The hospital has become more flexible in terms of visiting hours. The baby doesn't go back to the nursery and visitors are encouraged to hold the baby, too. Should the medical staff detect any abnormality, from an infection to a congenital anomaly requiring surgery, they place the baby in a neonatal intensive care unit, sometimes for just a few hours. For more serious problems, the baby could remain in the hospital for weeks. Heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and carbon dioxide counts are monitored.
Neonatology is a rapidly advancing field, and there are always encouraging new developments.
It refers to any illness that develops during pregnancy, such as toxemia or a complication of pregnancy such as a separating placenta, or even a woman who has had a premature birth in the past. It could also refer to a particular condition detected in the fetus through ultrasound. Skolnick says that nationally about 3 percent of all newborns are transferred to an ICU for some period of time. Another 3 percent to 4 percent require a lesser level of special care. Saint Peter's is set up to support that family with a multi-disciplinary effort.