Comprehensive Changes in the Neonatal iCU are Enhancing the Pre-Term Infant's Earliest Experiences

Welcome Brandi and Jade, 4 pounds 3 ounces, combined Sherry and Chris DiCesare were delighted to learn they were going to have twins. But Sherry developed life-threatening toxemia, and in her 28th week, she required an emergency cesarean section to deliver Brandi (2 lbs) and Jade (2 lbs, 3 ozs). Sherry and Chris watched as a team of NYU specialists in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) fought to keep their babies alive. "I can't explain what it felt like," recalls Sherry, "to see your children, so tiny and helpless, hooked up to so many machines."

The Modern ICU - A Stunning Success

Today's neonatal intensive care is responsible for dramatic declines in mortality among pre-term infants. "But," says Karen Hendricks-Muñoz, MD, Director of NYU's Neonatology Program and Associate Professor of Pediatrics, "even with expert care, the course of a low birthweight infant is often like a roller coaster, and constant vigilance is essential. That's why the NICU is crowded with equipment for life support and continuous monitoring of newborns' vital functions." The bright and noisy NICU, however, contrasts sharply with the warm, dark, natural environment of the uterus. At the very time newborns' brains are developing faster than ever, they are subjected to harsh stimuli typical of many NICUs. "The pre-term infant is not ready for these experiences, which can adversely affect development and prolong the infant's stay in the NICU," Dr. Hendricks-Muñoz said.