NICU Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be in the room when the doctors visit my baby?

You are welcome to be present for rounds with the medical team during the day, but can also be updated at other times during the day or overnight. Your baby’s nurse can answer questions for you at any time. If you would like to speak with a physician, please let your nurse know. If a physician is not available to come to the bedside immediately, we can make arrangements for a visit or phone call at another time.

How can I get updates on my baby when I am not present?

You will be given a password in order to receive information about your baby over the phone. You can share this password if you like, but whoever has it will be able to hear medical information about your baby.
Before you leave the hospital after discharge, you will need to complete some simple paperwork. Please be sure to give us several contact numbers in case the medical team needs to reach you while you are away. You can write these numbers on the whiteboard in your baby’s room.
Please respect the privacy of other families in the unit. You may take pictures or video of your own infant, but not of other babies. We will not be able to give you any information about other babies or families in the NICU.

Can I stay the night in my baby’s room?

Two adults who have been issued a badge may sleep separately in the baby’s room overnight. The curtain in the room may be closed for breastfeeding/pumping privacy, but should remain open if more
than one person is sleeping in the family area. You may request linens from your baby’s nurse. These should be stored in the drawers beneath the sofa, and the bed returned to its couch position by 8 a.m. each morning.
Appropriate sleeping attire must be worn when staying overnight. Except for sleeping and showering, shoes must be worn in the unit at all times. Intimate (sex, inappropriate touching and kissing, etc.) contact is not permitted in the patient rooms, family area, or any other area of the hospital.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas has a Family Area on the 5th floor in between the F and the H wings of the NICU. There are sleep rooms for families to stay the night in, a kitchen and small living area as well.

The Family Home of Little Rock is located across the street from UAMS. The rooms are equipped for two adults to stay the night. Please talk to your baby’s social worker to see if you meet the qualifications to stay there.

How can I help to prevent infection?

All parents and visitors who enter the NICU must be in good health. Please do not visit if you are ill, including:

fever
vomiting or diarrhea
cough
runny nose
other respiratory symptoms

Remember to wash your hands before touching or holding your baby. There is a sink in every room with soap. There are also hand gel dispensers and device-cleaning stations (with wipes for your cell phone or other devices) around the unit.

We encourage you to ask staff if they have washed their hands before touching your baby especially if you have not witnessed it.
The only excuse for not washing hands before touching your baby is in an emergency.

What can I do to help keep my baby safe?

Please allow your baby’s nurse to get your baby in and out of the warmer or isolette.

Please do not touch patient care equipment in the room (such as monitors, oxygen equipment or tubing, IV pumps, etc.). Please do not silence any of the alarms!

Certain appliances (such as hairdryers and curling irons) may not be used in the baby’s room.

Home infant safety or monitoring devices are not approved by the UAMS Bioengineering Department and cannot be used in the NICU.

Can I use my cell phone while in my baby’s room?

Please keep your cell phones on vibrate or silent when in the baby’s room, to help us keep noise levels to a minimum.

Can I eat in my baby’s room?

To maintain the cleanliness of your baby’s room, we ask that all food items be labeled and stored in the family area refrigerator and cabinets. Drinks with covered lids may be kept with you in your baby’s room.

Can I smoke?

UAMS is a smoke-free campus. This includes e-cigarettes and vaping devices. There will be a fine and a ticket for violating.

Where can I store my personal items?

Please keep your personal items in your baby’s room. UAMS is not responsible for lost or stolen items, so please keep your valuables with you at all times. You may inquire at the front desk about reserving a locker in the family room to store your belongings.

Who will be in baby’s room/caring for my baby?

The NICU is a busy place. Babies need constant monitoring and 24-hour care from different health care providers. All of these health professionals are part of a team that is working to help your baby get stronger and help you cope while your baby is in the NICU. You are an important member of this team as well. Please ask questions and be involved in the care of your baby!

Resources

Books

Understanding the NICU (Published by the American Academy of Pediatrics)
Anchored: Finding Hope in the Unexpected (Kayla Aimee)
Girl in Glass (Deanna Fei)
Preemie Voices (Saroj Saigal)
The Premature Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Premature Baby from Birth to Age One (Sears Parenting Library)
Once Upon a Preemie (Jenné Johns)