Risks in the Design of the Modern Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

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Abstract
Since 1967 neonatal intensive care units have incorporated Yale's “large room concept” of design. Many environmental problems of NICUs result, including the reducing of parents to occasional observers and overwhelming them with the sight of many sick babies, machinery and staff. The large room concept also plays a role in the risks of 24‐hour intense fluorescent lighting, noise, electromagnetic hazards, ionizing radiation, and outgassing of surface materials. An alcove design is suggested, which would reduce these risks, and provide graded exposure of parents to the sick infants. As the infants recover, an alcove design would allow for parents to assume full care of their baby and even rooming‐in.