Neonatal nurses are nurses that are trained to take care of infants that have a serious illness or are born premature. “Approximately 40,000 low-birth-weight infants are born annually in the United States. Because of significant medical advances …show more content…
Most babies in this care unit are usually premature, have low birth weight, or have a medical condition that requires the special care. “Neonatal nurses provide complete care for babies. They attend deliveries, weigh and measure …show more content…
“When you drink alcohol or do drug, just remember, your child is drinking and doing them as well” ("FAS/FAS-D”). Being a drug addicted baby may not show right when you are born. Most of the time, the children have learning problems and learning disabilities. Sudden infant death syndrome, stillbirth, miscarriage, seizures and strokes are some consequences for the infant is you are using drug or an alcoholic while pregnant. Newborns will be monitored for as long as forty-eight to seventy-two hours after birth. During these hours, the nurses will be monitoring their sleep habits, temperature and weight. The earliest withdrawal symptoms may be treated by swaddling, intravenous fluids, rocking, holding, a low stimulation environment, and small feeding of hypercaloric-formula for weight gain. During this intensive care, the nurses demand sharp monitoring skills, and usually start with maintaining the IV lines, assessing vital signs, drawing blood and managing ventilators. Neonatal nurses have 8-12 hour shifts. During those 12 hours, the nurses are also working with needles, incubators and ventilators. When infants need