Mother-Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (M-NICU): A Novel Concept in Newborn Care

Abstract

Health facilities in India are faced with the challenge of providing quality newborn care in the face of major skilled human resource shortage. A possible solution is the concept of Mother-Neonatal ICU (M-NICU), where the mother has her bed inside the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by the side of baby's warmer. Our observations in M-NICU of a public sector hospital in New Delhi, India, indicate that mothers can be easily trained to follow asepsis routines and monitor the neonates, and are better prepared for their post-discharge care. Incorporating space for both mothers and their newborns in level-II NICUs may provide quality and developmentally supportive newborn care in coming years.