Golisano Children's Hospital / NICU / Vocabulary of the NICU

Vocabulary of the NICU

People who work in the NICU use terms that may be unfamiliar to you. Here is a list that may help you.

Term	Definition
As and Bs	Apnea and bradycardia (breathing issues and slow heart rate)
Antibiotics	Medicine given to treat an infection.
Apgar score	A number from 0-10 given to a baby in the delivery room at one and five minutes of age, which describes how well the baby is at that time.
Apnea	A prolonged pause or stopping of breathing. It is a common problem in premature babies.
Bagging	Filling the baby’s lungs with air using a rubber bag, mask, and oxygen.
Bilirubin	A waste product that occurs when the body naturally gets rid of old red blood cells. It is a yellow-colored substance that may sometimes color the skin. If a blood test shows there is too much bilirubin in the baby’s blood, the baby may be placed under special lights that help get rid of the bilirubin. The baby’s eyes will be covered to protect them.
Blood gas	A measurement of the amount of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and acid in the baby’s blood.
Bradycardia	A slowing of the baby’s heart rate.
CPAP	Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, a low pressure of air that is maintained in the airways to help a baby with breathing difficulty or with apnea.
Cyanosis	Blueness (duskiness) of the skin as a result of oxygen levels in the blood that are too low.
Desats	Short periods of time when the oxygen level in the baby’s system drops below the accepted level.
Endotracheal (ET) tube	A tube that passes through a baby’s mouth into the trachea (windpipe) to allow oxygen to be delivered into the lungs.
Gram	A unit of weight. 28 grams = 1 ounce; 454 grams = one pound; 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds.
Hyperalimentation/Hyperal/TPN	Giving of nutrition into a vein: used in infants who cannot be fed or who are not yet taking all of their fluid by mouth.
Intravenous (IV)	Fluids or medicine given through a vein.
Lines	Refers to IVs that are placed into the umbilical artery or the umbilical vein (two blood vessels in the baby’s umbilical cord), through which sugar solutions and medications may be given. Blood samples may also be obtained through them.
Meconium	A newborn’s first several bowel movements. It is thick, dark green/black, and sticky. Babies sometimes pass meconium before birth.
Nasal Cannula	A small tube positioned at the baby’s nose, through which oxygen may be delivered.
NG/OG Tube	Nasogastric or orogastric tube—a small, soft, plastic tube placed through the nose or mouth into the baby’s stomach. This may be used for “gavage” or tube feedings.
NPO	Latin abbreviation for nothing by mouth.
Oxygen	Part of the air we breathe. Room air contains 21% oxygen. Sick or premature babies may need extra oxygen, sometimes even pure (100%) oxygen.
Premature infant, Premie	Any infant born before the 37th week of pregnancy. Full term babies are born between 37 and 42 weeks.
Residual	The amount of formula remaining in a baby’s stomach before the next feeding.
Respirator	Ventilator, a machine to help with breathing.
Sepsis	An infection, symptoms may include fever, poor feeding, continued apnea, and bradycardia.
Surfactant	A substance made by mature lungs that makes it easier to breathe. Babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy may not have enough surfactant and may need to receive some to make breathing easier.
Tachypnea	Fast breathing, more than 60 breaths a minute.
Vital signs	Measurement of heart rate, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. In the NICU, we may also measure the baby’s abdominal girth.
Weight	Your baby is weighed at least daily. Babies usually lose weight during the first several days after birth. Once they begin to gain weight, they will gain 10 to 30 grams (1/3 to 1 ounce) a day, on average.