Glossary

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

 

A

Anaemia - low levels of red blood cells which can affect baby’s energy levels and how much extra help their body needs with breathing and oxygen

Antibiotics - medicines given to treat if infection is present, or suspected

Apgar - a score given to every baby when they are born, measuring their health & activity levels

Apnoea - a pause in your baby’s breathing

Apnoea Alarm - cable attached to your baby that makes a noise if their breathing pauses for more than 20 seconds

 

B

Bilirubin - substance in blood that can turn skin & eyes yellow, sometimes needing treatment

Bilious vomit - vomit that is green in colour, rather than milky or yellow

Blood gases - a quick test that tells us how well your baby’s breathing and circulation are managing

Blood pressure - measurement of how much pressure the blood puts on the blood vessels, which is commonly measured in the neonatal unit as part of their observations and wellbeing check

Blood sugar - how much glucose (sugar) is in the blood

Blood transfusion - replacement of blood products, commonly used to replace low levels of red blood cells called ‘anaemia’

Bradycardia - slower than normal heart rate

Breast Pump - can be hand held or machine, used to express breast milk

B-P Dysplasia - a lung disorder that may mean your baby needs more oxygen or support with breathing

Bili-bed/coccoon - blue light treatment for jaundice (yellowing of skin or eyes, or high bilirubin in blood tests)

 

C

Caffeine - medicine used to stimulate breathing and activity centres in the premature brain

CRP - marker of infection or inflammation in the blood

Centile chart - charts to track weight, length and head size over time

Central line - a drip going into a larger vein, usually at the belly button, but may be in an arm or leg

Chest drain - plastic tube put into the chest wall if needed to drain free air

Chronic lung disease - a common condition in preterm babies, meaning they still need help with their breathing or oxygen when they are at 36 weeks corrected age and may last for several months after discharge home

Conjunctivitis - swelling or redness around the eyes

CPAP - pressure support for breathing, using prongs or small mask at the nose

CSF - fluid made in the brain that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

Cooling - lowering the body temperature to protect the baby’s brain if they are at risk of brain injury from reduced oxygen supply at birth

Corrected Age - Your baby’s current age in gestational weeks when we add the number of days of life to their pregnancy age at birth

Cyanosis - the skin, lips or nails may look blue when there is a lack of oxygen in the blood

 

D

Drip - a small plastic tube sitting in a blood vessel to allow treatment with medications, nutrition or monitoring

Development - description of growth and skills learned as your baby gets older

Donor Milk - breast milk donate and screened for use in babies when required

Ductus arteriosus - an extra connection between the main blood vessel supplying the body and the main blood vessel supplying the lungs that usually closes soon after birth

 

E

ECMO - a specialist treatment similar to heart or lung bypass to help support the heart and lungs of critically ill babies with certain underlying conditions

Enteral feeding - feeding your baby using a drip to provide nutrition

ET tube - soft plastic tube inserted into the windpipe, through nose or mouth, to support breathing

Exchange transfusion - replacing a portion of blood with another sample of blood, usually to remove high levels of bilirubin in very rare cases

Expressed BM - Milk that has been produced and collected using a hand held or machine breast pump.

ECG - graph of electrical activity of the heart, monitored with leads on the chest wall

EEG - graph of electrical activity of the brain, monitored with probes on the head

Extubate removing the breathing tube from the windpipe

 

F

Fever - higher than normal temperature (>38.0)

Fluids - variety of solutions given to your baby through their drip, for hydration, medications and nutrition

Full – Term - babies born between 37-42 weeks of pregnancy

Fontanelle - soft spot on the top of the head, which closes in the first 2 years of life

 

G

Gestation - how many weeks of pregnancy

Grunting - nasal noise made by a baby with difficulty breathing

Glucose - type of sugar measured in blood

 

H

HFOV - advanced breathing support when traditional means of support are not enough

Humidify - warming the air that is in contact with your baby, in the incubator and the breathing support system

Home oxygen - breathing support of extra oxygen can be fitted for use at home if babies need this at the end of their stay, such as with chronic lung disease (described earlier)

Hydrops - Fluid collections in body cavities before birth

Hydrocortisone - steroid medication used for inflammation and blood pressure support

Hypoglycaemia - low blood sugar

Hyperglycaemia - high blood sugar

Head circumference - measurement of the distance around the widest point of the head

Hypoxia - lower than normal levels of oxygen in the blood

Hypothermia - a body temperature below 35.5 degrees

 

I

Immunisation - schedule of vaccinations given to protect children from preventable diseases

Intubation - a breathing tube placed in the windpipe to allow ventilation (described later

Infection - a virus, bacteria or fungus causes a reaction in the body that can make a baby unwell

Insulin - medication given to lower high blood sugar, especially in early preterm babies

Incubator - contained cot allowing you to see your baby whilst controlling baby’s temperature.

Intracranial haem - Bleed within the brain tissues or brain spaces due to fragile blood vessels in the brain

IV cannula - short plastic tube inserted into a blood vessel to give fluids, nutrition or medications

 

J

Jaundice - yellowing of skin or eyes because of high levels of bilirubin in the blood

 

K

Kangaroo care - skin-to-skin care placing the baby on the parent’s chest

 

L

Low birth weight - weighing under 2.5kg

Lumbar puncture - using a needle & small plastic tube to take a sample of CSF from below the spinal cord

 

M

Meconium - dark green, sticky poo that is passed in the first couple of days of life

Meconium aspiration - inhalation in the womb of baby’s first stool (poo), causing lung inflammation and breathing difficulties

Metabolic bone disease - Softening and thinning of your baby’s bones due to being very preterm or unwell after birth and requires vitamin and mineral supplements to help

Morphine - medication for pain relief and sedation

Monitors - equipment around the cot-side that measures vital signs, and alert us if there are changes that need attention

Milestone - important points in baby’s development

Milestone Cards - cards to celebrate a baby reaching a development point – available in the unit

 

N

NG feeds - thin, soft tube that is passed into the stomach through the nose, for giving milk feeds

NEC - part of the wall of the intestine is inflamed, and can cause the abdomen to swell and bowel to be damaged. Treated with gut rest, antibiotics and sometimes surgery.

Nitric oxide may help improve oxygen levels when babies have reduced blood supply and high blood pressure in their lungs and are on high oxygen support

NIPE - top-to-toe routine newborn examination, generally after 34 weeks of age

Nutrition - Combination of milk, special IV fluid (TPN) or supplements to help your baby grow as well as possible

 

O

Oedema - too much watery fluid in tissues and causes swelling

Oxygen - given to babies needing respiratory support to improve oxygen saturations

Oxygen - sats monitoring for any baby receiving supplemental oxygen

 

P

Pain score - babies rely on others to tell if they are in pain, to do this we use a pain score

Peripheral cannula - a small plastic tube inserted into a blood vessel to give fluids, medicine or nutrition

Phototherapy - blue light therapy to treat jaundice when levels are above a certain threshold

Probiotics - bacteria that are good for the intestines, or gut

Prostaglandin - medicine given to keep the ductus arteriosus open

PEEP - pressure applied through a ventilator when breathing out to keep the airways open

PDA - Ductus arteriosus (described above) remains open after birth, sometimes affecting baby’s breathing and baby may be given medications to try and close the PDA

PICC line - Long plastic catheter in your baby’s arm or leg, used to given IV nutrition or medications

Posset - a small mouthful of milk brought up after a feed, this is normal

 

Q

R

Repatriation - transfer back to the hospital closest to your home

Retinopathy (ROP) - damage to the retina, at the back of the eye, which can affect vison and may need treatment

Red blood cells - the cell in the blood responsible for carrying oxygen

RDS - difficulty breathing because of under developed lungs and lack of surfactant

RSV - a common winter virus that causes inflammation of the airways

 

S

Suction - used to clear secretions from the mouth and airways

Surfactant - protein in the lungs that helps the airways stay open

Seizures - uncoordinated electrical activity in the brain which may be associated with irregular body or limb movements

 

T

Transport - team a team of doctors and nurses that help move babies between hospitals

Tachycardia - a heart rate that is faster than normal limits

Tachypneoa - breathing faster than normal

TPN - nutrition given through a drip

 

U

Umbilical lines - thin plastic tubes placed in the blood vessels at the site of the umbilical cord, to give medicine, nutrition and fluids

Urinary catheterisation - thin plastic tube passed into the bladder to drain urine, or wee, from the body

 

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