Babies who need special care

Some babies need special care in hospital, sometimes on the ordinary postnatal ward and sometimes in a Neonatal Unit (NNU), also known as a Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Babies who may need special care include:

• babies who are born early – babies born earlier than 34 weeks may need extra help breathing, feeding and keeping warm, and the earlier they are born the more help they are likely to need;
• babies who are very small or who have life-threatening conditions, usually affecting their breathing, heart and circulation;
• babies born to diabetic mothers, or babies where the delivery has been very difficult, may need to be kept under close observation for a time;
• babies with very marked jaundice;
• babies awaiting or recovering from complex surgery.

Information provided by Health Promotion England.