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The People

Many professionals work together to care for preemie babies. You may meet some or all of the following:

Neonatologist - A pediatrician who has had special training in newborn intensive care

Neonatal Fellow - A pediatrician who is currently getting special training in newborn intensive care, a future neonatologist

Resident - A doctor who is receiving additional training to be a pediatrician or some other specialist

Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner - A trained professional (non-MD) who has received additional training in newborn intensive care so s/he can perform many of the same tasks as doctors

Clinical Nurse Specialist -A nurse with additional training and responsibilities for patient and nurse education

Primary Nurse - The nurse who will most frequently take care of your baby, develop your baby's nursing care plan, and teach you to care for him/her.

Social Worker - The person who will help you with non-medical issues, such as where to stay, insurance, transportation etc. S/he also provides emotional support and counselling.

Perinatal Pharmacist - A pharmacist with special expertise in drugs for babies.

Respiratory Therapist - A person with special training for care and management of oxygen, breathing machines etc.

Occupational Therapist - A person with special training in infant development. You may encounter this person either in the nursery or in a follow-up clinic.

Physical Therapist - A person with special training in assessing and helping muscle tone and movement problems in babies. You may encounter this person either in the nursery or in a follow-up clinic.

Speech and Language Specialist - A person with special training in feeding problems like sucking and swallowing

Audiologist - A person who specializes in hearing problems, testing for hearing loss and treating it

Home Health Care Specialist - A person who helps coordinate any equipment or monitoring needs after discharge, such as home oxygen or home phototherapy.
 
Unit clerk, Ward Clerk, Ward Secretary or Data Terminal Operator - Individuals who transcribe orders, send blood tests to the laboratories, answer phones etc.

Hospital Chaplain - A hospital-based religious support person.
 
Others - People who stock shelves, clean the nursery, obtain laboratory tests, take x-rays, and provide maintenance

Your baby probably has one or two doctors and one or two nurses who are primarily responsible for his/her care. You may want to write down their names as they are the people with whom you will interact most frequently.

In addition, if your baby has a particular problem, another physician specialist may be called in. Common subspecialists and their area of expertise include:

• Cardiologist - Heart problems
• Neurologist - Brain and nervous system problems
• Nephrologist - Kidney (urine) problems
• Gastroenterologist - Intestinal problems and nutrition
• Endocrinologist - Glands and hormone problems
• Hematologist - Blood problems
• Ophthalmologist - Eye problems

If your baby has a surgical problem, your baby may need a surgeon and an anesthesiologist (puts baby to sleep).

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The Equipment

The monitors provide the nurses and doctor with important information continuously. As much as possible these monitors are painless and non-invasive (attach to the outside of the skin). Your baby will have some, but probably not all, of the following:

Cardiorespiratory Monitor - This is sometimes referred to as a Heart Monitor or a C-R Monitor. Three adhesive patches with wires connected to them are placed on the baby's chest, abdomen, arms or legs. The wires travel to a machine that displays the baby's heart rate, heart beat pattern, breathing rate and breathing pattern.

Pulse Oximeter - The "pulse ox" continuously measures the baby's blood oxygen. There is a tiny light which is attached to the baby's palm, foot, finger, toe, or wrist by a piece of adhesive elastic. A cord travels from the light to a machine that displays the amount of oxygen being carried by red blood cells in the baby's body. This may be part of the cardiorespiratory monitor or a separate monitor.

Blood Pressure Monitor - Blood pressure may be measured periodically by a small cuff placed around the baby's arm or leg, or may be measured continuously if the baby has a catheter (tiny tube) into one of the baby's arteries.

Temperature Probe - A coated wire will be placed on the baby's skin and covered with an adhesive patch. The coated wire measures the baby's temperature. This information is used to help regulate the amount of heat from the overhead heater or isolette.

IV (Intravenous Infusion) - This is a needle, or small tube, that is placed into one of the veins of the infant. It is attached by tubing to a container of fluid. It is used to deliver fluids, medications and nutrients to the baby. Common sites for IVs are hands, feet, arms, legs, and scalp.

Umbilical Artery Catheter (UAC) or Umbilical Venous Catheter (UVC) - This is a small piece of tubing threaded into the baby's artery or vein in the umbilical stump. In addition to delivering fluids, medication, and nutrients, blood can be withdrawn painlessly for laboratory studies.

Transcutaneous Oxygen and/or Carbon Dioxide Monitor - This machine measures oxygen and/or carbon dioxide at the skin. A small circular piece attaches to the skin with a thin circle of adhesive. This piece both heats up a tiny area of skin and measures the oxygen, carbon dioxide, or both. A tiny cord travels from the circular piece to a machine which displays the information. The oxygen measurement is different from that of the pulse oximeter so the numbers are different, usually lower. Because the skin must be heated, there may be a red spot where the circular piece has been. The location of the piece is changed regularly. The red spots will fade over time.

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) - Oxygen (or air) is delivered under a small amount of pressure usually through little tubes that fit into the nostrils of the nose. Delivering oxygen under pressure helps keep the air sacs in the lung open.

Endotracheal Tube - This is a tube that goes from the baby's mouth or nose into the baby's windpipe (trachea). It is secured with tape and attaches by tubing to a breathing machine. It allows the machine to deliver air directly to the baby's lungs.

Respirator or Ventilator - This is a machine to help your baby breathe. Some machines make the baby's own breaths bigger (synchronized ventilation), or give breaths like the baby should be taking. Others, called high frequency ventilators or HiFi, hold the lungs open with a constant pressure and then give hundreds of tiny puffs of air or oxygen each minute.

Synchronizer - This is a small soft circle attached to the abdomen. It is used only with certain kinds of breathing machines. It tells the machine when the baby starts to take a breath so the machine breaths can be timed to the baby's own breaths.

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Common Abbreviations

A & B - Apnea and Bradycardia

Bili - Bilirubin

BP - Blood Pressure, see Low Blood Pressure

BPD - Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

cc or ml - Metric measures of liquid; 30cc (or ml) is 1 ounce; 5 cc is ~1 teaspoon

CNS - Central Nervous System (brain and spinal cord) or Clinical Nurse Specialist

CPAP - Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (air or oxygen delivered under a small amount of pressure)

CPR - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

CPT or Chest PT - Chest Physiotherapy (vibrating or tapping on the chest)

ET - Endotracheal (refers to a tube placed through the mouth or nose to the wind pipe)

Gms or grams - Metric weight; 450 grams = 1 pound; 1 kilogram (Kg) = 1000 grams

HMD - Hyaline Membrane Disease (another name for Respiratory Distress Syndrome)

HI-FI - High Frequency Ventilator

ID - Infectious Disease or Identification

IMV - Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation - # of breaths per minute by the ventilator

IV - Intravenous (by vein)

IVH - Intraventricular Hemorrhage

LP - Lumbar Puncture (getting sample of spinal fluid using a needle)

NEC - Necrotizing Enterocolitis

NG - Nasal Gastric (tube going from nose to stomach)

NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

NPO - Nothing by Mouth

O2 - Oxygen

OG - Oral Gastric (tube going from mouth to stomach)

OT - Occupational Therapist

PDA - Patent Ductus Arteriosus

PIC or PCVL - an tiny catheter or tube placed into a vein to give fluids or nutrition

PT - Physical Therapist

PVL - Periventricular Leukomalacia

RN - Registered Nurse

ROP - Retinopathy of Prematurity

RDS - Respiratory Distress Syndrome

SIDS - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

SIMV - Synchronized Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation (machine breaths timed to baby's)

TPR - Temperature, pulse and respiration

TTNB - Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn

TPN or TNA - Total Parenteral Nutrition (nutrition by vein)

UAC - Umbilical Artery Catheter

UTI - Urinary Tract (kidney or bladder) Infection

UVC - Umbilical Venous Catheter

VS - Vital signs (temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure)

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