Glossary

You will hear a lot of new medical words while your baby is in the NICU. We use these terms when we talk with each other, and may use them when talking with you about your baby. However, we know that often these terms can add to your stress. So we have created a list for you of common terms you may hear. We hope this will help you understand what is happening with your baby. We will try to remember to explain them to you when we use them, but if you hear words you don’t understand ask your baby’s doctor or nurse what they mean.

Glossary of Common NICU Terms

AGA (Appropriate for Gestational Age) (a-pro-pree-at for jeh-stay-shun-uhl age):

A term for babies whose weight, length and head measures are between 10% and 90% (percentiles) of babies of the same gestation age.

Alveoli (al-vee-oh-lie):

Tiny air sacs in your lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide trade places.

Anemia (uh-nee-me-uh):

Having a low number of red blood cells in your blood.

Antibodies (an-ti-bod-ees):

Special proteins your body makes to fight against infections.

Antibiotic (an-ti-by-ah-tik):

A drug used to treat an infection caused by bacteria (germs).

Apnea (ap-nee-uh):

Pauses in breathing lasting more than 15-20 seconds.

Aspiration (as-pi-ray-shun):

Breathing something other than air into the lungs, such as formula, breast milk or blood.

BAER (Brain Auditory Evoked Response):

A hearing test done before your baby goes home. This test checks how well your baby’s brain picks up and responds to sounds. This is done with sensors placed on your baby’s head.

Bili Light (bil-i light):

A treatment for babies with jaundice. It uses a special blue light that helps break down the bilirubin in the skin. Babies are undressed while getting under the bili light. They also have their eyes covered for protection.

Bilirubin (bil-i-roo-bin):

Made when red blood cells are broken down by the body. See hyperbilirubinemia and jaundice.

Blood gas:

A blood test used to measure breathing. The amount of oxygen, carbon dioxide and acid levels in the blood are all measured. Also called ABG’s and CBG’s.

Blood transfusion (blood trans-fue-shun):

Giving you whole blood or a blood part directly into your blood vessels. This is done with an IV.

Blood Glucose (Blood Sugar):

The sugar that your body makes from food.

Bolus (bow-lus):

An amount of fluid given over a short period of time (for example, bolus feeding or fluid bolus).

Bradycardia (brad-eh-car-dee-uh):

A slowing of the heart rate to less than 80 beats per minute. Usually occurs with apnea in premature infants. It usually goes away as the baby gets older.

Carbon dioxide (car-bon die-ox-ide):

A gas also called CO2. What your lungs exhale (breathe out).

CAT/CT Scan:

A special type of x-ray that makes pictures in your body.

CBC (complete blood count):

A blood test that measures your red and white blood cells and platelets.

Chest X-ray:

An X-ray of your chest, showing your heart and lungs.

Chronic lung disease:

An illness of the lungs that lasts for a long period of time. Often, the lungs need extra oxygen for this time period. This may last for several weeks or months, and at times more than a year. It usually happens in babies who had severe respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), lung infections or were very premature.

Central Line:

A special IV catheter (tube) that is placed in your vein (usually in the upper arm) and passed into the larger blood vessels going into your heart.

Cerebral Palsy (seh-ree-brel pawl-zee):

A life-long condition that makes it hard to control muscles. It is caused by some part of the brain not working as it should. This affects how the brain talks to certain muscles. Depending on what part of the brain is affected, the person may not be able to control how they walk, talk or even eat.

Chest Tube:

A tube placed into your chest if your lungs have deflated or collapsed. The tube removes air, blood and/or fluid from around your lungs. This allows your lungs to re-expand.

Chromosomes (kro-muh-zomes):

Thread-like strands inside your body that hold your genes. Your genes determine physical things about you, like what color your hair and eyes are, how tall you will be and more. Chromosomes come in pairs, each pair has one chromosome from your dad and one from your mom. Usually, people have 23 pairs of chromosomes.

Colostrum (koe-loss-trum):

The milk first made by moms after birth. It is rich in proteins and antibodies.

Congenital (con-gen-i-tul):

Present when a baby is born.

Containment (con-tain-ment):

Helping your baby to be calm and feel safe by placing cloth rolls or using your hands to hold your baby gently in a fetal position (Hands to face, knees tucked up by chest).

Congenital anomalies (con-jen-i-tul a-nom-i-leze):

Physical problems with babies that are present when they are born.

Corrected age:

A way to measure your baby’s development after birth, and most importantly, after discharge. How to figure out your baby’s corrected age: Actual age - months they were born premature = corrected age. For example: Your baby was born at 28 weeks gestation (he was 12 weeks, or 3 months premature). If he is now 6 months old, his corrected age is: (6 months - 3 months = 3 months.) In this case, even though the baby is 6 months old, he should be at or near the developmental level of a 3-month-old baby born at term (38-40 weeks).

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure):

A way of giving oxygen and pressure to your baby. This is done by putting prongs in your baby’s nose. The air flows through a small container of water that provides pressure to open your baby’s airway. Your baby does all of the work of breathing.

Cranial Ultrasound (Head Ultrasound) (cray-nee-ul ul-tra-sound):

A scan of the brain most often used to look for bleeding in the brain.

Crit (Also called Hematocrit (he-mat-o-crit)):

A test used to find out the amount of red blood cells in the blood. This test helps us find out if your baby needs a transfusion of packed red blood cells.

Culture (cul-chur):

A test to check for infection of body fluids such as blood, urine or spinal fluid.

Cyanosis (sigh-a-no-sis):

A bluish tint of the skin caused by low oxygen levels in the blood. Also called dusky.

Desaturation (dee-sah-chur-aa-shun):

A low amount of oxygen in the blood that often appears as cyanosis . This often happens when an apnea and/or bradycardia are occuring.

Developmental Care (dee-vel-op-men-tul care):

A way of taking care of newborns. It looks at each baby’s behavior and needs.

Dusky:

A bluish tint of the skin caused by low oxygen levels in the blood. Also called cyanosis.

Echocardiogram (eh-koo-car-dee-uh-gram):

A painless test using sound waves to make a picture of the heart.

Edema (eh-dee-mah):

Swelling or puffiness caused by excess fluid in the skin tissue.

EEG (Electroencephalogram) (ee-lek-tro-en-sef-uh-lo-gram):

A test used to record the electrical activity of the brain.

EKG (Electrocardiogram) (ee-lek-tro-car-dee-uh-gram):

A test used to record the electrical activity of the heart.

Electrolytes (ee-lek-tro-lites):

Certain chemicals in the blood that must be present in certain amounts for the body to work properly. These include sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate.

Esophagus (eh-sof-ah-gus):

The tube in your body connecting the mouth and throat to the stomach.

ET tube (endotracheal tube) (en-doe-tray-key-ul tube):

A plastic tube usually inserted through the mouth into the trachea (windpipe). It is connected to a ventilator (breathing machine) and helps your infant breathe.

Extubation (ex-too-bay-shun):

Taking out of the ET tube. Usually done when your baby is well enough to breathe on his or her own.

Fontanel (fon-tah-nell):

The normal “soft spot” on the baby’s skull. It closes as the baby grows.

Full-term baby:

A baby born between 38 and 42 weeks gestation.

Gavage feeding (gah-vazh):

A small plastic tube inserted through the mouth (OG tube) or nose (NG Tube) into the stomach to get food into the stomach. This is given to babies who are too small or sick to take their feeding by bottle or breast. Also called tube feeding.

Gestational age (jeh-stay-shun-uhl age):

The age of the baby from the date of conception to the date of birth. For example, if a mother was 25 weeks (or about 6 months) into her pregnancy and delivered her baby, the baby would be 25 weeks gestation. You may hear the baby called a “25 weeker”.

Giraffe:

An enclosed bed for your baby. It gives your baby the warmth and quiet they need as they continue to grow. In this bed, the top can be lifted so we can take care of your baby when needed. When your baby is older and no longer needs the enclosed space to keep them warm, we can turn it into a crib. Also called an isolette.

Gram:

A unit of weight in the metric system. 30 grams = 1 ounce.

Head bleed:

Bleeding in the brain. Also called intraventricular hemorrhage.

Hearing Test:

This is the BAER test (Brain Auditory Evoked Response). A test done before your baby goes home. This test checks how well your baby’s brain picks up and responds to sounds. This is done with sensors placed on your baby’s head.

Heel Stick:

A way of getting a blood sample. The lab drawer or nurse pricks your baby’s heel with a small needle and the drops of blood are collected.

Hematocrit (Crit) (he-mat-o-crit):

A test used to find out the amount of red blood cells in the blood. This test helps us find out if your baby needs a transfusion of packed red blood cells.

Hemoglobin (he-muh-glow-bin):

Part of the red blood cells that helps carry oxygen to the body.

High Flow Nasal Cannula (can-ya-la):

Small prongs that are put into your baby’s nose. This gives your baby high-flow, warm, moist oxygen.

Hyperbilirubinemia (hi-per-bil-i-ru-bin-ee-me-uh):

High level of bilirubin in the blood. It may be seen the first few days after birth. It causes the skin to have a yellow color. Also called jaundice.

Hypoglycemia (hi-poe-glie-see-me-uh):

A low blood glucose (sugar) level.

Hypothermia (hi-poe-thur-me-uh):

A body temperature lower than 97.6⁰ F.

Hypoxia (hi-pox-see-uh):

Not enough oxygen getting to the cells of the body.

Infection (in-fek-shun):

When bacteria, germs, fungus or a virus makes you sick.

IVH (Intraventricular Hemorrhage) (in-trah-ven-trik-you-lar hem-or-rij) :

Bleeding in the brain.

Intubation (in-too-bay-shun):

Placing a small plastic tube through the mouth or nose into your baby’s airway. This tube is connected to a machine (ventilator) to help your baby breathe.

I & O (intake and output):

Measuring all the fluids that go in and come out of your baby’s body.

Invasive (in-vay-siv):

A procedure or operation in which something is inserted into the body through a cut or natural opening.

Isolette (eye-so-let):

IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction) (in-trah-you-ter-in growth re-stric-shun):

Refers to a baby who is smaller than they should be before birth. Babies with IUGR have grown more slowly than expected.

IV (intravenous):

A tube placed into a vein to bring fluids, blood and medicine into the blood.

Jaundice (JON-diss):

High level of bilirubin in the blood. This happens when the liver hasn’t finished developing or isn’t working well. It may be seen the first few days after birth. It causes the skin to have a yellow color. Also called hyperbilirubinemia.

Kangaroo care:

Holding your baby against your skin (also called skin-to-skin).

Kilo (kilogram):

A unit of weight in the metric system. One kilogram is equal to 2.2 pounds.

LGA (Large for Gestational Age) (large for jeh-stay-shun-uhl age):

A term for babies whose weight, length and head measures are higher than 90% (percentiles) of babies at the same gestation age.

LP (lumbar puncture (lum-bar punk-chur):

Removing a small amount of spinal fluid. A small needle is used to obtain the fluid from the lower back. This test is usually done to check for infection. Also called a spinal tap.

Meconium (meh-coe-nee-um):

The first several stools your baby has when they poop. They usually happen in the first few days after birth. Meconium is thick, sticky, and brownish-green in color.

Meningitis (men-in-jie-tus):

Infection of the membranes covering the brain. It is treated with antibiotics.

Monitor (mon-i-ter):

Equipment that measures heart rate, breathing and blood pressure. Electrodes are placed on your baby’s chest and stomach to help record this information.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) (mag-net-ik rez-o-nence im-a-jing):

A special x-ray scan that makes a computer images of body structures.

Murmur:

A swishing sound that occurs as blood flows through the heart.

Nasal cannula (nay-zul can-you-la):

A soft plastic tube that is placed in the nose. This delivers warm, moist oxygen.

NEC (Necrotizing Enterocolitis) (nek-roe-tie-zing en-ter-roe-cuh-lie-tis):

When the tissue of the intestines is injured or starts to die. It can cause the intestines to swell, or, very rarely, make a hole in the intestines. Feedings are stopped, and your baby is given antibiotics. Some babies need surgery.

Neonate (nee-o-nate):

A newborn baby.

Nested:

Putting rolled cloths around your baby to provide containment and help keep them in a fetal position (Hands to face, knees tucked up by chest).

Neural tube defects (nu-ruhl):

Birth defects of the spine and/or brain.

Newborn Screen Test:

A blood test done to check for genetic diseases. This test is done two times. The first one is done within 7 days of birth, and the second at about 2 weeks of age.

NG tube (Nasogastric Tube) (nay-zoe-gas-trik):

A plastic tube that is passed through the nose into the stomach. Milk and medicine can be given through the NG tube. Babies may need an NG tube when they are born very early or sick.

NPO:

An order that means your baby may not have anything to eat or drink.

N.O. (Nitric oxide) (nie-trik ox-ide):

A gas that is given with a ventilator. It is used to treat pulmonary hypertension. It helps by relaxing the walls of the blood vessels near the breathing sacs (aveoli). This helps improve oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange.

OG tube (Orogastric Tube) (or-o-gas-trik tube):

A plastic tube that is passed through the mouth into the stomach. Milk and medicine can be given through the OG tube. Babies may need an OG tube when they are born very early or sick.

Oscillator (os-i-lay-ter):

A type of ventilator (breathing machine). It keeps your baby’s lungs inflated all of the time by giving tiny amounts of air at very fast rates.

Oxygen (ox-i-jen):

Present in the air we breathe. It is necessary for our cells to work properly.

Oxygen Saturations (O2 sats) (ox-i-jen sach-u-ray-shuns):

The amount of oxygen in blood. Measured by a pulse oximeter (see pulse oximeter) connected to the monitor.

OxyHood (ox-ee-hood):

A clear plastic box or tent placed over your baby’s head. This will give your baby warm, moist oxygen.

PRBCs (Packed Red Blood Cells):

A blood part which is mostly made up of red blood cells. Your baby may need transfusions of PRBCs if their have anemia. Anemia can happen when we need to draw your baby’s blood often to check their condition.

PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosis) (PAT-ent DUK-tus are-tear-ee-OO-sis):

The ductus ateriosus is a blood vessel that connects the two major arteries near the heart. Patent means hole. Patent ductus ateriosus is the normal hole in this blood vessel babies have before birth. The PDA lets most of the blood pass right by the lungs and go to the rest of the body. Mom and the placenta take care of the baby’s oxygen before birth. It should close very soon after the baby is born. Sometimes this blood vessel stays open. This happens most often in preemies. The PDA may need to be closed with medicine or surgery.

PEEP (Positive End Expiratory Pressure) (pos-i-tiv end ex-pie-ra-tor-ee preh-shure):

PEEP is given through the ventilator. It gives a small amount of pressure to the lungs at all times. This helps to keep the air sacs (alveoli) from collapsing.

Periodic Breathing (peer-ee-odd-ik bree-thing):

The pattern of breathing in which your baby will take several deep breaths and then have a pause for 5-20 seconds before taking another breath. Periodic breathing is common in babies.

PVL (Periventricular Leukomalacia) (pear-i-ven-trik-you-lar lue-koe-mah-lay-she-uh):

Damage to some areas of the brain tissue. It is thought to be caused by too little blood to an area of the brain.

Phototherapy (foe-toe-ther-a-pee):

Light treatment for babies with jaundice. It helps break down the bilirubin in the skin. Babies are undressed while getting phototherapy. They also have their eyes covered for protection.

PICC line (Percutaneously Inserted Central Catheter) (per-cue-tay-nee-ous-lee in-sert-ed cen-tral cath-eh-ter):

A special longer lasting IV. It is a soft, tiny tube that is inserted into a blood vessel. A PICC line can give fluids, nutrition and/or medicine. A specially trained group of nurses or doctors put in PICC lines.

Platelets (plate-lets):

A blood part that helps blood to clot. Clotting helps you stop bleeding if you cut yourself. Babies may need a platelet transfusion if their platelet level is too low and/or there is a risk of bleeding.

Pneumatosis (new-ma-toe-sis):

Air or gas within the wall of the intestines. It is found by x-ray, and is a sign of necrotizing enterocolitis.

Pneumonia (new-moe-nya):

Swelling of the lungs. It may be caused by infection. Breathing something (such as formula or blood) into the lungs can also be a cause.

Pneumothorax (new-moe-thor-ax):

Happens when air leaks from the lungs. This air goes into the chest cavity around the lungs. The lung often collapses when this happens. Babies with a pneumothorax may need to have this air removed. This may be done by putting a needle into the chest to get rid of the air. Sometimes a chest tube must be placed to take care of this problem.

Premature Baby (Preemie):

A baby born before the 38th week of pregnancy.

Pulmonary Hypertension (pull-muh-nair-ee hi-per-ten-shun):

High blood pressure in the vessels that supply blood to the lungs. This high pressure forces blood away from the lungs. This condition makes it hard to get enough oxygen to the body.

Pulse Oximeter (pulse ox-im-eh-ter):

A machine that measures how much oxygen is in your baby’s blood. A small band wrapped around your baby’s hand or foot does this. The measurement may be called O2 sats or oxygen sats.

Radiant Warmer (ray-dee-ant warm-er):

An open bed (or giraffe/isolette with the top up) with an overhead heater. This heater helps keep the baby warm.

RDS (Respiratory Distress Syndrome) (res-pih-rah-tor-ee dis-tress sin-drum):

This is the most common lung disease of premature infants. A baby is more likely to have RDS the earlier they born, when their lungs haven’t finished developing. RDS is caused by not enough surfactant in the lungs. Surfactant helps keep the air sacs open. The air sacs must be open for the baby to get oxygen in and carbon dioxide out of the blood.

Red blood cells:

The cells in the blood that carry oxygen and deliver it to all parts of your body.

Report:

An activity that occurs when the nurses change shifts. This is usually at 7:00 in the morning and at night. Nurses who are ending their shift share the plan of care and condition of your baby to the nurses starting their shift.

Residual (re-sid-you-uhl):

The amount of milk left in your baby’s stomach. We usually check just this just before their next feeding.

Respirator (res-pih-ray-tor):

A machine that helps your baby breathe. It gives pressure and oxygen to the lungs. Also called ventilator.

Retractions (ri-trak-shuns):

The pulling in of the chest wall with each breath. This may happen when your baby is having problems breathing. It also happens in preemies because of their thin chest walls.

Room Air:

The air we breathe all the time.

ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) (ret-in-op-uh-thee of pree-muh-chur-eh-tee):

An abnormal growth of blood vessels in your baby’s eye. It is most common in babies who are very premature. Preemies are checked for this with an eye exam. The exam is usually done about 6 weeks after birth.

Rounds:

A gathering of doctors, nurses and other health team members. During rounds, your baby’s condition is discussed and a plan of care is made for the day.

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) (res-pi-rah-tor-ee sin-sish-ee-uhl vie-rus):

A very common virus that causes mild, cold-like symptoms in adults and older healthy children. Babies who get RSV, however, get very sick. RSV makes it hard for babies to breathe. Babies who have been in the NICU or belong to other high-risk groups are especially at risk for getting this virus.

Sats:

The amount of oxygen in blood. It is measured by a pulse oximeter. Also called Oxygen Saturations.

Sepsis (sep-sis):

An infection in the blood. This is treated with antibiotics.

Septic work-up (sep-tic work-up):

Done when we think your baby has an infection. A complete blood count (CBC) is usually done. We will also draw a culture of your baby’s blood, urine or spinal fluid. We may put your baby on antibiotics while we are doing the work-up.

SGA (small for gestational age) (small for jeh-stay-shun-uhl age):

A term for babies whose weight, length and head measures are lower than 10% (percentiles) of babies at the same gestation age.

Skin-to-skin:

Holding your baby against your skin (also called kangaroo care).

Spinal Fluid (spy-null flu-id):

Fluid that is around the spinal cord and brain.

Spinal tap (spy-null tap):

Removing a small amount of spinal fluid. A small needle is used to obtain the fluid from the lower back. This test is usually done to check for infection. Also called a lumbar puncture.

Suction:

Procedure to remove mucus and secretions from the mouth, nose or breathing tube.

Surfactant (sir-fak-tent):

A liquid that coats the inside of the lungs. This helps keep them open so your baby can breathe after they are born. Preemies or sick, full-term babies may be given surfactant medicine soon after birth. The medicine is given in the breathing tube to treat any breathing problems.

Swaddled (swa-dulled):

Wrapping your baby in a blanket tightly enough to that their arms are close to the body but allowing for some movement of the legs. This helps to keep your baby warm, and it seems to give most newborns a sense of security and comfort.

Tachycardia (tak-i-car-dee-uh):

A fast heart rate, usually more than 180 beats per minute.

Tachypnea (tak-i-nee-uh):

Breathing faster than normal. Babies normally breathe about 40-60 times a minute.

TCM (Transcutaneous Monitor) (trans-que-tay-nee-us mon-i-ter):

A machine that measures the carbon dioxide and/or oxygen levels in the blood by a probe placed on the skin.

Trachea (tray-key-uh):

The windpipe.

TPN (Total Parental Nutrition) (total puh-ren-tuhl new-tri-shun ):

Liquid nutrition given to your baby through an IV. Babies often need TPN if they can’t take enough milk to help them grow.

Trophic Feeds (troe-fik feeds):

Very small feedings that keep your baby’s intestine working normally. Very premature infants are generally given trophic feeds during the first few days of life. After that, the amount of the feedings are slowly increased.

TTN (Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn) (tran-zee-ent tak-i-nee-uh):

Fast breathing after birth that slowly gets better. Before birth, your baby’s lungs are filled with fluid. As their due date gets closer this fluid begins to leave their lungs. More is squeezed out during birth and as they take their first breaths. Preemies, however, may still have some of this fluid in their lungs or clears out too slowly. This fluid makes it harder for them to breathe, so they breathe faster. As the fluid leaves their lungs their breathing gets better.

Tube Feeding:

UAC (Umbilical Artery Catheter) (um-bill-i-cull are-ter-ee cath-i-ter):

A special kind of IV. It is a soft, plastic tube placed in one of the vessels of the umbilical cord. Fluids can be given and blood can be drawn for lab testing for things like blood gas or electrolytes. Also called an umbilical catheter.

Ultrasound :

A test that uses sound waves to make pictures of the inside of your baby. The exam is painless. It allows the doctor to “see inside” certain areas (i.e., head, kidneys, or the uterus).

Umbilical catheter (um-bill-i-cull cath-i-ter):

UVC (Umbilical Venous Catheter) (um-bill-i-cull vee-nus cath-i-ter):

Urinalysis (your-in-al-i-sis):

A test to show what is in the urine. A urinalysis can be used to find infection and some types of diseases. The urine we collect is called a urine culture.

Ventilator (vent-i-lay-tor):

A machine that helps your baby breathe. It gives pressure and oxygen to the lungs. Also called respirator.

Vital Signs:

Temperature, heart rate, respiratory (breathing) rate, and blood pressure.

White Blood Cells:

Cells in your blood that help your body fight infection.

X-ray:

A picture made with the use of low doses of electromagnetic radiation. An x-ray can be used to look at the structures of the body and to find diseases.

Glossary

Glossary of Common NICU Terms

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