This is the line that is passed into a vein in the arm, leg or scalp, with the end of the line lying close to the heart. These lines are used to give the baby feeds directly into a vein when the starting of milk feeds has to be delayed.
Babies are considered to have low birth weight if they are less than 2500g, very low birth weight (VLBW) if they are less than 1500g and extremely low birthweight if they are less than 1000g.
If there is evidence of a severe infection, doctors may want to take a sample of the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord. This fluid flows down from the brain, so analysing it should show whether the infection is present in this vital part of the nervous system. A small needle is used, and a doctor will insert this between two bones low in the baby's back. While many important nerves run through the spine, they will not be damaged because these nerves are higher than the level where this needle is placed. A local anaesthetic is often used to reduce any discomfort for the baby.
