An abnormally high level of acid in the blood. This can be because the lungs are not working well, because of inadequate amounts of oxygen reaching parts of the body or a combination of both.
Too little haemoglobin in the blood (see 'Haemoglobin').
A simple way of assessing a baby's health immediately after birth, by scoring 'points' for heart rate, breathing, skin colour, tone and the baby's reactions.
A temporary pause in breathing.
When a baby stops breathing for a period of 20 seconds or longer. It is often seen in premature babies and is due to the immaturity of the part of the brain that controls breathing. Often the baby starts breathing on his/her own, but occasionally needs to be stimulated with a gentle shake. Caffeine is sometimes given to help stimulate the baby's breathing. Most babies will grow out of apnoea of prematurity by the time they are around 36 weeks.
When babies are on a ventilator, it doesn't matter if they take a pause in their breathing. Once the ventilator has been removed, any pauses are more of a problem. CPAP can help, but babies may also be fitted with a monitor that checks that they are breathing regularly. These set off an alarm if the baby pauses for too long between two breaths. 'Apnoeic attacks' are short spells in which breathing is interrupted. These episodes often occur repeatedly.
Too little oxygen and too much carbon dioxide in the blood of the foetus or baby. The most common time for asphyxia to occur is at birth.
This term is used in two different ways in the neonatal unit. Doctors and nurses may talk about 'checking the aspirate' before putting a milk feed down a nasogastric or orogastric tube. This means that a syringe is attached to the end of the feeding tube to obtain a small amount of the baby's stomach contents. It will be tested by using a pH paper or stick to ensure that the tube is in the stomach and it is safe for feeding. Another way in which you may hear the term 'aspirate' is when a substance other than air (eg. meconium) is inhaled into a baby's lungs before the baby has been fully delivered. This is called meconium aspiration, which can be a serious, although rare, condition (see 'Meconium' and 'Meconium aspiration' for further information).
There are two main ways of assessing a baby's hearing. Both involve placing earphones over the baby's ears to deliver a series of clicks. The baby's responses to the clicks are then analysed.
