Information

Babies are admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for many different reasons. Some babies born at term or late preterm gestation will have transitional problems, breathing difficulties, feeding intolerance, signs of infection or will need surgical evaluation and treatment. Babies born prematurely may have additional problems related to their prematurity. These conditions require close monitoring and observation by nurses and neonatologists trained to treat and care for sick babies.If your baby develops problems, and the facility in which you delivered is not equipped or staffed with personnel who can provide care for sick babies, your baby may be transported to the regional NICU at Huntsville Hospital. Babies from outlying hospitals are usually transported by the Huntsville Hospital NICU transport team to the NICU by ambulance. In certain situations, transport by air (helicopter) may be necessary. After your baby arrives to the unit and is stabilized, we contact and update the parents and referring physician about the baby’s condition.

To have a baby admitted to the NICU may be a stressful and difficult experience. The environment that your baby is in may be overwhelming as well. Many babies will need respiratory support (oxyhood, nasal canula or ventilator), intravenous fluids and intensive monitoring. Together with the nursing staff, we teach and keep you informed about problems your baby is experiencing. As your baby’s condition improves, you will be encouraged to participate in the daily routine care of the baby. This will help you prepare for your baby’s discharge.

The NICU staff uses terms that are probably unfamiliar to you. Here is a list to help you understand what we are saying.
• Anemia: Too few red blood cells.
• Apnea: A pause in breathing for short period of time. Common in premies.
• Bilirubin: A pigment produced from the breakdown of red blood cells. When in excess, bilirubin appears as yellow skin known as jaundice.
• Blood Gases: A blood test to check the level of oxygen, carbon dioxide and acidity.
• Bradycardia: Slowing of the heart rate to lower than normal.
• Catheter: A plastic tube to put fluids into or to take them out of the body.
• CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure. It is continuous pressure applied to the lungs through a mask, endotracheal tube or nasal prongs and helps the baby’s breathing.
• Edema: Presence of too much fluid in body tissues causes a swollen appearance.
• Endotracheal Tube: A tube inserted into the mouth to the windpipe to keep the airway open.
• Gavage: Feeding by a tube passed through the mouth into the stomach.
• Gestational Age: The time period in weeks from conception to delivery.
• Glucose: Sugar
• Hematocrit: The concentration of red cells in blood.
• Hyperalimentation: Nourishing the baby with a glucose, fat and protein solution through the veins. Also called Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)
• Hypoglycemia: Blood sugar level below normal.
• Jaundice: Yellow color in the skin from excess bilirubin.
• Meconium: Dark greenish waste products that accumulate in the bowel during fetal life and are eliminated shortly after birth.
• Meconium Aspiration: The condition in which the baby breathes in meconium that is in the amniotic fluid.
• Carbon Dioxide: Waste gas eliminated by the lungs.
• Patent Ductus Arteriosus: A blood vessel that allows blood to bypass the lungs. It should close shortly after birth.
• pH: Amount of acid in the blood.
• Phototherapy: Treatment of jaundice by use of special lights on the baby’s skin to breakdown the bilirubin.
• P02: Blood oxygen level.
• Pulse Oximeter: A probe that wraps around a hand or foot, connected to a machine, which measures how much oxygen the blood is carrying.
• Respirator: Also known as a ventilator; a machine used to deliver air and oxygen into the lungs with pressure to help the baby breathe.
• Sepsis: Infection in the blood or other body tissues.
• SGA: Small for gestational age; lower birth weight than expected for age.
• Suction: Mechanical removal of mucous from the nose or throat or endotracheal tube with a plastic tube.
• Umbilical Catheter: A small plastic tube inserted into one of the arteries of the umbilical cord.
• Vital Signs: Temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure