on how to label and store the milk for your baby. If you'll need a pump for more than several days, we encourage you to rent.
  
  For more information, call Memorial Hospital West Lactation Center, (954) 844-9908
• Encourage visitation. At the NICU, we encourage families to visit their baby. Visitation allows parents time to bond with their baby and also gives the staff opportunities to teach the skills parents need to know to care for their baby at home. To help ensure your baby's health and safety, the following rules apply:
  
  1. Visitation is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Tuesdays from 9 to 10am we have Grand Rounds in the unit. You will be asked to leave after your baby is discussed. You may return when rounds are over.
  
  2. Parents or designated significant others will be given ID bracelets that correspond with their baby's bracelet. These bracelets must be worn at all times. Do not take them off until your baby goes home. When visiting your baby, please be aware that your baby's nurse may ask to see the bracelet for identification purposes.
  
  3. Only TWO people should visit at the bedside at one time. If parents have additional visitors, please have them wait in the lobby. Noise level at the bedside should be kept to a minimum to enhance our quiet zone.
  
  4. Grandparents may visit with or without parents if they have been issued a grandparent bracelet. They are not permitted to bring anyone with them.
  
  5. Any child over the age of 1 years old may visit. Children age 1 to 12 need proof of immunization prior to visiting.
  
  6. When you arrive to visit, you will be buzzed in twice. Please be patient — this is to ensure the safety and security of your baby.
  
  7. Before entering the unit, everyone must wash their hands for three minutes at the sink to the left of the unit's entrance.
  
  8. In the best interest of the babies, if you or your visitors are experiencing any of the following symptoms: cough, cold, fever, rash, vomiting or diarrhea — please do not visit until you are feeling better.
  
  9. To ensure the protection and privacy of our patients and their families, information will be given directly to the parents only.

Is Your Doctor a Memorial Doctor?
To find a physician who is committed to South Florida healthcare services, call Memorial Physician Referral Service toll-free at (800) 944-DOCS. We're available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.