Northside Hospital - Special Beginnings

Glossary

Expressed Milk – Milk excreted from the breast either by hand or using a device such as a breast pump.

Extubation – Taking the breathing tube out.

Antibodies – Proteins produced by cells in the body to fight infection. Apnea – A pause in breathing. This is very common in a premature baby.

Feeding Cues – Signs that let you know that your baby is hungry. These can be lip-smacking, mouth opening and hand-to-mouth motion.

Feeding Tube – See NG Tube/OG tube.

Areola – The dark ringed area around the nipple.

Gavage Feeding – Baby is fed breast milk or formula through a soft tube that goes through his mouth or nose into his stomach. Hand Hugs – When skin-to-skin holding needs to be postponed, the perfect alternative is to hold your baby with a “hand hug” gently cupping your baby’s head and feet with your hands. Heel Stick – Pricking the baby’s heel to get a small amount of blood for testing. Hormone – The secretion of an endocrine gland that is transmitted by the blood to the tissue on which it has a specific effect. Immunoglobulins – Any of several classes of structurally related proteins that function as antibodies or receptors and are found in plasma and other body fluids and in the membrane of certain cells. Intravenous (IV) – A tiny tube (catheter) placed into a vein, usually in the hand, foot or the scalp. The baby gets nutrition and medicine in the IV. Splints are used to keep IV’s from getting accidentally knocked out of place. Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH) – Bleeding occurring in the inner part of the brain. Isolette (Incubator) – A heated enclosed bed that keeps baby warm. Jaundice – The skin and eyes appear yellow from excess bilirubin in the blood. Very common in babies. It is treated with phototherapy. Let-Down (Milk Ejection Reflex) – The release of milk from the milk glands stimulated by the baby as he nurses. Mastitis – Infection of the breast causing soreness, fever and flu-like symptoms. Intubation – Putting the breathing tube (ET) in.

Bililights – See Phototherapy.

Bilirubin – See Jaundice.

Blood Gas – A blood test to check how well your baby is breathing.

Bradycardia (Brady) – A slow heartbeat.

Breastfeeding – To feed a baby from a mother’s breast. Immune properties in breast milk can help the baby fight off infections. Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) – Scarring in a baby’s lungs, caused by extra oxygen and breathing machines. Central Venous Line (CVL-PICC) – A special IV placed into a large vein in the arm, leg or neck. Chest Tube – A tube placed in the chest to remove air that has leaked out of the lung. Colostrum – A yellowish fluid, rich in antibodies and minerals, that a mother’s breasts produce after giving birth and before breast milk is fully established. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) – Using air under pressure, the air sacs in the lungs are kept open to help the baby breathe. Cue Based Feeding – Assessing your baby’s readiness to feed by mouth. Desaturations (DESATS) – Oxygen levels that drop below the level ordered by the doctor. Dextrose Stick (D-Stick) – A test for sugar in the blood. The blood may be obtained from the heel. Endotracheal Tube (ET Tube) – A breathing tube put in the windpipe to help the baby breathe. Babies do not make sounds while it is in place. Engorgement – The filling of the breasts after birth with milk that may cause pain and swelling.

Special Beginnings in the Special Care Nurseries

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