Diary of a NICU Mom - NICU Dictionary

In our time in the NICU we have been inundated with terms that deal with our daughter's care. Initially, we knew little. but each day we would ask more questions and each day we would get familiar with the words to help us understand how she was doing.

I thought it might be helpful to list words with which we became very familiar. I'm obviously not a doctor, so if you have questions, please contact your neonatologist, pediatrician or NICU nurse. 

There is additional support on the March of Dimes NICU website. 

• Bilirubin – is a byproduct of red blood cell breakdown. In preemies, this presents visibly as jaundice. Depending on the severity of the jaundice, your baby might look yellowed or even bright red. This can be easily treated with photo (light) therapy.
• Chest Tube –a flexible plastic tube that is inserted through the chest wall, used to relieve pockets of air (see Pneumothorax).
• CPAP – (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is a machine that provides constant mild air pressure to keep the airways open

(CPAP tubes in the nose and along either side of the face.)

• Emesis -vomiting
• Gavage –using a tube to feed a baby too young or too ill to be bottle fed. (a G-tube is inserted through small abdominal incision, NG, or Nasogastric is inserted through a nostril and down into the stomach.)  
• Hyperbilirubinemia – severe jaundice
• Incubator – an enclosed bed used to maintain the environment necessary for newborns and preemies, including temperature and humidity.
  

  

  "Giraffe" brand incubator covered with a quilt to reduce ambient light

• Intubation –(or tracheal intubation) is the insertion of a tube to facilitate ventilation for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
• Isolette – synonym for incubator.
• Kangroo Care (or Kangaroo Holding) –holding your baby skin to skin to help regulate their heart rate and temperature.
  

  

  Holding baby skin to skin. 

• Necrotizing Entercolitis –(NEC) tissue death in the bowels of premature infants
• Neonate – a newborn baby
• Neonatologist –physician who specializes in newborn babies.
• NG Tube - Nasogastric tube is inserted through a nostril and down into the stomach
• PIC Line – (Peripherally inserted central catheter) IV access for extended periods of time.
• Peep –(Positive End Expiratory Pressure) pressure added to exhalation to assist in back end breathing.
• Pneumothorax – A collection of air or gas in the pleural space between the lung. It can cause difficulty breathing. In preemies, it is possible that the pressure from a “pneumo”, as they are sometimes called, can even cause the collapse of a lung. This can be found by x-ray and possibly resolved with the use of a chest tube.
• Residuals – undigested food left over in the stomach from a previous feeding.
• Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) - A disorder often found in premature or low birth-weight babies. It is thought to be caused by use of oxygen therapy and creates impediments to normal vascular growth in babies eyes. In severe cases it can lead to vision impairment, retinal detachment or in rare cases, blindness.
• Room Air - unassisted breathing of surrounding air. Average room air contains about 21% oxygen as opposed to cannula which delivers 100% oxygen.
• Spell –a desaturation of O2 in the blood or deceleration of the heart rate. This target number is usually no lower than 85% O2 and between 120 and 200 heartbeats per minute  

Also if you are reading this, you might also be interested in reading my NICU Survival Kit link.