| Some of the equipment surrounding
your baby and some of the words that you hear may confuse or frighten
you.
The brief explanations listed on this page are intended to help
you, but please ask for more information if there is anything that
you
don’t understand
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A
Anemia
Not enough red blood cells or haemoglobin in the blood.
Apnoea
A momentary stopping of breathing.
Apneoa Monitor
A small box which sits on top of the incubator or at the head of
the cot and will sound an alarm if your baby forgets to breath.
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B
Bilirubin
A breakdown product of blood which can cause jaundice.
Blood Gas Test
Sometimes referred to as Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) or Capillary Acid
Base (CAB). A small amount of blood is tested to determine
the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. The result will allow the
doctor to adjust the ventilator settings and/or oxygen level.
Bradycardia (Brady)
A slowing of the heart rate below 100, causing the monitor to alarm.
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C
Cardio-respiratory Monitor
Measures your baby’s heart and breathing rate via three electrodes.
Sometimes you will hear the alarms ring – this is a warning
sign and does not necessarily mean that your baby’s condition
has suddenly deteriorated.
Chest Tube
This is passed through the chest wall between the ribs and connected
to a drainage bottle and suction to treat a pneumothorax (see under
‘p’ definitions in this section).
Chronic Lung Disease (sometimes referred to as Broncho-Pulmonary
Dysplasia)
A lung problem that commonly occurs in babies who have been ventilated.
The lungs usually recover in time.
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D
Dextrostix
A measurement of blood sugar obtained from a small amount of blood
taken by pricking the heel.
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E
Electrode
A circular, adhesive disc which is connected to a cardio-respiratory
monitor and is placed on the baby’s chest to measure heart
and breathing rate.
Endo-tracheal Tube
A plastic tube that is passed through the nose or mouth
into the trachea (windpipe) and connected to a ventilator.
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F
None at this time
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G
Gavage Feeding
Method of feeding breast milk or formula through a small tube passed
through the baby’s mouth or nose and into the stomach.
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H
Haemoglobin
(Hb)
The iron-containing part of the red cells which carry oxygen from
the lungs throughout the body.
Head Box
A small Perspex box is placed over the baby’s head if additional
oxygen is required.
HMD (Hyaline Membrane Disease)
A lung disorder often occurring in premature babies in which the
tiny air sacs of the lungs may collapse.
Hypoglycaemia
Low blood sugar
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I
Incubator
or Isolette
A large heated Perspex box with cupboards underneath. Your baby
may need to be in an incubator because he is small and needs oxygen
to make breathing easier.
Intravenous Infusion (drip)
A sterile fluid is given through a tube flowing at a regular rate
into a vein in the arm, leg or umbilical cord. This will be held
in place with sticking plaster and a splint.
IPPV (Intermittent Positive Pressure Ventilation)
Using an endo-tracheal tube attached to a ventilator, the air pressure
in the lungs is repeatedly increased, to inflate the lungs, and
then released, allowing the lungs to deflate.
IVH (Intra-Ventricular Haemorrhage)
Bleeding into the cavities situated in the center of the brain which
are normally filled with a watery fluid. It may be detected by ultrasound.
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J
Jaundice
Yellow colour of skin caused by too much bilirubin in the
blood.
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K
None at this time
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L
None at this time
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M
Meconium
A dark green substance found in the baby’s intestines at birth
and passed in the first bowel action.
Mucous
Fluid secreted by the membranes of the nose and trachea (windpipe).
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N
NCPAP (Necrotosing Enterocolitis)
A routine test on the blood of all babies to check for metabolic
disorders.
NEC (Necrotising Enterocolitis)
Inflammation of the bowel.
Neonatal Screening Test
A routine test on the blood of all babies to check for
metabolic disorders.
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O
Oedema
The presence of too much fluid in the tissues, often seen in the
eyelids feet and hands.
Orogastric Feed
Feeding tube remains instiu, whereas gavage feeding tubes
are intermittantly insterted. ie. Inserted for each feed.
Oximeter
Gives readings for the saturation of oxygen by attaching a clip
to your baby’s hand or foot. This is normally used on older
or bigger babies.
Oxygen Analyser
Measures the amount of oxygen your baby is breathing.
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P
PDA (Patent
Ductus Arteriosus)
A large open vessel near the heart.
Phototherapy Lights
These bright lights are placed over your baby’s incubator
to help the jaundice fade. While your baby is having phototherapy
he will be naked except for eye pads to protect his eyes.
Pneumothorax
Occurs when air escapes into the chest cavity from the lungs and
flattens them.l
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Q
None at this time
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R
Respiration
Breathing
ROP (Retinotherapy of Prematurity)
A condition which may develop in the eyes of some premature babies.
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S
Sepsis
An infection of the boold or other tissues.
Sterile
Free from germs.
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T
TCM
or TINA (Trans-cutaneous Monitor)
Used to ensure that your baby is in the correct amount of oxygen.
Recording the results enables adjustments to be made.
Top-up Transfusion
Premature babies often become anaemic and may require small blood
transfusions at intervals.
TPN (Total Pranteral Nutrition)
Feeding completely or partly by giving a solution of glucose and
other nutrients into a vein. Used when a baby is too sick or too
small to have breast milk or formula.
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U
Urinalysis
A chemical test of the baby’s urine.
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V
Ventilator or Respirator
Some babies need this machine to help them breath if they are too
sick or too small to do so for themselves.
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W
Wet-lung
Breathing difficulty due to too much fluid in the lungs. It normally
improves and is not serious.
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X
None at this time
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Y
None at this time
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Z
None at this time
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