All NICUs care for babies who need special help, but different NICUs offer different levels of care. The first hour of life for a very low birth weight baby is often called “the golden hour,” because it’s so important to a premature baby’s future. The level of care that a baby receives in the first hour of life will determine how that baby does for the rest of its life. There are many studies that show that babies born at the highest level center have a much better outcome. If you’re going to have a premature baby, you want to have that baby at the highest level center available. UI Children’s Hospital is home to a Level IV NICU – the highest designation possible, according to standards specified by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Level 1: Level 1 nurseries care for healthy, full-term babies. They are able to stabilize babies born near term to get them ready to transfer to facilities that offer special care. Level 2: Level 2 NICUs (special care nursery) can care for babies born around 32 weeks gestational age or greater and for full-term babies who need close monitoring or IV antibiotics after birth. Special care nurseries can treat babies with some health problems of prematurity, such as jaundice and trouble eating or staying warm. Level 3: Level 3 NICUs can provide intensive care for babies born at all gestational ages. The definition of a Level 3 NICU may vary in different states or hospitals, but all Level 3 NICUs can care for babies born at more than 28 weeks, can provide respiratory support for babies who are having trouble breathing, and can deliver IV fluids to babies who cannot take milk feedings. Level 4: A level 4 NICU is an intensive care unit that can care for premature babies as young as 22 to 24 weeks gestational age. Level 4 NICUs can provide sophisticated types of respiratory support for very sick babies, and offer a wide variety of neonatal surgeries.
