NICU Apnea
Apnea refers to when and infant, or baby, stops breathing momentarily, causing irregular breathing patterns. In the NICU, when apnea occurs, that means the infant has not taken a breath for 20 seconds or longer. Apnea can happen in shorter spans of time if also accompanied by a bradycardia.
Infants in the NICU are always linked up to monitors, so an alarm will sound if the baby has an apnea spell. This will immediately notify the NICU staff.
Apnea usually is a symptom to a more serious underlying issue.  …

NICU Anemia
Anemia simply means a low red blood cell count.  A NICU infant may have anemia for several reasons, including blood loss and a deficiency of iron in the blood.
To diagnose anemia, the  neonatalogist or physician can order a blood test.  If anemia is confirmed, treatments can include adding an iron supplement to help bring up iron levels in the blood, as well as blood transfusions in more critical cases.
When the NICU is ready to send an infant home who has anemia, it is likely the baby will be sent …

NICU
Preterm Infants Under 23 Weeks
Premature infants born at less than 23 weeks gestational age are generally too young and too immature in terms of development to survive. Most doctors do not consider this age compatible with life, and will opt not to resuscitate the baby at birth.
If there is a chance a baby will be born before 23 weeks, it is important the parents talk to their obstetrician about the options they may have.

NICU
Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)
What is Ventricular Septal Defect?
Information courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [Source]
A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a heart condition that is present at birth and often is called a congenital defect. A VSD occurs when there is a hole (defect) in the wall (septum) that separates the two lower chambers of the heart, called ventricles. This hole between the heart chambers disrupts the flow of blood and oxygen to the body.
Treatment and Ongoing Symptoms
If the hole is small, usually no treatment is needed because …

NICU
Turner Syndrome
What is Turner Syndrome?
All information courtesy of National Human Genome Research Institute [Source]
Turner syndrome is a chromosomal condition that alters development in females. Women with this condition tend to be shorter than average and are usually unable to conceive a child (infertile) because of an absence of ovarian function. Other features of this condition that can vary among women who have Turner syndrome include: extra skin on the neck (webbed neck), puffiness or swelling (lymphedema) of the hands and feet, skeletal abnormalities, heart defects and kidney problems.
This condition occurs …

NICU
Trisomy 21 (Causes Down Syndrome)
What is Trisomy 21?
Information courtesy of Genetics Home Reference [Source]

Humans normally have 46 chromosomes in each cell, divided into 23 pairs. Two copies of chromosome 21, one copy inherited from each parent, form one of the pairs. Chromosome 21 is the smallest human chromosome, spanning about 47 million base pairs (the building blocks of DNA) and representing approximately 1.5 percent of the total DNA in cells.
In 2000, researchers working on the Human Genome Project announced that they had determined the sequence of base pairs that make …

NICU
Trisomy 18
What is Trisomy 18?
Information Courtesy of Genetics Home Reference [Source]

Trisomy 18, also called Edwards syndrome, is a chromosomal condition associated with severe intellectual disability and abnormalities in many parts of the body. Individuals with trisomy 18 often have a low birth weight; a small, abnormally shaped head; a small jaw and mouth; clenched fists with overlapping fingers; heart defects; and abnormalities of other organs. Due to the presence of several life-threatening medical problems, many infants with trisomy 18 die within their first month. Five percent to 10 percent of …

NICU
Tachypnea
What is Tachypnea?
Tachypnea is a condition where a newborn infant is breathing faster than normal at a continuous rate. This can be caused by additional fluid from birth remaining in the infant’s lungs. With treatment, tachypnea can resolve within 24 to 48 hours.
Treatment
Oxygen management is usually required, either by an oxygen hood, sometimes known as a ‘halo’, by nasal canula, a simple oxygen mask, or in more several cases, CPAP.
Tachypnea should last no longer than 72 hours with treatment.
See Also:
• Kid’s Health – Tachypnea
• Medline Plus – Tachypnea

NICU
Syphilis
What is Syphilis?
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease. It can be passed to a fetus from the mother by way of the placenta. When the infant is born, it poses a life threatening situation.
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: [Source]
The syphilis bacterium can infect the baby of a woman during her pregnancy. Depending on how long a pregnant woman has been infected, she may have a high risk of having a stillbirth (a baby born dead) or of giving birth to a baby who dies shortly after birth. …

NICU
Spina Bifida
What is Spina Bifida?
All information courtesy of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [Source]
Spina bifida (SB) is a neural tube defect (a disorder involving incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord, and/or their protective coverings) caused by the failure of the fetus’s spine to close properly during the first month of pregnancy. Infants born with SB sometimes have an open lesion on their spine where significant damage to the nerves and spinal cord has occurred. Although the spinal opening can be surgically repaired shortly after birth, the …