| aerosol treatment |
Medicine that is given in the form of a mist,
to help the infant breath better. |
| alveoli |
tiny sacs in the lungs where oxygen and
carbon dioxide are exchanged with the bloodstream. |
| aminophylline |
stimulates the breathing center in the baby's
brain. Used to treat apnea in the premature. Increases the size of the breathing passages
in the baby's lungs. Used to treat Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) in the premature. |
| aorta |
the artery leading from the heart that
supplies the body with oxygenated blood. |
| apnea |
lack of breathing for longer than 15 or 20
seconds. |
| bradycardia |
a slower than normal heartbeat rate; in an
infant, below 100 beats per minute. |
| Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia |
BDP or chronic lung disease (CLD). Damage to
the lungs and bronchioles caused by the respirator. |
| bilirubin |
a yellowish substance produced when red blood
cells break down. May cause jaundice, and, in large amounts, kernicterus, a form of brain
damage. |
| corrected age |
the age a premature baby would be if he had
been born on his due date. For example, a baby born 3 month early, at the actual age of 7
months, only 4 months old according to his corrected age. |
| CPAP |
pronounced "C"pap
Acronym for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure: pressurized air, sometimes with
additional oxygen, that is delivered to the baby's lungs to keep them expanded as the baby
inhales and exhales. |
| ductus arteriosus |
a blood vessel in the fetus that joins the
aorta with the pulmonary artery in order to divert most blood away from the fetal lungs.
This blood vessel must close after birth so that blood can flow properly to the lungs to
receive oxygen. |
| gavage feeding |
feeding given through a tube passed through
the nose of mouth and into the stomach. |
| hyperalimentations |
intravenous administration of solutions that
provides the infant with necessary nutrients-proteins, sugar, minerals, vitamins. |
| hyperbilirubinemia |
excess bilirubin in the blood, a condition
common in newborns. |
| intracranial hemorrhage |
bleeding in or around the brain. |
| Intralipid |
(IL) a white solution of fatty acids that may
be given to an infant intravenously along with hyperalimentation. |
| intravenous |
(IV) a tube or needle place into a vein to
allow the infusion of fluids into the blood stream. |
| intubate |
a procedure used to put a tube through the
baby's mouth or nose into the windpipe. This tube is then attached to the ventilator which
assists in breathing. |
| jaundice |
the yellowing of the skin and the whites of
the eyes caused by excessive bilirubin. |
| monitor |
a machine that records signs such as
heartbeat, blood pressure, and respiration. |
| NICU |
Newborn Intensive Care Unit: section of a
hospital with trained staff and special equipment to care for critically ill newborns. |
| nasal canula |
A flexible tube, usually
containing a trocar at one end, that is inserted into the nasal passage to administer a
continuous supply of air. |
| necrotizing enterocolitis |
NEC: a gangrene-like condition of the
intestinal tract that can afflict premature babies. Go to this page for a more detailed
description AHNC
KnowledgeBase. |
| neonatal nurse practitioner |
a registered nurse who has received
additional training, and who is qualified by this training to provide certain aspects of
the baby's medical care under the supervision of a physician. |
| neonate |
a baby during the first month of life. |
| neonatologist |
a pediatrician who specializes in the care of
neonates. |
| patent ductus arteriosus |
(PDA) an abnormal condition, common in
prematures, in which the ductus-the fetal blood vessel connecting the aorta and the
pulmonary artery-fails to close after birth. |
| phototherapy |
treatment of infants with hyperbilirubinemia
by exposing them to bright lights called bililights. |
| premature rupture of the membranes |
(PROM) the breaking of the membranes
surrounding the fetus before the beginning of labor; may occur before a term or preterm
delivery. |
| pulmonary interstitial emphysema |
(PIE) a condition, associated with high
respirator pressures, in which bubbles of air are forced out of the alveoli and in between
the layers of lung tissue. |
| respirator |
a mechanical device used to substitute for, or
to assist with, breathing. |
| retinopaty of prematurity |
(ROP) is the abnormal growth of blood vessels
in the baby's eye. It is most common in babies who are very premature, more than 12 weeks
early. In development, blood vessels grow from the back central part of the eye out toward
the edges. This process is completed just a few weeks before the normal time of delivery.
In premature babies this process is not complete. If blood vessel growth proceeds
normally, the baby does not develop ROP. If the vessels grow and branch abnormally the
baby has ROP. Taken from the Children's Hospital
page at the University of Wisconsin and The Center For Perinatal Care at Meriter Hospital
Madison, Wisconsin |
| room
air |
the air we normally breathe that contains 21%
oxygen. |
| shunt |
1. an artificially created passage between
two areas of the body, as in a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt for hydrocephalus, a tube that
drains fluid from the ventricles of the brain into the peritoneum (the abdominal cavity.)
2. a naturally existing, but abnormal, connection between two areas of the body. |
| surfactant |
a substance formed in the lungs that helps
keep the small air sacs, or alveoli, from collapsing and sticking together. |
| term infant |
an infant born between the 38th and 42nd
weeks of gestation. |
| ventilator |
a machine which breathes for the baby. Even
though the baby my breath, it may not be effective enough for proper exchanges of gases in
the lungs. |
