Understanding the NICU: What Parents of Preemies and other Hospitalized Newborns Need to Know

by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Jeanette Zaichkin (Editor)

Most parents do not expect to begin life with their new baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). They often feel lost and powerless amidst this new world of medical vocabulary, technology, and numerous health care providers.

Understanding the NICU will guide you through your NICU journey, help you communicate with members of the NICU team, and learn about your baby’s condition so that you can ask questions and participate as a valuable partner in your baby’s care. It will also provide important information about how to care for your baby after you leave the hospital and head home with your little one.

Included in the book are inspirational stories from parents who have had their own NICU experiences, bringing hope and comfort to other parents with an infant who is hospitalized.

Understanding the NICU provides you with everything you need to know about
• Common NICU equipment and tests
• Common medical problems for babies in the NICU
• Special health issues for premature infants
• Who's who in the NICU and how to work with the team
• Mother-baby effects on newborn health
• Feeding your baby
• Parenting in the NICU
• Birth defects and surgery
• Heading home from the NICU
• Home at last
• Caring for your baby in the first year

Intensive care is stressful by nature and overwhelming at times. Reading this book and learning about what happens in the NICU will help you gain confidence and feel more reassured about your baby’s care in the NICU -- and at home.

Genres: Nonfiction

260 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2016

About the author

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is the largest professional association of pediatricians in the United States. It is headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, and maintains an office in Washington, D.C. The AAP has published hundreds of policy statements, ranging from advocacy issues to practice recommendations.

Reviews

[Cristina Corrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I thought the book did a good job at what it aims to do. It does a really good job of explaining the medical terms of the NICU in plain terms that anyone can understand. Still I was disappointed at the representation of the families featured in the book. They were overwhelmingly white families, which is not the reality of most NICUs. Not enough people know about the disproportionate number of Black and Native American families that are affected by premature birth and other perinatal comorbidities and mortality. The book does not mention this or speak to the experiences of these families.

[giselle ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this honestly made me more scared and worried about things that I don’t need to be for my preemie. great info overall, but I had to take a step back and remember that I trust my child’s medical team (tho that might not be true for everyone).