For the first time, the Consensus Committee ventured outside the NICU proper to write a recommended standard for the delivery room, where the care of high-risk infants nearly always begins.  We also acknowledged the increasing use of private (single-family) rooms and operating facilities within the NICU by writing recommended standards that begin to address those practices.  Finally, we continued to address the acoustical characteristics of the NICU in an ongoing effort to provide an optimal environment both for infants who are in a crucial stage of auditory development and for their caregivers.
Delivery Room Standard - The minimum size and structural content of infant resuscitation areas in operative delivery rooms and labor/delivery rooms is specified.
Standard 23: Acoustic Environment – We reduced the maximum allowable Noise Criterion rating to 25 for building mechanical systems and permanent equipment in infant care rooms and adult sleep rooms, and to NC-30 for rooms in open communication with these areas in order to better achieve the already-established standard for ambient noise level of Leq 45 dB to promote sleep, communication, and learning.

Standard 26: Operating Rooms Intended for use by Newborn ICU Patients - Specifications both for general operating rooms intended for use by NICU patients, as well as specialized procedure rooms within the NICU are identified in order to meet the special sensory needs of newborns.

Standard 27:  Private (Single-Family) Rooms – We designated increased space needs in a private room setting compared to beds in a multiple-bed room and identified specific structural needs for these rooms, including a clarification that an outside window is not required.