A Guiding Hand for Families in NICU and Special Care Nurseries - Digital - Book - Page 93
Glossary
Aspiration: Breathing of material
into the windpipe (trachea) or lungs
or the removal of material from
the windpipe, lungs or stomach by
suction.
B
Bagging: A ‘slang’ word to describe
the procedure of applying a mask
connected to a squeezable bag
over the baby’s mouth and nose to
achieve ventilation of the lungs.
Bilirubin: The name of the
breakdown product of red blood
cells. Excess amounts cause
jaundice, a yellowing of the skin.
Bilirubin is excreted in faeces.
Blood count: A test of a sample of
blood to tell the numbers of red and
white blood cells. Also known as a
cell count.
Blood gas test: A test performed on
a sample of arterial blood to be sure
that the amounts of oxygen and
carbon dioxide in the bloodstream
are normal.
Blood pressure (BP): The pressure
or force that the blood exerts
against the walls of the arteries
in the circulation. Described by
three numbers; systolic (the top
or high number), diastolic (the low
or bottom number), and mean
(average of systolic and diastolic).
to potential problems before they
become more serious.
Blood transfusion: Procedure
for replenishing or ‘topping up’
the baby’s blood with adult
donor blood.
Bonding: Establishing a close
relationship between a parent
and baby.
Bradycardia: An abnormally slow
heart rate measured by beats per
minute of fewer than 100 beats
per minute. The normal foetal heart
rate is 120-160. Neonates heart
rate average 140 beats per minute.
Breast pump: A device either hand
or electrically operated to extract
breast milk.
Bronchial tubes: The tubes that
lead from the windpipe (trachea) to
the lungs.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
(BPD): A lung disease that affects
newborn babies. In most cases,
BPD occurs in babies who are born
prematurely and have required
extra oxygen and/or ventilator,
up to and after 28 days of life to
treat their original lung problem.
In many cases, the symptoms
of BPD disappear quite rapidly.
Some babies with BPD may have
breathing difficulties for many
months or years.
Blood test: Blood tests provide
crucial information on how your
baby is doing. They alert doctors
Life’s Little Treasures Foundation | Supporting Families of Premature & Sick Babies
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