October 15, 2012

Visit to the NICU at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital

A neonatal intensive care unit specializes in the care of premature infants, who are at a greater

risk for short- and long-term complications.

Premature babies can be born weighing as little as 1 lb (the average infant weighs 7 lbs).

Holding helps the babies’ brains develop

Premature babies have underdeveloped lungs

o Arteries collect oxygen from the lungs through a thin membrane

If this does not occur properly, babies may appear blue

This is treated by increasing the amount of oxygen (normal is 21%)

Some babies may have an oxygen tube

Oxygen levels in the blood are constantly monitored (should be 90% and

above)

However, there should not be too much oxygen, because it can be

damaging to the eyes and can cause blindness

o Some premature babies do not know when to breathe in and out (process

regulated by the brain)

These babies are put on ventilators

Preemies may not be able to maintain their body temperature

o They lose body heat through thin skin

They are kept in incubators

Preemies’ temperatures are constantly monitored (should be 98.6 degrees)

Premature infants cannot get nutrition the same way as full term infants

o May not be strong enough to nurse, or their digestive tract may not be able to

absorb nutrients

Some babies are fed their mother’s milk through a feeding tube

Some are fed intravenously

Jaundice is very common in premature babies

o Caused by high levels of bilirubin in the blood, which can lead to brain damage

o Babies appear yellow

Treated by bili lights, which are blue lights that convert the bilirubin by

speeding up the natural chemical reaction that occurs in the blood, so that

it can be excreted through urine

Having a premature baby can be difficult for the family

o Parents need instruction because caring for a premature baby is very different

from caring for a full term baby

o The cost of neonatal care is high. If a baby is in the hospital for 2-3 months, the

bill can easily exceed $1 million.

o A large number of parents don’t speak English. At Lucille Packard, there are

translators who come from Stanford and volunteer