Why are babies admitted?

Some of the common reasons why babies are admitted to the neonatal unit are:

- Prematurity (under around 35 weeks)

- Low birthweight (under around 1.8kg, or 4lbs)

- Breathing difficulties

- Low blood sugar

- Jaundice

- Poor feeding

- Infection

- Any unusual behaviour or findings which require further investigation or treatment

Babies born prematurely will often need help with some of the problems mentioned above. Almost all will need help with feeding for a while, and the more premature they are, the more likely they will be to need help with breathing, treatment for jaundice etc.