Neonatal Nurses

Neonatal care in some basic form has been around since the dawn of time. But the specialized field of neonatal nursing did not develop until the 1960s as advancements in medical care and technology allowed for the improved treatment of premature babies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8.6 percent of the babies born in the United States in 2022 suffered from low birth weight, and 10.4 percent were born preterm (less than 37 weeks gestation). Low birth weight and premature birth are leading factors in infant deaths. Neonatal nurses play a very important role in providing care for these infants, those born with congenital disorders or illness, and healthy babies.