When Your Newborn Needs More — We Are Ready
Paramitha's Level III NICU provides the highest level of neonatal intensive care for premature and critically ill newborns — 24 hours a day, staffed by specialist neonatologists and trained NICU nurses.
Paramitha Hospitals operates a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Hyderabad — the highest level of neonatal care designation, capable of managing extremely premature infants (from 24 weeks gestation), very low birth weight babies (under 1,000 grams), and newborns with life-threatening medical or surgical conditions. The NICU is staffed 24 hours a day by qualified neonatologists and NICU-trained nursing staff. Equipment and capabilities include servo-controlled incubators, invasive mechanical ventilation, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV), surfactant therapy, CPAP, nitric oxide therapy, total parenteral nutrition (TPN), phototherapy, and continuous multi-parameter monitoring. Paramitha's NICU follows a family-centred care philosophy in which parents are integral members of the care team.
Understanding NICU Levels — Why Level III Matters
Level I (Well Newborn Nursery) provides routine care for healthy term babies. Level II (Special Care Nursery) cares for moderately premature babies born after 32 weeks. Level III (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) provides comprehensive care for extremely premature infants, very low birth weight babies, and newborns with critical conditions requiring full life support including mechanical ventilation. Paramitha operates at Level III.
Who Needs the NICU?
- Premature birth — born before 37 weeks gestation
- Very low birth weight (VLBW) — under 1,500 grams
- Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) — managed with surfactant and ventilatory support
- Neonatal sepsis, hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), and severe jaundice
- Congenital heart disease, neonatal hypoglycaemia, and meconium aspiration syndrome
- Birth asphyxia and infants of diabetic mothers
NICU Equipment & Capabilities at Paramitha
Servo-Controlled Incubators
Maintain precise, individualised thermal environments for infants who cannot regulate their own body temperature.
Ventilatory Support — Full Spectrum
- Supplemental oxygen (nasal cannula, headbox)
- CPAP — non-invasive breathing support
- Conventional invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV)
- High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation (HFOV)
Surfactant Therapy
Exogenous surfactant administered via the INSURE technique to rapidly improve lung compliance in preterm infants.
Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)
Complete intravenous nutrition formulated for each baby's weight and clinical status when enteral feeds are not possible.
Phototherapy Units
Intensive LED phototherapy with double-surface phototherapy available for severe neonatal jaundice.
Care Pathways in the NICU
The premature baby's journey: Admission and stabilisation (Day 1) → Intensive phase with ventilatory weaning and TPN (Days 1–14) → Growing phase with Kangaroo Mother Care and oral feeding (Week 2+) → Step-down phase with increasing parental involvement → Discharge planning when temperature, feeding, and weight trajectory are stable.
Family-Centred Care in the NICU
- Open visiting policy — parents encouraged at the bedside as care partners.
- Daily medical rounds with dedicated updates in language you can understand.
- Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) introduced as soon as the baby is stable.
- Lactation counsellors support expressed breast milk feeding via nasogastric tube.
- Psychological support and counselling for families navigating prolonged NICU admissions.
After the NICU — NICU Graduate Follow-Up Programme
- Neurodevelopmental surveillance at corrected ages 6, 12, 18, and 24 months.
- Growth monitoring on WHO corrected-age growth charts.
- ROP screening for infants born before 32 weeks or under 1,500 grams.
- Hearing assessment (BERA) before discharge or at first follow-up.
- Immunisation catch-up per IAP guidelines based on chronological age.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions patients ask us most often.
A Level III NICU is the highest designation for neonatal intensive care. It can care for extremely premature infants (from 24 weeks), very low birth weight babies, and critically ill newborns requiring mechanical ventilation and full life support. Paramitha Hospitals operates a Level III NICU in Hyderabad.