The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is equipped with state-of-the-art ventilation and monitoring devices, which adapt the infants' breathing rate to the data and provide accurate information about each hospitalized baby at any given moment. It is the only unit in the country equipped with an MRI device specifically tailored for neonates. Advanced incubators are also available, providing warmth and protection to infants even in an open state. The incubators are equipped with a ventilator and monitoring equipment and can be moved to the delivery room to provide optimal conditions for the newborn from the moment of birth. All these facilities offer a wide range of tracking and treatment options.
The department's nurses have years of experience in caring for newborns in general and premature infants in particular. They provide each baby, together with their family, with personalized, patient, and devoted care.
Every week, the NICU team holds joint meetings with the delivery room team to prepare for the births of women hospitalized at high risk of premature birth. The triage process in the NICU is a unique model developed at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center. During this process, each premature baby undergoes a well-organized diagnostic procedure that lasts no more than four hours, during which the initial decision on the type of treatment is made (intensive care for preterm infants, intermediate care, or discharge if the baby is confirmed to be healthy).
5%-10% of infants are born prematurely, and it is only natural that the largest birthing center in Israel would operate an advanced and large NICU accordingly. The premature birth rate at Shaare Zedek is one of the lowest in Israel, resulting from the substantial improvement in pre-birth treatment and monitoring and an emphasis on non-invasive fertility methods. Nevertheless, at any given moment, the NICU treats more than 50 premature infants. During the planning of the next-generation building of the hospital, the expected growth and future needs of Jerusalem's population and the NICU were taken into account. The new NICU was built to meet these demands.
The NICU team operates with great sensitivity to the distress of parents who may need to leave their child in the NICU for an extended period. The NICU is open for parents and family visits around the clock, and it provides a separate space for families to stay close to each incubator in the hospital rooms. The families also have access to bathroom facilities, waiting and sleeping chairs, and breastfeeding rooms.
Out of concern for the family's well-being and an awareness of the challenges that arise upon the infant's discharge and arrival at home, two unique adaptation rooms were established in the NICU, the first of their kind in Israel, designed to prepare parents for the expected change. Parents can sleep in the adaptation room with their baby during their last night in the hospital, with medical staff available to assist if needed. The room has been found to alleviate parents' concerns about the discharge and their separation from close medical supervision, building their self-assurance in their ability to care for their child independently.
After discharge, the baby is invited to a multi-team follow-up clinic, which includes neonatologists, a communication specialist, and a physiotherapist. The frequency of follow-up is tailored to the baby's medical condition.