ANTIBIOTICS are medications given by mouth or IV to help your infant fight infection.

APNEA is when there is an absence or prolonged pause in breathing which is typical in premature infants.

ASPIRATE (Residual) is the amount of undigested milk left in your infant's stomach. It is usually checked before a feeding is given.

BAGGING is when a soft rubber bag, mask and oxygen is used to fill your infant's lungs with air and oxygen.

BLADDER CATHETER is a tiny tube that is inserted and left in the baby's bladder to drain and measure the urine passed from the baby.

BLOOD GASES are a measurement of the amount of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and acid in your infant's blood that is drawn from an artery (ABGs, Arterial Blood Gases) or from smaller capillaries (CBGs, Capillary Blood Gases).

BILIRUBIN is a waste product that occurs naturally in your infant's body when red blood cells are broken down. The liver has to handle this waste product at a time when it is very immature. Bilirubin builds up in the skin until the liver can process it, causing the skin to become a yellowish color (jaundiced).

BRADYCARDIA means a slow heart rate.

BREAST PUMP is a suction device that makes it easy for you to pump breast milk. It is then fed to your baby through a tube or bottle.

BULB SYRINGE is a rubber suction device used to remove secretions from the nose or mouth.

CARDIORESPIRATORY MONITOR is a machine used to monitor your baby's heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure.

CHEST TUBE is a soft tube placed in the chest to remove any extra fluid or air so the lung can re-expand.

CONTINUOUS POSITIVE AIRWAY PRESSURE (CPAP). We use both the traditional CPAP as well as BUBBLE CPAP machine in our unit. With CPAP, oxygen and air are delivered through nasal prongs or a mask over the infant’s nose. The CPAP offers a continuous flow that helps the baby to maintain both inspiratory and expiratory pressures.

DESATS are short periods of time when the oxygen level in your infant's body drops below the acceptable level.

ELECTRODES are small wires attached to your baby's skin that send messages to the monitor about your baby's vital signs.

EYE EXAM is done by an ophthalmologist to see if the blood vessels in the retina have developed normally.

FEEDING TUBES such as "o.g." or "n.g." tubes are small tubes passed through the baby's mouth or nose to its stomach and/or small bowel. It is used for feedings until the infant is strong enough to suck from the bottle or breast. The o.g. or n.g. tube may also be used at non-feeding times to remove air or secretions from the stomach.

HEARING SCREEN is a test used to check for any early signs of hearing problems. There are two types of hearing screens performed in our NICU – the OAE (otoacoustic emission testing which is the recording of sounds that the ear produces itself) and aABR, (automated auditory brainstem response which provides information not only about the outer/middle ear and cochlea but also about the auditory pathway up to the brainstem.)

HIGH FREQUENCY OSCILLATORY VENTILATOR works by keeping the infant’s lungs consistently open rather than letting them inflate and deflate with each breath. The oscillator is one of the noisiest machines in the NICU as it vibrates air very rapidly, but is very efficient at quickly and gently circulating air in and out of the infant’s immature lungs.

HYPERALIMENTATION / HYPERAL / TPN is a special mix of nutrients and fluids that is given into a vein of infants who cannot be fed nourishment by mouth.

INCUBATOR (can also be called an ISOLETTE or GIRAFFE): Babies are placed in this clear plastic box, which keeps them warm and protects them from germs and noise.

INTRAVENOUS LINE (IV) is a tiny tube inserted into the baby's vein by a tiny needle. It can be placed in the baby's arm, hand, foot, leg or scalp to give the baby nourishment and medications.

JAUNDICE is the yellow staining of the tissue caused by too much unprocessed bilirubin in your infant's blood.

NASAL CANNULA is a small tube that fits in front of your baby's nose to make it easier for your baby to breathe by providing air or oxygen flow.
N.P.O. is a Latin abbreviation for "nothing by mouth".

NUTRITION is anything that nourishes such as breast milk, formula or IV fluids.

OXYGEN is a gas in the air that we breathe. Room Air Oxygen contains 21% oxygen. Sick or premature infants may need extra oxygen, maybe even pure oxygen which is 100% oxygen.

The OXYHOOD is a clear plastic hood that fits over your baby's head to provide extra oxygen when it is needed.

PERIPHERALLY INSERTED CENTRAL CATHETER (PICC) is a soft catheter that is placed in a deeper vein in the baby's arm, leg or neck for more long-term IV therapy.

PHOTOTHERAPY LIGHTS are special lights that are used for infants with jaundice. Jaundice is caused by excessive bilirubin in the infant’s body which may make them look orange. These lights help the body to convert that bilirubin and excrete it. In order to protect your baby’s sensitive eyes, EYE SHIELDS will be used while the light is in use.

PULSE OXIMETER or PULSE OX is an estimation of how well the infant is oxygenating or how much oxygen is in the blood. This is also called the infant’s SATURATIONS or SATS.

RADIANT WARMER: An open bed with an overhead heating source that provides heat to a baby. A warmer may be used instead of an incubator if the baby needs to be handled frequently.

SEPSIS indicates an infection or the presence of bacterial/viruses in your infant's blood or tissues.

SUCTION TUBE (or procedure called "suctioning") is a catheter used to remove secretions from the ET tube, mouth, or nose.

TACHYPNEA means an abnormally fast breathing rate, usually faster than 60 breaths per minute.

TEMPERATURE PROBE is a small wire attached to the baby's skin to regulate heat to your baby from the isolette or radiant warmer.

ULTRASOUND is a machine that uses sound waves to produce pictures of internal body tissues, such as a head or heart ultrasound.

UMBILICAL CATHETER is a tiny tube that is inserted and left in the artery or vein in the baby's belly button so small amounts of blood can be taken for testing without using a needle. This tube also measures blood pressure and may be used to give IV fluids and medicines.

URINE COLLECTION BAG is a plastic bag that is placed over the baby's genital area to collect a urine specimen.

VENTILATOR, also called a respirator, is a machine that sends oxygen to your baby's lungs through a slender tube placed in the baby's mouth called the ENDOTRACHEAL TUBE (ET tube).

VITAL SIGNS is a measurement of your baby's heart rate, breathing rate, body temperature and blood pressure.