NICU Lingo

1. Apnea:  Interruption of breathing that lasts 15 seconds or more.
2. Atelectasis - the lack of gas exchange within alveoli, due to alveolar collapse or fluid consolidation. It may affect part or all of one lung. It is a condition where the alveoli are deflated, as distinct from pulmonary consolidation.
3. Bradycardia: Slow heart rate.
4. CC's - cubic centimeters (same as milliliters). 
5. CPAP: Air is delivered to a baby's lungs through either small tubes in the baby's nose or through a tube that has been inserted into his windpipe.  The tubes are attached to a mechanical ventilator, which helps the baby breathe, but does not breathe for him. 
6. DSAT - Desaturation - a decrease in the percentage of oxygen found in the circulating blood supply.
7. Gavage feeding: Feeding through a flexible tube placed through the nose or mouth to the stomach.
8. HMF:  Human Milk Fortifier - Powders added to breast milk to increase the amount of calories.
9. Incubator:  Babies are placed in this clear plastic box, which keep them warm and protects them from germs and noice.
10. Kangaroo care:  Holding a baby with skin-to-skin contact.
11. Nasal cannula:  Soft plastic tubes that fit into or under a baby's nose to deliver oxygen. 
12. NICU: Neonatal intensive care unit
13. PEEP: positive end-expiratory pressure. A method of ventilation in which airway pressure is maintained above atmospheric pressure at the end of exhalation by means of a mechanical impedance, usually a valve, within the circuit. The purpose of PEEP is to increase the volume of gas remaining in the lungs at the end of expiration in order to decrease the shunting of blood through the lungs and improve gas exchange. 
14. Pulse oximeter:  Small device that uses a light sensor to help determine blood oxygen levels
15. Retina:  Lining at the rear of the eye that relays messages to the brain.
16. ROP - eye disease that affects prematurely born babies. It is thought to be caused by disorganized growth of retinal blood vessels which may result in scarring and retinal detachment. ROP can be mild and may resolve spontaneously, but it may lead to blindness in serious cases. As such, all preterm babies are at risk for ROP, and very low birth weight is an additional risk factor. Both oxygen toxicity and relative hypoxia can contribute to the development of ROP.
17. Room air - Room air only contains 21% oxygen, and increasing the fraction of oxygen in the breathing gas increases the amount of oxygen in the blood. It is often only required to raise the fraction of oxygen delivered to 30–35% and this is done by use of a nasal cannula.

Source:  March of Dimes