Zulfiker Ali in his commentary focuses on the need for developing selection criteria for preterm infants for admission to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). He makes the argument that in the absence of clear guidelines, many NICU admissions occur which are essentially futile. In his opinion, a national level policy to delineate acceptable criteria for NICU admissions could help address this problem. Ali also highlights the high cost of NICU care for parents, as most NICUs are in the private sector, besides the need to counsel parents and involve them in decision making.