Full term NICU admissions
NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Units) are places we typically link to babies born early, but babies born at full term, which is considered to be 37 weeks and beyond, can have stays too! Visits can be brief, or you could find yourself in for a while.
No matter what your circumstances, NICU visits when your baby is full term is a difficult time. Typically, a full-term baby with minor breathing problems, jaundice, or infection are required to stay for a few days to a few weeks, depending on your baby’s recovery, Harer, Moreno 2019. The important message to take from this information is that babies of any term can end up in the NICU, health issues that require NICU attention do not discriminate on age!
Our latest term ambassababy to be in NICU is Serena, born at 36 weeks, (who was only a week away from being classed as full term) required a brief stint in NICU to receive oxygen therapy. We would love to hear from you if you have a story about a NICU stay and a full-term babe, as it is a lot more common than you may think.
