A Guiding Hand for Families in NICU and Special Care Nurseries - Digital - Book - Page 99
Glossary
to the baby’s nervous system. OTs
focus on feeding and swallowing
issues, range of motion in the
arms and legs and developmental
positioning.
Neonatal nurse practitioner: A
registered nurse who has advanced
education (usually a master’s degree)
and specialised training in working
with premature and sick newborns.
Working under the direction of the
neonatologist, they can perform
many procedures and help direct
your baby’s care.
Open incubator: An incubator that
is an open bed with an overhead
warmer (heater) to keep the baby’s
body temperature constant.
Open Incubator
Neonatal nurse: Neonatal nurses
care for sick and premature babies.
They have advanced training to
enable them to work under the
supervision of the neonatologist.
Neonatologist: A specialist doctor
trained in the care of sick and
premature newborns.
Newborn screening test: Also called
a PKU or NBS test. This is performed
by pricking a baby’s heel to obtain a
few drops of blood on filter paper. It
tests babies for serious hereditary
disorders. Most states screen for
more than 20 conditions. New
technologies have made it possible to
test for many disorders at one time.
NICU: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
A NICU is a hospital ward where
premature babies who require
complex care are taken care of, along
with other critically ill or medically
unstable newborns.
O
Occupational therapist (OT):
A health professional who helps
evaluate a baby’s neurosensory
development. ‘Neurosensory’ refers
Oxygen: A gas that makes up about
20% of the air we breathe. Some
babies who have breathing difficulties
may need more oxygen than that
supplied in the air. It is measured in
percentages and in litres per minute.
Oxygen saturation: The level of
oxygen in the baby’s blood. This
is measured by a device normally
attached to a baby’s hand or foot.
P
Paediatric resident: A doctor who
is receiving training in the medical
specialty of paediatrics.
Paediatrician: A specialist doctor
training in the care of infants
and children.
Life’s Little Treasures Foundation | Supporting Families of Premature & Sick Babies
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