It’s that time of year again when I bring to you some information around NICU awareness. This year I want to talk to you about different things that might bring someone and their baby into the NICU to begin with. There are so many reasons other than my own (eclampsia causing early delivery). As always I will link some of my previous posts in case you missed them because these are probably the most important posts on my blog!
** These are in no particular order & most of this information has come from actual NICU moms and March of Dimes **
- Prematurity – Babies born before 37 weeks have the potential of spending time in the NICU. Prematurity alone is not a reason for a NICU stay. There are other factors below that cause the stay, but prematurity is listed as the highest cause for NICU stays.
- Heart Issues – This is another unfortunately common issue in the NICU.
– Bradycardia (slow heart rate)
– Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD, hole in the heart) - Lung Issues –
– Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn
– Respiratory distress syndrome
– Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (damaged airways)
– Birth asphyxia (when the organs don’t get enough oxygen after birth) - Illness – There are SO many illnesses that can happen, but these are
– Jaundice
– Anemia - Infections –
– Bacterial meningitis
– Pneumonia
– Sepsis
– Strep B (or other infections passes on by the mother) - Other Conditions –
– Withdrawal from alcohol or narcotics
– Safe Haven drop off (a baby dropped of at fire station or hospital)
– Feeding Problems
– Blood Sugar issues (hypoglycemia)
The list is long and there are so many others that are missing from this list. These are the most common reasons that babies are sent to the NICU. No one wants to find themselves with a child in the NICU, but a lot of us have found ourselves there and it helps to know that we are not alone. Below I will share my previous NICU awareness blog posts where you can learn more about NICU life and how to help families who find themselves living out this nightmare. Thank you again for being here and taking the time to support these families.
Articles:
A Life In Review 
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