Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
NICU Levels - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Because NICU's are so costly and such
specialized treatment facilities they are categorized by level of care and region
Level 1 NICU
Level II NICU
Level III NICU
Level 1V NICU
Level I NICU: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Able to identify at risk pregnancies and
neonates; able to provide emergency care for complications; small community hospitals
Level II NICU: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Usually in urban areas; able to manage most
maternal and neonatal complications; transitional care nursery; in-house anesthesia;
ventilation; neonatal monitoring; 24-hour blood gas; radiography / ultrasonography,
nutritional and respiratory therapy
Examples:
Central Maine Medical Center, Lewiston, Maine
Maine General, Augusta, Maine
Level III NICU: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Full range of maternal and neonatal care; able
to care for the most complex neonatal conditions; neonatologist on staff; pediatric surgeon on
staff; geneticist, radiologist, anesthesiologists, and epidemiologist on staff
Examples:
Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine
Eastern Maine Medical Center, Bangor, Maine
Level IV NICU: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Similar to level III but can provide on-site
surgical repair for serious birth defects; also provide training to lower level NICUs
Examples:
, Mass General Hospital, Boston, MA
Gestational age: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Gestational age: the total number of weeks the
infant spent in utero before birth
Chronological age: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Chronological age: the number of weeks /
months / years since infant's birth
Corrected Age: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Corrected age: the age the infant would be had
she been born at term
Example: 27 weeks GA; 40 - 27 = 13 weeks premature; this number is subtracted from the
chronological age to get the corrected age. An infant turning 12 months old would have the
corrected age of 9 months (12 months - 13 weeks)
Gestational vs. Corrected Age - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Under-correction: normal;
infants would present as delayed if their age was left uncorrected
Over-correction: abnormal infants would score in the normal range if the assessment was
done prior to first birthday, particularly for infants born less than 33 weeks.
Correct vs. do not correct: the decision should be based on the purpose of the assessment &
instrument used
When the purpose if to detect a developmental delay then use the uncorrected age. When the
assessment is used to measure progress use corrected age and follow the procedures of the
assessment
Birth Weight - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Average size: 2500 grams 5 lbs., 5 oz.
Low Birth Weight (LBW): 1500-2500 grams / 5 lbs. 8 oz.
Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW): 1000-1500 grams / 3 lbs./ 5 oz.
Extremely Low Birth Weight (ELBW): less than 1000 grams / 2 lbs. 3 oz.
Ultralow Birth Weight (ULBW): less than 750 grams / 1 lb. 10 oz.
Appropriate for Gestational Age (AGA): between 10th -90th percentile
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
NICU Levels - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Because NICU's are so costly and such
specialized treatment facilities they are categorized by level of care and region
Level 1 NICU
Level II NICU
Level III NICU
Level 1V NICU
Level I NICU: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Able to identify at risk pregnancies and
neonates; able to provide emergency care for complications; small community hospitals
Level II NICU: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Usually in urban areas; able to manage most
maternal and neonatal complications; transitional care nursery; in-house anesthesia;
ventilation; neonatal monitoring; 24-hour blood gas; radiography / ultrasonography,
nutritional and respiratory therapy
Examples:
Central Maine Medical Center, Lewiston, Maine
Maine General, Augusta, Maine
Level III NICU: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Full range of maternal and neonatal care; able
to care for the most complex neonatal conditions; neonatologist on staff; pediatric surgeon on
staff; geneticist, radiologist, anesthesiologists, and epidemiologist on staff
Examples:
Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine
Eastern Maine Medical Center, Bangor, Maine
Level IV NICU: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Similar to level III but can provide on-site
surgical repair for serious birth defects; also provide training to lower level NICUs
Examples:
, Mass General Hospital, Boston, MA
Gestational age: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Gestational age: the total number of weeks the
infant spent in utero before birth
Chronological age: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Chronological age: the number of weeks /
months / years since infant's birth
Corrected Age: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Corrected age: the age the infant would be had
she been born at term
Example: 27 weeks GA; 40 - 27 = 13 weeks premature; this number is subtracted from the
chronological age to get the corrected age. An infant turning 12 months old would have the
corrected age of 9 months (12 months - 13 weeks)
Gestational vs. Corrected Age - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Under-correction: normal;
infants would present as delayed if their age was left uncorrected
Over-correction: abnormal infants would score in the normal range if the assessment was
done prior to first birthday, particularly for infants born less than 33 weeks.
Correct vs. do not correct: the decision should be based on the purpose of the assessment &
instrument used
When the purpose if to detect a developmental delay then use the uncorrected age. When the
assessment is used to measure progress use corrected age and follow the procedures of the
assessment
Birth Weight - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Average size: 2500 grams 5 lbs., 5 oz.
Low Birth Weight (LBW): 1500-2500 grams / 5 lbs. 8 oz.
Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW): 1000-1500 grams / 3 lbs./ 5 oz.
Extremely Low Birth Weight (ELBW): less than 1000 grams / 2 lbs. 3 oz.
Ultralow Birth Weight (ULBW): less than 750 grams / 1 lb. 10 oz.
Appropriate for Gestational Age (AGA): between 10th -90th percentile
