Neonatal means ‘new born’. Neonatal units like ours specialise in the care of babies born early, with low weight or who have a medical condition that requires specialised treatment.
Four levels of care
Within the unit, there are four different levels of care:
Intensive care - provided for babies who have serious problems, who are very premature (those born more than three months early) and/or have an extremely low birth weight (birth weight less than 1500 grams). In the Neonatal Unit, intensive care is provided in rooms 1, 2 and 7.
High dependency care - provided for babies with less serious problems but who still need a great deal of observation and support and for those who are recovering from critical illness. In the Neonatal Unit, high dependency care is provided in rooms 3, 4 & 5.
Low dependency - provided for babies who do not require continuous observation and/or who are stable and growing. In the Neonatal Unit, special care is provided in room 6.
Transitional care - is provided for babies who need some medical treatment but who are well enough to be cared for at their mother’s bedside. Transitional care is located within the maternity area of the hospital.