Neonatal ward Huddinge

The main entrance to the hospital is locked from 22:00 pm –05:00 am, use the entry phone to gain entry. The department is locked 24 hours a day, so parents need to have a pass card. You can obtain a pass card from the healthcare staff after paying a deposit, you will get your deposit back when the card is returned.

At the entrance to the ward there are lockers where you can hang your outerwear. Wear shoe covers in wet weather and change to indoor shoes when you are on the ward.

All parents have unrestricted access to the parents' kitchen on the ward. We serve breakfast every morning between 07:00 and 09:00 am, and coffee, tea and hot chocolate is always available.

In the kitchen, you can heat your own food, as well as have access to a refrigerator, freezer and kitchen cabinets for storage. Everyone who uses the kitchen is responsible for washing their dishes and wiping the tables and worktops. Due to hygiene, only paper towels can be used for this purpose. All surfaces that have been used must be wiped with disinfectant.

On floor 5 and 6 at the main entrance, there is a restaurant, cafeteria and kiosk. At the centre of Flemingsberg, there are several restaurants and a grocery store.

Preterm and newly born babies are more sensitive to noise because they are still developing. Which is why keeping a low sound level is important in the neonatal ward. 

If you want to talk on your phone, please do so away from the baby's bed. When you are with your baby, please put your mobile phone in silent mode, preferably in flight mode, so that you do not disturb the other babies.

If you have a family room, you may use your mobile phone in the room. You are allowed to photograph your own baby. However, in general, photography is not permitted at the ward.

Guest WiFi is available.

Karolinska University Hospital in Solna has a no smoking policy. Smoking is only permitted in designated areas outside the hospital.

We strive to provide you with the best possible care and continuously want to improve. Which is why your feedback, as parents, is so important to us.

We therefore ask you to fill in a questionnaire at the end of your stay and share your experience. We appreciate constructive feedback. It gives us a chance to improve the care we provide and make the experience feel even better and safer for everyone.

New born babies who are sick are very susceptible to infection, so strict hand hygiene is particularly important.

What to do before entering your baby's room:

1. Remove your rings, watch and bracelets
2. Wash your hands and forearms with soap and water. Dry them properly with paper towels so that your skin is completely dry,
3. Take a generous amount of hand disinfectant and rub it into your hands, fingers and forearms. Leave it to dry.
4. Always rub your hands with hand disinfectant before putting them into the incubator/cot. When you remove your hands from the incubator/cot, you will need to apply more hand disinfectant before touching anything.

Repeat step 3 when you have touched an object or yourself, e.g. your face or hair. Repeat steps 2 and 3 when you have visible dirt on your hands/forearms or e.g. changed the baby's diaper.

Find out more in our hygiene guide.

We work according to NIDCAP (Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program), which means that nursing is family centred, it focuses on both the baby and the family. Care is adapted to each baby's individual level of development and the family is involved in the baby's care from the start.

You are the most important people in your baby's life and it is natural that you should participate as much as you can in your baby's care. When your baby is being cared for in an intensive care room, it is important that you tell the staff when you intend to leave your baby and what time you will be returning. Then you and the staff can set up a plan for the day. This usually works well, but sometimes the baby decides that it wants to turn over or it needs to have its nappy changed, etc., earlier than you had planned.

As parents, it is important that you have the stamina to cope. Remember to eat a balanced diet and try to find time to rest. When you stay with your baby in a family room, it is important that you tell the staff if you need to leave your baby alone in the room.

We want you to feel that your baby is in safe hands while being cared for by us. You can ask us anything. We consider every question important.

Being a parent isnt always easy. Being a parent of a newly born baby in need of specialised care can be even more challenging. We want to make sure you have the support you need.

There is a counsellor at the ward whom you can talk to if you feel you need support. It can be good to talk to someone who is not directly involved in the care of your baby. The counsellor can also help you with information about parental benefits, sick leave and answer any questions you may have. Sometimes older siblings and other relatives may benefit from talking to the counsellor.

We can also offer psychotherapeutic trauma treatment during the baby's first year of life – even after the baby has been discharged from hospital. Even if you may not feel you need this, we highly recommend seeking support. As even after you have come home, there can be alot to process. 

Staff from the hospital chapel are always available if you want to talk. You can get in touch with them via the staff on the ward or via the switchboard by phoning 08-585 800 00. If you want your baby to be baptised while it is in the ward, the hospital chapel can help you with that.

The hospital chapel can also help you get in touch with representatives of other congregations and beliefs.

On the 5th floor, Södra hallen C259, there is a silent room for quiet contemplation, which is open 24 hours a day.

Siblings, close relatives or other people who are important to your family are welcome to visit the baby following consultation with the staff on duty. An assessment is made based on the baby's needs for quiet and rest, and the activities in the ward.

The number of people, besides the parents, should be limited to two people per visit. The length of the visit will be determined in consultation with the staff on duty. Children, other than siblings, are not allowed to visit sick/premature babies.

The baby's susceptibility to infection means that it is very important that the people who want to visit the baby have no signs of ongoing infection, such as fever, sore throat, nasal congestion, coughing, etc. Always consult the nurse on duty to ask when it is possible for your relatives to come and visit.

Feel free to take photos of or film your baby and show your baby's diary to your relatives. If your baby has siblings at home, perhaps they would like to draw a picture and/or send something for their new little sibling to display in its room.

As parents, if you have relatives visiting the ward, we encourage you to use the parents' room, which is located outside the entrance to the ward. There is a fridge and microwave in the parents' room.

Please remember to tidy up after you so the room is clean and tidy when other visitors want to use it.

Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge
Kirurgigatan 6-8, 7th Floor (K76-78)

To get to the ward, walk straight ahead from the main entrance. Turn to the left towards Kirurgigatan. Follow the corridor, walk past the lifts and continue straight ahead to the next set of lifts (K4). There you can take the lift up to the 7th floor. The entrance is on the left as you exit the lift. The neonatal ward is always locked, so ring the bell and we will open the door and help you. Welcome!

You can wash you own clothes on the ward. A slot can be booked for the laundry room which is adjacent to the parents' kitchen. Fragrance-free washing detergent and fabric softener are available in the laundry room. Everyone who uses the laundry room is responsible for cleaning up afterwards. All surfaces must be wiped with disinfectant after use.