NICU Environment

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 Vocabulary of the NICU.

The NICU staff uses terms that are probably unfamiliar to you. Here is a list to help you understand what we are saying.

  • A’s and B’s: Apneas and bradycardias.
  • Anemia: Too few red blood cells.
  • 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 pause in breathing for short period of time. Common in premies.
  • Antibiotics: Medicine given to treat an infection.
  • 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 Gases: A blood test to check the amount 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, 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 level in the blood that is too low.
  • Desats: Short periods of time when the oxygen level in the baby’s system drops below the accepted level.
  • Edema: Presence of too much fluid in body tissues causes a swollen appearance.
  • Endotracheal Tube: A tube that passes through a baby’s mouth into the trachea (windpipe) to allow oxygen to be delivered into the lungs.
  • 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
  • Gram: A unit of weight. 28 grams = 1 ounce; 454 grams = one pound; 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds.
  • Hematocrit: The concentration of red cells in blood.
  • Hyperalimentation: Nourishing the baby with a glucose, fat and protein solution through the vein is used when babies cannot be fed or when they are not yet taking all of their fluids by mouth. Also called Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)
  • Hypoglycemia: Blood sugar level below normal.
  • Jaundice: Yellow color in the skin from excess bilirubin.
  • Meconium: A newborn’s first several bowel movements. It is thick, dark green/black, and sticky. Babies sometimes pass meconium before birth.
  • Meconium Aspiration: The condition in which the baby breathes in meconium that is in the amniotic fluid.
  • Nasal Canula: A small tube positioned at the baby’s nose, through which oxygen may be delivered.
  • NPO: Latin abbreviation for nothing by mouth.
  • OG Tube: Orogastric tube—a small, soft, plastic tube placed through the mouth into the baby’s stomach. This may be used for “gavage” or tube feedings.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Residual: The amount of formula remaining in a baby’s stomach before the next feeding.
  • 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.
  • Surfactant: A substance made by the 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.
  • Suction: Mechanical removal of mucous from the nose or throat or endotracheal tube with a plastic suction tube.
  • Tachypnea: Fast breathing
  • Umbilical Catheter: A small plastic tube inserted into one of the arteries or vein of the umbilical cord, through which sugar solutions and medications may be given. Blood samples may also be obtained through them.
  • Vital Signs: Measurement of heart rate, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure.