Babies admitted to a neonatal unit may require special care, high dependency care or intensive care. Intensive care is needed only by the most premature or sick babies.

Our units have all the necessary facilities and staffing to deliver high quality and up-to-date care to newborn babies and supportive care to babies and parents during the stages of recovery.

We may need to use specialised equipment to help us look after your baby. If we do need any of this, we will explain its purpose in detail to you.

Our units

Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU)

The Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU) in Brighton is a specialist unit for the care of premature and sick newborn babies. It provides special care, high dependency care and intensive care. It also provides a service for babies requiring surgery.

TMBU has the following nurseries:

Nursery 1 is an intensive care nursery, mainly for babies who need help with their breathing.
Nursery 2 is the high dependency nursery for babies who have improved but may still need some support with their breathing.
Nursery 3 is the special care nursery

Visiting the unit

Special Care Baby Unit

The Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) in Haywards Heath is a unit for the care of premature and sick newborn babies requiring short term high dependency care or special care.

SCBU has two special care nurseries. They are equipped to stabilise a baby for transfer to Brighton or another intensive care unit.

Visiting the unit

What does the equipment do?

Here is a brief explanation of some of the terms you may hear:

An incubator is a clear, perspex-covered cot that allows us to see the baby easily and provides extra warmth and humidity, if necessary.
An open incubator with an overhead heater also provides extra warmth, but makes it easier for you to touch the baby. This is generally used for bigger babies.
A ventilator helps the baby to breathe through a tube that goes through the baby’s mouth or nose and down into the windpipe (endotracheal tube). Monitoring equipment allows us to check on the baby’s condition without disturbing him or her.
A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine helps the baby to breathe by providing a continuous flow of air or oxygen through soft prongs into the baby’s nose.
A heated and humidified high-flow nasal cannula device provides a high flow of warm moist air or oxygen through small nasal prongs into the baby’s nose.
A naso-/orogastric tube is a soft plastic tube passed through the nose or mouth into the stomach for feeding and the removal of air or stomach juices.
A long line is a special plastic tube inserted into a vein. They are used to deliver special medicine and nutrition.
An umbilical line is a special plastic tube inserted into an umbilical vein or artery. The end of the tube lies outside the heart in a large vessel. They are used to deliver special medicine and nutrition or to monitor the baby´s well-being.
A cannula is a small plastic tube that is inserted into a blood vessel using a needle. It can be attached to a drip or be used to deliver medicines.
A phototherapy device produces blue or white light which reduces the jaundice level.

If we need to use any of this equipment we will explain it to you, but please don’t be afraid to ask your nurse if you need further information.

Our facilities

Our units

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