Neonatal units vary, but, however they are organised, their role is to provide the best possible care for premature and ill babies. If you’ve never been to one, you may picture rows of tiny babies hooked up to all sorts of machines and wonder what those are. This article will let you know a bit about what to expect. Your baby probably won’t need all of the equipment described, but it may reassure you to understand what it does in advance.

What can I expect to see in the neonatal unit?

Light and sound

If you have not had a chance to explore the unit before the birth, you may wonder why the nurses in your baby’s unit use dimmers and even put covers over the incubators to shield them from harsh lighting. Research shows that babies nursed in low light with minimal noise are more likely to go home sooner, grow faster, and need less oxygen. Bright light exposure is generally bad for your baby’s eyes, even when they’re closed. If a baby is very premature and the lights are always on, they may even disrupt their circadian rhythms. If you use the individual light next to your baby’s cot or incubator, avoid shining it into their eyes. Doctors and nurses may need the lights on periodically for ward rounds or examinations. They will usually protect your baby’s eyes if necessary.

If your baby needs to stay in a closed incubator with a cover, try lifting the flap to speak softly or sing to them. You will notice that staff speak in low voices and work unobtrusively, save for flurries of activity in an emergency. Even the volume of the alarms may be reduced. There will likely be notices around the unit reminding everyone to avoid making noise. Try your best to carry out simple tasks quietly.

Equipment

Many parents find the tubes and other equipment used to treat and monitor their babies distressing to see. We hope that this explanation of what you might come across on the neonatal unit provides you with some peace of mind.

The incubator is a special cot where your baby can be kept warm and treated. Most babies are cared for in a closed incubator, which is covered and has portholes for access. Premature babies lose lots of water through their fragile skin, and an open incubator maintains humidity poorly. However, very unwell babies are sometimes put in an open incubator with a heater overhead so staff can access them as easily and quickly as possible. They will be moved to closed incubators when they’re stable.

Infusion pumps deliver fluids and drugs to your baby in the correct amounts and at the correct rate.

Ventilators help your baby breathe. They will have an endotracheal tube inserted in their nose or mouth and attached to this machine, which blows air or oxygen into the lungs. It’s natural to worry about intubation being painful as well as whether they’ll be able to communicate with you through crying, like any other baby. Premedication can make the procedure easier, safer, and better tolerated by the baby.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) supports breathing without any intubation and is used if a baby is breathing independently but tiring easily or having episodes of sleep apnoea. Again, it can look quite unnerving, with prongs that fit into the baby’s nose. They have to fit well with a tight seal so that the CPAP machine can deliver air or oxygen under pressure to the lungs.

A cerebral function monitor (CFM) may be put on your baby’s head to assess whether or not the baby is having seizures.

A cannula is a fine tube that goes into a vein to take blood for testing or deliver fluids and drugs, procedures needed by most babies in the unit. A cannula has a fine needle inside it that’s removed once the cannula is in the vein.

A long line is a fine, flexible tube threaded along a vein, almost into the heart, and used to give liquid nourishment to babies who cannot digest as much milk as they need or cannot digest it at all.

A saturation monitor has a probe that’s wrapped around your baby’s hand or foot. It shines a light through the skin to show how much oxygen is being carried by the blood.

A suction pump removes uncomfortable secretions from your baby’s mouth or nose and makes it easier to breathe and feed.

What equipment may be used on my baby?

In this article from Unii's Premature Baby Journey, Unii looks at the equipment you can expect to see on the neonatal unit.