maternity
Neonatal Intensive Care
新生児集中治療室（NICU） (shinseiji shūchū chiryōshitsu (NICU))
The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provides specialized medical care for premature or seriously ill newborns. Japan's NICUs are well-equipped and nationally standardized, accepting preterm infants from as early as 22 weeks gestational age. When a baby is admitted to the NICU, the baby remains in hospital while the mother may be discharged separately. National health insurance covers NICU care, and additional financial support programs exist for families of very-low-birthweight infants.
Japan categorizes NICUs by care level, and the highest-level facilities attached to university hospitals can handle extremely premature or medically complex newborns requiring prolonged intensive support.
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Neonatal Intensive Care |
| Japanese (日本語) | 新生児集中治療室（NICU） |
| Chinese (中文) | 新生儿重症监护室 |
| Korean (한국어) | 신생아 집중 치료실 |
| Portuguese | UTI neonatal |
| Spanish | UCI neonatal |
| Filipino | Intensive care para sa bagong silang |
| Thai | ห้องไอซียูทารกแรกเกิด |
| Vietnamese | Phòng chăm sóc tích cực sơ sinh |
| Romanization | shinseiji shūchū chiryōshitsu (NICU) |
Learn more in the guide:
Read the guide →Last reviewed: September 2026