List of NICU Terms in Alphabetical Order

Admission: The process of bringing a baby into the NICU to start their care and treatment. Click here for information on Understanding NICU Admissions.
Anemia of Prematurity: A condition where the baby has fewer red blood cells than normal, causing less oxygen to be carried around the body.
Apnea: A pause of over 20 seconds in an infant’s breathing pattern
Apnea of Prematurity: Breathing stops for a short time in premature babies because the breathing center in the brain is not fully developed.
APP (Advanced Practice Provider): A healthcare professional, such as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) or Physician Assistant (PA), with advanced training and education who provides specialized care, diagnoses illnesses, performs procedures, and collaborates with doctors to manage patient treatment plans.
Assessment: A detailed check-up by doctors, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to understand a baby’s health needs.
Attending: A very experienced doctor who has finished specialized training in neonatology (the branch of medicine that specializes in babies) who leads the medical team and oversees all the care for babies in the NICU.

Bilirubin: a protein that is made with the breakdown of red blood cells. It causes the yellowing or jaundice that can be normal in the first few days of a baby’s life
Blood gas: A blood test to check how much oxygen and carbon dioxide are in the blood and if the baby needs more help breathing.
Bradycardia: When the heart beats too slowly. This is usually less than 100 beats per minute for a newborn baby
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD): Also known as chronic lung disease. Long-term lung problems in premature babies caused by inflammation to the lungs from long-term oxygen or ventilation support.

Case Manager: A person who helps plan the baby’s care, making sure everything is organized for when the baby goes home.
Consent Form: A document parents sign to give permission for treatments or procedures.
CPAP: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; a machine that delivers constant airflow into the baby’s lungs to keep them open.
Cyanosis: When skin, lips, or nails turn blue because there isn’t enough oxygen in the blood

Dietician: A person who makes sure the baby gets the right kind of food or nutrients to grow strong and healthy.
Doctor: A person who leads the medical team, makes decisions about how to care for the baby, and performs special procedures if needed.

Echocardiogram: An ultrasound of the heart.
Endotracheal Tube (ET Tube): A breathing tube that is put into a baby’s airway to help them breathe. The ET Tube is usually attached to a ventilator machine that helps a baby breathe

Feeding Tube: A small tube inserted through the nose or mouth into the stomach to provide milk or nutrients when the baby cannot eat by mouth.
Fellow: A doctor who has finished training in pediatrics (the branch of medicine that specializes in caring for children and young adults) but is learning to specialize in taking care of very sick babies.

Gastrostomy Tube: A tube inserted through the abdominal wall into the stomach, used to deliver nutrition, fluids, and medications when a baby cannot eat or drink adequately. Click here for more information.
Gestational Age: The age of a baby in weeks and days, starting from the first day of the mother’s last period.
Glucose: A form of sugar that gives the baby energy and calories.

Hematocrit (“Crit”): One form of measure of the amount of red blood cells in the blood. A different, but similar measure, is hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin: One form of measure of the amount of red blood cells in the blood. A different, but similar measure, is hematocrit
High Flow Nasal Cannula: A device that delivers a gentle flow of oxygen through small tubes in the baby’s nose to help with breathing.
Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE): Inflammation of the brain that may lead to damage caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the baby’s brain.

I.V.: A small tube placed into a vein to provide fluids, nutrients, or medicines directly into the bloodstream.
Incubator: A clear, enclosed bed that keeps a baby warm and protects them from noise.
Intralipid: A fat-rich nutrient given through the vein for babies who are still working on feeds. This offers energy and calories to a baby.
Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH): Bleeding in the brain’s ventricles, often affecting premature babies.
Isolette: Another word for incubator.

Jaundice: When a baby’s skin looks yellow because of too much bilirubin in the blood. This can be normal in the first few days of a baby’s life.
Jet Ventilator / High Frequency Jet Ventilation (HFJV): A special kind of ventilator that supports a baby’s ability to breathe. An jet ventilator can maintain a higher level of pressure to keep the baby’s lungs open, gives tiny puffs of air very quickly (over a hundred times per minute), and is considered a gentle form of ventilation. This is often use in extremely premature babies or babies with specific kinds of lung problems. Another form of this special kind of ventilator is the “oscillator.”

Kangaroo Care: Skin-to-skin contact where parents hold their baby on their chest to provide warmth and bonding.

Labs: Blood or other body fluid tests to check for infections, organ function, or other health issues.
Lactation Consultant: A person who helps parents with breastfeeding. They teach how to latch the baby, pump milk, and overcome challenges to make sure the baby gets the nutrition they need.

Mask and Prongs: Devices placed over the nose or in the nostrils to deliver oxygen or air pressure to help with breathing.
Meconium: A baby’s first few poops. This can be dark green to black in color and is very sticky.
Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS): Breathing problems caused when a baby inhales meconium (first poop) into their lungs.
Medications: Medicines given to treat infections, improve breathing, or address other health problems. For a list of common medications used in the NICU, click here.

N.G. Tube / Nasogastric tube: the tube is inserted into the nose and goes into the stomach to provide milk, nutrients, or medications.
Nasal Cannula: A smaller tube that provides oxygen through the baby’s nose for mild breathing support.
Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A serious gut problem in premature babies where parts of the intestine become inflamed or die.
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS): Withdrawal symptoms in newborns caused by exposure to certain drugs or medications during pregnancy.
Neonatologist: a doctor who takes care of sick or premature newborn babies. They have special training to help babies who are born too early, have health problems at birth, or need extra care to grow and get better. Neonatologists usually work in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), which is a hospital area designed for newborns who need special medical attention.
NICU: Stands for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a special hospital area designed to care for sick or premature newborn babies who need extra medical attention.
NNP (Neonatal Nurse Practitioner): A registered nurse with advanced education and training specifically in neonatal care, who works in the NICU to assess, treat, and manage the care of premature or critically ill newborns.
NPO: A short way to say “nothing by mouth.” This means that the baby gets food or medications through the veins rather than through the mouth.
Nurse: A person who takes care of babies every day by feeding them, checking their vital signs, and making sure they are safe and comfortable.
Nutritional Support: Providing essential nutrients to babies who cannot eat by mouth, using methods like an IV, umbilical catheter, or feeding tube.

O.G. Tube / Orogastric tube: the tube is inserted into the mouth and goes in to the stomach to provide milk, nutrients, or medications.
Oscillator / High Frequency Oscillator (HFOV): A special kind of ventilator that supports a baby’s ability to breathe. An oscillator can maintain a higher level of pressure to keep the baby’s lungs open, gives tiny puffs of air very quickly (over a hundred times per minute), and is considered a gentle form of ventilation. This is often use in extremely premature babies or babies with specific kinds of lung problems. Another form of this special kind of ventilator is the “jet ventilator.”
Occupational Therapist: A person who helps babies learn how to do things like eating or holding things by working on small movements and sensory skills.
Ophthalmologist: A special eye doctor.
Osteopenia of Prematurity: Weak or underdeveloped bones in premature babies due to insufficient minerals.

PA (Physician Assistant): A licensed medical professional with advanced education who works under a physician’s supervision to provide medical care, including diagnosing illnesses, developing treatment plans, performing procedures, and prescribing medications.
Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA): A heart condition where a blood vessel that should close after birth remains open.
Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN): High blood pressure in the lungs that makes it hard for the baby to get enough oxygen.
Pharmacist: A person who prepares the medicines that the baby needs and makes sure they are safe and given in the right amount.
Phototherapy: A special blue light that treats jaundice
Physical Therapist: A person who helps babies move their bodies and muscles better, especially if they are having trouble with strength or movement.
Pulse Oximeter (“Pulse Ox”): A small machine that can be wrapped around your baby’s hands, wrist, or feet that checks how much oxygen is in the baby’s blood.

Radiant Warmer: An open bed with a heat lamp above it to help keep the baby’s body temperature within a specific range. Resident: A doctor who is still learning and training in pediatrics (the branch of medicine that specializes in caring for children and young adults) under the guidance of experienced doctors in the hospital.
Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Breathing difficulty in premature babies due to underdeveloped lungs.
Respiratory Support: Help with breathing provided through machines like CPAP (a device that gently pushes air into the baby’s lungs) or ventilators (machines that do the breathing for the baby).
Respiratory Therapist: A person who helps babies with breathing problems by using special machines or giving breathing treatments.
Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP): Eye problems in premature babies caused by abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina. Babies who are born equal to or less than 31 weeks of life, or had a difficult course in the NICU are at risk for ROP.

Sepsis: A serious infection in a newborn baby that can spread through the blood and make the baby very sick.
Shared-Decision Making: When doctors, nurses, and families work together to make healthcare decisions. It means the medical team shares information about the baby’s condition and treatment options, and the family shares their values, preferences, and concerns. Together, they decide the best plan of care. It’s about teamwork and making choices that everyone agrees are right for the baby and the family.
Social Worker: A person who helps families deal with stress, find resources, and make sure they have support during their baby’s stay in the hospital.
Specialized Care: The specific treatments and support a baby receives in the NICU, tailored to their health needs.
Speech Therapist: A person who helps babies with feeding, swallowing, or learning to make sounds. They work on developing the baby’s oral muscles and communication skills, even if the baby isn’t talking yet.
Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation: A hole in the intestine of a newborn, often seen in premature babies.

Tachycardia: When the heart beats too fast. This is usually over 200 beats per minute for a baby.
Tachypnea: When a baby breaths too fast. This is usually over 60 breaths per minute.
Team Approach: A group of different healthcare professionals, like neonatologists, nurses, and social workers, working together to provide the best care for the baby.
Therapeutic Hypothermia: A treatment where a baby’d body is carefully cooled down for a period of time to protect the brain after a difficult birth.
Tracheostomy “Trach” Tube: A small tube placed in a baby’s neck to help them breathe when they can’t breathe well through their nose or mouth. Click here for more information.
Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn (TTN): Fast breathing in newborns caused by left over fluid in the lungs after birth.

U.A.C / Umbilical Artery Catheter : The tube that goes into the umbilical artery can detect blood pressure and can be used to draw blood for testing.
U.V.C. / Umbilical Venous Catheter: The tube that goes into the umbilical vein can be used to give fluids and medications to the baby.
Ultrasound: A scan that uses sound waves to create images of organs, such as the brain, lungs, or the belly. This scan does not use radiation.
Umbilical Catheter: A tube placed in the baby’s umbilical cord to give fluids, medicines, or draw blood for testing.

Ventilator: A machine that helps a baby breathe or breathes for them if they are unable to do so on their own.
Vital Signs: Basic health measurements that show how your body is working. For babies in the NICU, these include heart rate (how fast the heart is beating), breathing rate (how many times the baby breathes in a minute), oxygen levels (how much oxygen is in the baby’s blood), and temperature.

X-ray: A picture of the inside of the body, like the chest, to check the lungs or other organs. The amount of radiation used with modern x-rays is very small.