The Noodad Preemie Dictionary

Posted on 01 10, 2008 under Predad by foodad | Comments

preemie_baby.jpgIf you have a preemie in the hospital or are in the middle of an at-risk pregnancy, you could be barraged with new terminology. Not only should you know what they mean, you should be respectful of the implications they carry with them. For all you veteran preemie Noodads, please add to this list so the newbies can be prepared. Remember, foodad is not a doctor just a noodad like you. As the dad of a preemie, I know this can be rough and you cannot really prepare for it. Here are some terms to help you get an idea of the challenges faced by parents with preemies

anti-partum ward

/an’ tee par’ tum ward/
This is a place that no noomom wants to wind up. It’s an area of the hospital where they are prescribed some level of rest before the baby comes. Women can end up in anti-partum for any number of reasons. Anti-partum is usually followed by delivery of the baby and can last for weeks depending on the situation. This would be favored over bed rest at home if the doctors felt that the baby or the mother would be in danger if not monitored.

APNEA

/Ap’ nee ah/
noun
A technical term for the suspension of breathing. Preemies can have varying degrees of Apnea. This is one of the reasons they are constantly on breathing monitors.

Betamethasone

/Bayta metha zone/
noun
Betamethasone is a corticosteroid used to stimulate fetal lung maturation, and to decrease the incidence and mortality from intracranial hemorrhage in premature infants. Huh? If you end up in anti-partum or are at risk of delivering a premature infant and still have more than 24 hours before it is likely to happen, doctors will recommend that you take this steroid for your baby’s lung development. This can greatly increase a baby’s chance of survival because it will help lungs and other organs grow at a faster rate, help them throw a 98 MPH fast ball and give them home run power.

Beta Complete

/Bay’ ta kum pleet’/
1. Received entire dose of betamethasone.
2. Initiated into Beta Theta Potata fraternity.

cpap.jpgCPAP

/see’ pap/
noun (acronym)
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. Preemies are often born with respiratory issues due to their lungs being underdeveloped. The CPAP machine opens the nasal passages at pressures high enough to overcome obstructions in the airway and stimulate normal breathing. If your kid is on a CPAP machine, the feeding tube is probably going down their throat instead of their nose.

feeder and grower

These babies have overcome all of their obstacles and are basically hanging out until they are strong enough to go home. They need to be able to consistently take their bottles, maintain a constant temperature and breathe effectively. We had to watch a CPR video before we could leave as well.

feeding tube

/you know how to pronounce this/
noun
The feeding tube is a rubber hose that allows a nurse to put food into the baby’s belly. Preemies for various reasons need feeding tubes. Eating takes a lot of energy and sometimes they do not have the juice to be able to drink or drink enough, so the feeding tube is used either to feed them or as a supplement. Babies hate them and they try to yank them out.

gavage

/ge vazh’/
verb
Gavage feeding is a way to feed babies who are not able to suck or swallow enough for good nutrition. A baby may have a problem with his heart, esophagus (feeding canal), or mouth-such as a cleft palate. They may also have problems with breathing or lungs. They may also just not have enough energy to finish their bottle. These may cause them to to not be able to suck and/or swallow well.
Gavage feeding is essentially a drip method from a bottle through a feeding tube into the belly. Usage: “Are we going to bottle her or gavage her? Let’s see how she does with the bottle and then if we need to, we’ll gavage her the rest.”

isolette1.jpgisolette

/i’ so let/
Another word for the incubator. This box helps regulate the baby’s temperature.

RSV – Respiratory Syncytial Virus

/?????/
noun
RSV is a nasty virus for any kid under 1 year old. As my doctor said the only thing worse than a preemie is an infected preemie. RSV is spread from respiratory secretions through close contact with infected persons or contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. Infection can occur when infectious material contacts mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth, or nose, and possibly through the inhalation of droplets generated by a sneeze or cough. In temperate climates, RSV infections usually occur during annual community outbreaks, often lasting 4 to 6 months, during the late fall, winter, or early spring months. The timing and severity of outbreaks in a community vary from year to year. RSV spreads efficiently among children during the annual outbreaks, and most children will have serologic evidence of RSV infection by 2 years of age. This is why you want to keep your preemie away from people until the RSV season is over. They have weaker immune systems and viruses hit them hard. Keep people out of your house who have cold, coughs, fevers or exposure to the aforementioned. For more on RSV, see the CDC’s website. Some of the text of this definition was pulled directly from there.

SP02

abbreviation
Spot Oxygen Saturation or Saturation of Peripheral Oxygen
SP02 is a measurement of the amount of oxygen attached to the hemoglobin cell in the circulatory system. In other words, it is the amount of oxygen being carried by the red blood cells. SpO2 Is given in as a percentage. The “S” stands for saturation. O2 is the former sponsor of London’s top football club, Arsenal–wait– here it is oxygen.

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