NICU / PICU
Intensive care units for newborns and critically ill children
Overview
The neonatal intensive care unit looks after newborns who are premature, underweight or unwell after birth. The paediatric intensive care unit cares for older children with serious illness or injury.
Both units provide continuous monitoring of breathing, heart rate and oxygen levels, with ventilatory support, controlled feeding and infection precautions appropriate to a child's size.
Procedures & treatments
- Continuous cardiac and oxygen monitoring
- Ventilatory and respiratory support
- Care of premature and low birth weight babies
- Phototherapy for neonatal jaundice
- Intravenous fluid and nutrition support
- Management of paediatric critical illness
Conditions we treat
- Prematurity and low birth weight
- Neonatal respiratory distress
- Severe neonatal jaundice
- Neonatal infection
- Severe childhood pneumonia and asthma attack
- Dehydration and shock in children
Why it helps
- Round-the-clock monitoring by trained staff
- Strict infection control practices
- Parents kept informed of daily progress
- Paediatric team available on site
Frequently asked questions
Can parents visit the unit?
Yes, within defined visiting arrangements that protect the babies and children from infection.
How long do babies stay in the NICU?
It depends entirely on the reason for admission — from a couple of days to several weeks for very premature babies.
Can a mother's milk be given in the NICU?
Expressed breast milk is encouraged wherever the baby's condition allows it.
This page is general health information and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult our doctors for diagnosis and treatment.