Educational Media Reviews Online

Filmed at St. Vincent’s Hospital &Medical Center in New York, viewers are afforded a rare opportunity to observe the environment of and human side to a neonatal intensive care unit – the NICU as everyone learns to call it. We are privy to three cases - Zachary, Rami, Jake and their families. Zachary is born premature at 5 1/2 months weighing slightly over 2 pounds. Rami is born 9 weeks premature, weighing less than 2 pounds because of a growth deficiency disorder. Jake is born full term but with a birth defect which has allowed his intestines to fill his lung cavity. As the video notes, technical advances now allow infants born as early as 26 weeks, and up to ninety percent of infants with a birth weight of under two pounds, to survive. However, the human side of the NICU remains unchanged. Covering a period of several months from birth, the video realistically depicts the distress and concerns that the three families experience. The video succeeds equally well at showing the gifts/skills of the nurses, doctors, and technicians who balance the reality of what is possible and stressors of their job and do it all with a sense of compassion and hope. Content coupled excellent technical qualities makes this video.

Highly Recommended.