NICU - Glossary of Terms

Terms you will hear for the first time in your life and you will most likely never forget.

Anemia: Low hemoglobin level.

Apgar Score: Newborn’s condition at birth based on five different scores, measured at 1 minute to 5 minutes. (Best to discuss with your doctor.)

Apnea: Breathing pause for 20 seconds or longer.

Aspiration: Milk that is left in preemie’s stomach from the previous feeding is aspirated by the nurses.

Bilirubin: A normal waste product from the breakdown of red blood cells (hemoglobin) and other similar body components. (According to Bilirubin levels, jaundice treatment is initiated.)

Blood Gas: A blood test used to evaluate an infant’s level of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and acid. (Most frequently ran test -daily in the beginning weeks- during our stay.)

Bradycardia: An abnormally low heart rate.

Chronic Lung Disease: Lung disease of premature babies, when the lungs do not work properly and the babies have trouble breathing.

Cardio-Respiratory Monitor: A monitor that records the vital signs of babies. It is attached by a probe that is taped around the foot or hand. (It is the monitor parents get attached too much😊)

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP): Supplemental oxygen.

Chest Physiotherapy: Tapping on the chest to assist in the drainage of mucus/secretion. (Performed in the NICU for the babies with lung issues.)

CRP (C-Reactive Protein): Infection marker - indicates the presence of infection.

Head CT scan: Computerized x-rays – show the size and position of the many brain parts. (During our stay, we had a few scans to track the bleeding.

Culture: A laboratory test of blood, spinal fluid, urine or other specimens which shows if germs are present and which ones they are. (During our stay, D.’s eyes got infected and they did a culture test with the specimen they collected from her eyes. It was sorted with eye drops)

Cyanosis: Bluish color of the skin occurring when there is not enough oxygen in the blood.

Echocardiogram (Echo): Ultrasound picture of the heart.

Endotracheal Tube (ET Tube): Tube placed through the mouth or nose into the throat and the child’s trachea.

Extubation: Removing the ET tube from the baby’s windpipe.

Fontanelle: The soft spot on the top of the head. (Continuously checked during our doctor visits until it is closed.)

Tube feeding: Feeding a baby through nasogastric tube (inserted through the nose to stomach) or orogastric tube (inserted through the mouth to the stomach).

Gestation: The period of development from the time of fertilization of the egg. Normal gestation is 40 weeks, premature baby gestation is earlier than 37 weeks. (Did not really hear doctors using the term but heard it a lot during our OB visits before delivery.)

Hearing test: Test to examine of a newborn infant. (Done right before discharge from the NICU)

Heart Murmur: A noise heard between beats of the heart.

Heel Prick: Picking the baby’s heel to obtain small amounts of blood for testing. (Blood is not drawn from the arm for infants)

Hemoglobin: A vital material in red blood cells that carries oxygen and contains iron.

Hypo/Hyperglycemia: A low/high amount of sugar in blood.

Incubator: Enclosed bassinet used to keep prematurely born babies warm. (Preemies do not know how to regulate their body temperature, they need help to stay warm.)

Intravenous (IV): A small tube placed directly through the skin into the vein in a baby’s hand, arm, foot, leg or scalp. Nutrients, fluids, and medications can flow through this tube.

Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH): Bleeding into the ventricles within the brain. Also known as brain bleeding.

Intubation: Inserting a tube into the trachea (windpipe) through the nose or mouth to allow air to reach the lungs.

Jaundice: Also known as Hyperbilirubinemia. Yellowish discoloration of the body and face caused by accumulation of bilirubin.

Kangaroo Care: Skin-to-skin contact between parent and baby. (Highly needed during your NICU stay as it is pretty much the only way to stay closest to your baby)

Large for Gestational age (LGA): A baby whose birth weight exceeds the normal range for the gestational age. (D. was born 1.270 grams at 28 weeks of gestational age, which was considered LGA.)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Imaging technique that uses powerful magnets and computers to produce a detailed picture of tissue.

Meconium: A dark, green, sticky mucus, a mixture of amniotic fluid and secretions from the intestinal glands, normally found in infants’ intestines. It is the first stool passed by the newborn. (She apparently passed meconium I was told by the nurse but I did not get to see it.)

Meningitis: Infection of the fluid that cushion and surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

Nasal Cannula: Light, flexible tube used to give supplemental oxygen to a child. Oxygen flows through two prongs extending into the nostrils. (D. was with a nasal cannula until her last week of stay in NICU)

Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC): Swelling, tenderness and redness of the intestine caused by an infection or decreased blood supply to the intestine. (One of the conditions that scared me the most and helped me stick to my breast pumping schedule)

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU): A special intensive care unit for preemies and newborn infants with severe medical complications. They are cared for by neonatologists and nurses with specialty training.

Osteopenia of Prematurity: A decrease in the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the bones. (Bone profile/density check is done to avoid possible issues with bone development)

Oximeter: Machine monitoring the amount of oxygen in the blood.

Total Parenteral Nutrition (Intravenous Feeding): Solution out directly into the bloodstream, giving necessary nutrients. Usually referred as TPN in the NICU.

Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA): The ductus arteriosus is a blood vessel connecting the pulmonary artery and the aorta. Before birth, this vessel allows the baby’s blood to bypass the lungs because oxygen is supplied by the mother through placenta. The ductus arteriosus should close soon after birth. If it does not, it is called a Patent (open) ductus arteriosus (PDA). If it does not close on its on over time, it may be treated either with surgery or medication.

Phototherapy: Bright blue fluorescent lights, placed over the baby’s incubator for jaundice treatment. (Looks a bit scary but it is indeed like a sauna for the baby)

Long line/PICC line: A special IV line used to provide fluids into a vein. A PICC line is usually very stable and lasts longer than a typical IV. (PICC coming out for good definitely deserves a celebration)

Premature baby: A baby born 3 or more weeks before the due date.

Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS): Respiratory distress syndrome is a specific condition that causes respiratory distress in newborn babies due to absence of surfactant in the lungs.

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP): Scars and abnormal growth of the blood vessels in the retina, the layer of cells in the back of the eye.

Room air: The air we normally breathe, which contains 21% oxygen.

Reflux (or Gastroesophageal Reflux): A return or backward flow. It occurs when portions of feedings or other stomach contents flow back up into the mouth.

Saturation (Sats): Term for blood oxygen saturation. It measures the percentage of hemoglobin binding sites in the bloodstream occupied by oxygen.

Seizure: A “short-circuiting” of electrical impulses in the brain, resulting from a variety of causes.

Sepsis: A potentially dangerous infection of the bloodstream.

Surfactant: Surfactant is a soapy material inside the lungs that helps the lung to function. Without surfactant, the air sacs tend to collapse on exhalation.

Tachycardia: A faster than normal heart rate.

Tachypnea: A faster than respiratory heart rate.

Transfusion: Giving donated blood to the baby by vein or artery.

Ultrasound: Imaging of body parts using sound waves. The reflected sound waves are then analyzed by computer and turned into pictures.

Umbilical Arterial Catheter: Small tube placed in a belly button artery. It is used to check blood pressure and draw blood samples and give fluids.

Umbilical Venous Catheter: Small tube placed in a belly button vein. It is used to give the baby fluids and medications.

Ventilator: A machine that assists neonates to breathe via a ET (Endotracheal) tube.

Vitamin K: A vitamin injection usually given once shorty after birth to help the blood clot normally. All infants receive this IM (Intramuscular) injection.

X-rays: A picture taken at the bedside to check on lung, heart, and bowel condition.

*Source: Mediclinic Baby. Parents’ Guide to the NICU. Mediclinic City Hospital.