Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU)
This level of care is for babies who need their breathing and heart rate monitored. Your baby may need oxygen, fluid through the vein through a cannula, help with feeding through a nasogastric tube and/or medication. We maintain a quiet, calm environment where light levels are kept low and unnecessary noise is kept to a minimum.
High Dependency Unit (HDU):
This level of care is for babies who need more help with their breathing for example, using a CPAP mask or High flow nasal Cannula. Your baby may need fluid and specialised feeding through the vein, Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) and/or medication.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU):
This level of care is for babies who need the highest level of support, for example, babies who are very premature from 22 weeks gestation, who need emergency surgery, or who are very unwell with complex medical needs, including cardiac and neurological problems, as well as newborn babies with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy and retinopathy of prematurity.
Your baby may need a breathing tube and breathing support via a ventilator, fluid through a vein and/or TPN and medication.
When baby does not need the specialist care and equipment of the NICU anymore, your baby will be moved to HDU or SCBU. Babies tend to move from intensive care to high dependency and then to special care as they improve and are prepared for going home.
