What is the average stay for a baby in the NICU?

The average NICU stay for an infant born with gastroschisis is 6 weeks37 but may be up to one year38 or longer. The CDC released a report in 2007 which acknowledged that of newborns with birth defects, the longest hospital stay tends to be for those who had surgically repaired gastroschisis, with an average stay of 41 days.39There is wide variation in the length of hospital stays for gastroschisis babies, which depends mostly on the length of time needed to establish intestinal function and the degree of prematurity.40 For this reason, it is difficult to predict how long your baby will be in the NICU before your child is born.

37. www.seattlechildrens.org/pdf/PE731.pdf

38. http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/07/13/ije.dys092.full#ref-5

39. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5602a1.htm

40. http://www.minnesotaneonatalphysicians.org/images/Gastroschisis_handout.pdf

First, the good news: Advances in medical care mean the outcomes for preterm babies have improved in recent decades, and even the smallest of premature babies have a greater chance of surviving and living healthy lives.

Nevertheless, giving birth early can feel overwhelming. Will your preemie baby be okay? How long will he stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)? What’s the long-term outlook?

While the answer to these questions depends on a number of factors, arming yourself with general knowledge of outlooks by birth date can help you to feel more in control and better prepared to handle your baby’s hospital stay.

How preemies are categorized

Your preemie’s care, length of stay in the NICU and chances of complications depend on the category of preemie he is. In general, the earlier your baby is born, the longer and more complicated the stay in the NICU. The general categories include:

• Extremely preterm. Babies born at or before 28 weeks of pregnancy.
• Very preterm. Babies born between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy.
• Moderate preterm. Babies born between 32 and 34 weeks of pregnancy.
• Late preterm. Babies born between 34 and 36 weeks, 6 days of pregnancy.
• Early term. Babies born between 37 and 39 weeks of pregnancy.

Premature babies aren’t only categorized by gestational age. A preterm baby’s health and treatment in the NICU also has a lot to do with size at birth — usually the smaller the baby, the greater the chances for a longer hospital stay and possibility for complications:

• Low birth weight is considered less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces.
• Very low birth weight is less than 3 pounds, 5 ounces.
• Extremely low birth weight is less than 2 pounds, 3 ounces.
• Micro preemies are the smallest and youngest babies, born weighing less than 1 pound, 12 ounces (800 grams), or born before 26 weeks gestation.

Babies born before 28 weeks

The outlook for very extreme preemies born before 28 weeks has improved significantly over the years thanks to medical advances.

Some studies have found that more than 50 percent of babies born at 23 weeks survive, more than three-quarters of babies born at 25 weeks survive and more than 90 percent of babies born at 26 weeks survive.

What happens in the NICU?

Because their respiratory systems aren’t fully developed, these tiny babies need help breathing. And since the ability to coordinate reflexes like sucking and swallowing doesn’t kick in until around 34 weeks gestation, they aren’t able to eat on their own.

Most receive nutrition and fluids intravenously (through an IV) or feeding tube. Because of their extremely low birth weight, they’ll need to gain a few pounds.

Additionally, extreme preemies are at an increased risk of complications, including respiratory distress syndrome (RDS, a lung disorder), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), hypothermia (difficulty staying warm), jaundice, urinary tract infections and pneumonia. All of these can increase the amount of time a baby needs to stay in the hospital.

How long before your baby can go home?

Extreme preemies without complications are typically ready for discharge two to three weeks before their due date. But babies who have endured health complications as a result of their preterm status, such as breathing problems or difficulty gaining weight, may have to stay in the NICU well after their anticipated birth date.

Generally speaking, the earlier the baby is born, the more likely he will have to stay past his due date. But new parents shouldn’t get their hopes dashed when baby has to stay a little longer. Soon enough, your little bundle will be ready to go home.

Babies born between 28 and 32 weeks

Babies born after 28 weeks of pregnancy have almost a full (94 percent) chance of survival, although they tend to have more complications and require intensive treatment in the NICU than babies born later, according to experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Babies born after week 30 tend to have little to no long-term health or developmental problems. Most babies born before 32 weeks, however, tend to have breathing difficulties.

What happens in the NICU?

Babies who have breathing difficulties will likely need to use a respirator (ventilator) for a while. Some have trouble feeding and may initially receive their meals through a tube that’s inserted into the nose or mouth and passed down to the stomach. This is called gavage feeding.

Because their immune systems are still developing, they’re also at a greater risk of infection, and they’re more prone to hypoglycemia and hypothermia.

How long before your baby can go home?

Babies born at this age usually go home a couple of weeks before or right around their original due date, as long as they don’t experience any serious complications or illnesses.

Babies born between 32 and 36 weeks

Moderate and late-term (or near-term) preemies have spent quite a bit of time in Mom’s womb, so they have nearly full odds of survival.

What happens in the NICU?

Most babies in this category are less likely to have severe breathing problems (thanks to some development of lung-maturing surfactant in utero), but they may need help with breathing for a few hours or days.

Some may require gavage feeding, but most will be able to nipple-feed. As with any preterm baby, they’re still at risk for infections and problems like jaundice, hypoglycemia and hypothermia.

How long before your baby can go home?

It depends on the baby's gestational age at delivery and may be anywhere from just after birth to a few days or a few weeks. If all checks out with your baby, he may be able to go home right away. But if there are any issues, your baby will have to stay for a (likely very short) while.

Babies born between 37 and 39 weeks

For decades, “full-term” described any pregnancy that lasted until 37 weeks up to 42 weeks. But a few years ago, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) changed the definition. Now a full-term pregnancy is considered to be between 39 weeks of pregnancy through 40 weeks, 6 days.

That means a delivery that occurs between 37 weeks and 38 weeks, 6 days, is referred to as an “early-term” delivery. These early-term babies still have a risk of infections and other problems, but the odds of serious complications are very low.

What happens in the NICU?

At this point, babies are usually right on track developmentally, so any treatment will be minimal.

How long before your baby can go home?

Many babies in this category don't have to spend any time at all in the NICU. At most, it will likely be a couple of weeks tops.

Going home with your baby

No matter your baby’s gestational age at birth, he must meet a few requirements before his doctors will determine it’s safe to take him home. He must:

• Breathe on his own
• Maintain a stable temperature
• Feed by breast or bottle
• Reach a certain weight and be gaining weight steadily
• Have no unresolved acute medical concerns such as apnea (when preemies stop breathing for short periods of time while they're sleeping)

Until your baby meets these requirements, he’ll have to stay in the NICU for monitoring and care. But once your baby meets all these criteria and barring any other complications, you’ll be able to bundle him up, take him home and enjoy your new life together.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

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