A Guiding Hand for Families in NICU and Special Care Nurseries - Digital - Book - Page 94
Glossary
C
Caffeine: A drug given to babies
that helps them remember to
breathe.
Candida: A fungal infection of the
mouth. Also known as thrush.
Carbon dioxide (CO2): Gaseous
bodily waste product transported
via the bloodstream and exhaled by
the lungs.
Cardio-respiratory monitor:
Measures a baby’s breathing
and heart rate. Disks with leads
attached are placed on the baby’s
chest to read babies respiratory
and heart rate.
arm, and threaded from there into
a larger vein in the body close to the
heart. The line delivers medicines
or nutritional solutions that would
irritate smaller veins.
Cerebral palsy (CP): A condition
in which a person’s muscles don’t
move in a coordinated way due to
permanent injury to the brain.
Chest tube: A tube that has been
inserted in the chest wall to section
away air and allow a collapsed lung
to re-expand.
Colostomy: An opening, created
through surgery to allow the colon
(lower part of the large intestine) to
empty its contents directly through
the wall of the abdomen.
Cardiologist: A specialist doctor
trained in the diagnosis and
treatment of heart and blood vessel
disease.
Colostrum: The first breast milk
produced after the birth of the
baby. It is thick, yellowish in colour
and high in protein and antibodies.
Cardiovascular surgeon: A
specialist doctor trained to perform
surgery to correct or treat defects
of the heart.
Computed tomography (CAT or CT
scan): Advanced form of imaging
that often can produce a more
precise image of tissue than with an
X-ray or ultrasound examination.
It focuses a beam of energy on the
tissue the doctor wants to see and
uses computers to create a full
picture (two-dimensional image).
The baby will need to be taken to
the radiology department and
possibly sedated (to prevent any
movement) for this test.
CAT (Computerized Axial
Tomography) scanner or CT
scanner: Computer-controlled
X-ray machine capable of capturing
cross-section images of body
tissues.
Catheter: A tube used to put fluid
into the baby’s body or to drain
excessive fluids from the body.
Central line: An intravenous line
inserted into a vein, usually in the
Corrected age: The term used to
describe the age your baby would
have been if born full term. For
Life’s Little Treasures Foundation | Supporting Families of Premature & Sick Babies
91
