A TINY baby, its miniature fists squeezed tight into angry balls, lets out the sort of wail which pierces the air with its intensity.

But there is no cause for concern, as the sound of babies crying is a welcome noise in Basildon's neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU).

"That's a good set of lungs," laughs manager and matron Tracey Glester, as she glides around the array of incubators housing some of the tiniest tots I have ever seen.

The unit is home to some of the most vulnerable premature babies born in south Essex, cared for by the dedicated team of doctors and nurses 24 hours a day.

Babies in the unit can be born as early as 25 weeks and will spend the first months of their lives dependent on the incubators to keep them alive.

But now, staff at Basildon Hospital, in Nethermayne, are asking for help themselves to care for these special babies with the launch of an appeal to buy state-of-the-art equipment.

The unit treats more than 350 babies in need of intensive care each year and currently has 25 incubators, but they want to buy two Giraffe omnibeds - the latest and most advanced incubator available.

At £30,000 each, Tracey admits they are not cheap, but the benefits are priceless.

"The omnibeds are especially for very pre-term babies," Tracey explains.

"Incubators provide a warming environment for the babies. This is needed as their skin is very thin and because they have no fat on them and cannot maintain their own temperature.

"Humidity is also important as the babies can lose a lot of fluid through their skin. They may also need help with their breathing as their lungs develop."

The Giraffe omnibeds are designed to allow the medical staff complete access to care for the baby, but with less need to move them from the incubator to carry out vital tests.

Tracey says: "Some of the procedures can be very invasive and they need to be moved to carry them out, which may not always be conducive to their well-being.

"With the omnibed, the sides come down and the top moves which allows better access to the baby without having to move them, making it so much better for the baby and the staff.

"You can weigh the baby in it and take X-rays through the omnibed. It allows access for feeding lines, intubation and resuscitation. It really is an all singing, all dancing incubator."

The new incubators will also help parents during what can be a traumatic time. "The parents will also get better access to their baby thanks to the way the incubator is designed," says Tracey.

"We hear many times how mums feel they are unable to be a proper mum' to their baby as they can't cuddle them or feed them. With this incubator they will be able to cuddle them and get much closer to them without causing any distress to the baby."

Tracey adds: "These machines are a winner all round, more user friendly for staff, better for the baby and more accessible for parents."