Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Provide quality, compassionate, and family centered Neonatal Care (Level III) to newborns greater than 27 weeks of gestation. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit provides stabilization and pre-transfer care to infants born less than 27 weeks gestation and those who require a higher level of care.
The 12-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a special area of the Maternal Child Health Section in Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center where doctors and nurses provide around-the-clock care to criticall ill premature and term newborns. In the NICU, babies receive more intensive attention than is possible in a regular newborn nursery. The NICU staff members have special training in their fields.
Parents may visit their infant 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, parents will be asked to leave the NICU during the following:
Parents must show proper wristband identification or ID card prior to visiting their infant:
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Only two visitors per infant are allowed at any time
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Siblings may visit if they are accompanied by a parent with a copy of their up to date immunization record.
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No siblings are permitted to visit if he/she has an upper respiratory infection, temperature, has been exposed to a communicable disease, or has not had chicken pox.
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Grandparents may visit, at anytime, if accompanied by one of the parents
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The mother may designate one "significant other" if the father is unavailable or not involved. However, the “significant other” is not allowed to bring visitors into the NICU.
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No children under 12 years of age are allowed on the unit from 1 OCT – 1 APR (RSV Season).
Policies
The NICU policies and procedures are in compliance with the following regulatory guidance:
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
- Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)
- Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN)
Newborn Care Guide