NICU
Precautions - Underage Visitors
So what does 'underage' precisely mean in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit? While it may vary from unit to unit, generally it means anyone under the age of 18. With the exception of siblings of the infant, many NICUs will not allow any children under the age of 18 visitation privileges.
The reasons are mainly three-fold:
- Children under the age of 18 have immune systems that have not quite completely adapted to all the bacteria and viruses out in the everyday environment. This leads to the stronger likelihood they can easily contract illness, thus making it a higher probability to get the infant sick.
- Many children under 18 have not had their complete set of vaccinations yet. This risks the NICU infant to exposure to very harmful diseases and illnesses.
- Children in this age range are constantly around other children of similar ranges who share risk factors 1 and 2. This creates even further risk that the child visiting the NICU is more likely to pass on something to the infant.