Neonatal Intensive care unit (NICU)

We do our best for your New born baby
(Accredited as Level III A by National Neonatology Forum, New Delhi)

Balgopal Children’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides specialised medical care exclusively for newborn infants. The unit is for preterm and unwell infants born before 37 weeks or after 24 weeks of gestation. Our NICU Level 3 provides specialised nursery care for neonates who have reached at least 24 weeks gestation. The foundation of our services is our team of skilled and knowledgeable medical professionals, including physicians and nurses. They possess the extensive knowledge, skills, expertise, and experience to assess and treat patients quickly, ensuring that neonates with critical illnesses or injuries receive the highest quality care possible.

At Balgopal Children’s Hospital, we take pride in our cutting-edge facility that can easily handle even the most complex medical cases. Our advanced medical equipment and proven methods for critical case management ensure reliable intensive care. Our hospital boasts a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and an Adult High Dependency Unit, which are fully equipped to provide exceptional care. The National Neonatology Forum has certified our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as the highest level of intensive care. This ensures that our patients receive the absolute best treatment possible. For patients with critical medical needs, you can count on us to provide exceptional care and to deliver the best possible outcome for you or your loved ones. Balgopal Hospital’s NICU Level 3 is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and well-equipped infrastructure, ensuring the highest standards of care.

The NICU Level 3 at Balgopal Children Hospital offers 24/7 infant care and life support. It includes critical medical and surgical care, mechanical ventilation, and high-frequency mechanical ventilation for babies who cannot breathe independently. Additionally, the NICU Level 3 at Balgopal Children Hospital closely monitors infants for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which can cause blindness, and provides treatment as needed.

The Level 3 NICU at Balgopal Children Hospital’s medical team can perform minor surgical procedures, including umbilical vessel catheterization.. This catheterization process involves the insertion of a catheter into a blood vessel in the infant’s umbilical cord stump for blood pressure monitoring and blood withdrawal without using a needle. Level 3 NICUs have pediatric surgical centres on-site or nearby for major surgeries. These surgeries include PDA ligation, which corrects a heart defect, and bowel surgery, which treats NEC, a severe infection of the intestinal lining.

Balgopal Hospital’s NICU Level 3 provides advanced technologies for the quick recovery of premature infants.

Balgopal Hospital NICU Level 3 has state-of-the-art technology and well-equipped infrastructure :

  1. Modular design NICU (Neonatal Intensive care unit) for personalized care.
  2. NICU with Hepa-filtered Air – Air-Conditioning & Air Exchange for Infection Control.
  3. Best in Class Bed Head Units for central delivery of Electrical & Medical Gas Systems
  4. State Art Modular Operation Theatre to assist all high-end Neonatal and Pediatric Surgeries by Pediatric Surgeons.
  5. Code Blue Nurse call system.
  6. Latest Hygiene Practices (RO water for hand washing) and medical Grade Vinyl (Sweden) surfaces to assist cleaning and infection control.
  7. Complete Fledged Central Sterilization & Supply Department (CSSD) with Modern State of the art equipment
  8. Advanced Neonatal Transport Service (with Transport Ventilation)- ICU on wheels Ambulance

Special Features

  1. Various types of ventilators with conventional and advanced modes, including High-Frequency Ventilators (HFO)
  2. Inhaled Nitric Oxide(iNO)- Severe Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN).
  3. CPAP and HHHFNC respiratory support system.
  4. Neonatal Incubator – for keeping extremely low birth weight babies, which gives exceptional thermal performance to help newborns thrive.
  5. Total Parenteral Nutrition (Prepared in Laminar Flow).
  6. Therapeutic Hypothermia (Criticool) for Neonates with Birth Asphyxia.
  7. Transcutaneous estimation of Bilirubin level without pricking the newborn,
  8. ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) screening for Premature Babies.
  9. Hearing assessment OAE and BERA test
  10. Exchange Transfusion, Phototherapy.
  11. Portable X-Ray, Bedside USG, 2D Echo, EEG & ECG

Which babies need NICU?

Most babies admitted to the NICU are

  • Those born prematurely, before 37 weeks,
  • Babies who have low birth weight(<2.5kg) or
  • Babies with health conditions (breathing trouble, heart problems, infection or birth defects/congenital disability) need special care.
  • If the baby is experiencing seizures or has low blood sugar
  • If the baby is anaemic

Preterm babies are born too soon, before 37 weeks of gestation.

World Health Organization has categorized preterm birth depending on how early a baby is born:

  • Extreme preterm (less than 28 weeks),
  • Very preterm (28-32 weeks), moderate, and
  • Late preterm (32-37 weeks).

A premature baby often requires an extended stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This is because premature infants have underdeveloped respiratory systems, need assistance with breathing, may develop a heart condition known as PDA due to their premature birth, face challenges regulating their body temperature due to lack of body fat and immature skin, may experience digestive issues due to an underdeveloped intestine, and are more susceptible to infections as a result of their premature birth.

There are certain factors related to the delivery process that may require special neonatal care, such as:

  • Fetal distress caused by insufficient oxygen supply during birth
  • Breech birth, i.e. if the baby’s bottom comes out first
  • If the baby releases meconium while still enclosed in the amniotic sac, it is vital to take appropriate action.
  • If the baby’s umbilical cord gets wrapped around their neck
  • In case of complications, the doctors will conduct a C-section instead of a normal delivery.

Balgopal Hospital NICU Level 3 comprises neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) that typically allocate a distinct section for infants requiring specialized nursing care but not in life-threatening conditions. Newborns weighing less than 1500 grams or born before the 32nd week of pregnancy require care from level 3 NICUs. Premature infants with low birth weight stand a better chance of recovery at level 3 medical facilities.