The Hospital | Glossary of Terms
Parents are often overwhelmed by the medical terms and abbreviations of NICU.

Try reading your baby's chart after you print out these abbreviations - it helps to understand the lingo!

Medical Abbreviations Related to Prematurity

ACC Agenisis of Corpus Callosum
ASD Atrial Septal Defect - a hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart
ASD Autism/Autistic Spectrum Disorder
BF Breastfed or Breastfeed/ing
B/M Breast Milk
BM Bowel Movement
BP Blood Pressure
BPD Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia - damage to lungs that often occurs after long term (>28 days) ventilation
CP Cerebral Palsy - disorder of the nervous system characterized by abnormal muscle tone and movement
CPAP Continuous Positive Airways Pressure - low pressure maintained in lungs to help baby with breathing difficulties
CVI Cortical Vision Impairment
CVL Central Venous Line
DNR Do Not Resuscitate - a medical order not to resuscitate a terminally ill baby.
ECMO Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation - supports both heart and lung functions when other treatments are inadequate
ECG Electrocardiogram - records activity of the heart (also known as EKG)
EEG Electro Encephalagram - measures brainwaves for seizure activity
ELBW Extremely Low Birth Weight - under 800 g
FT Full Term (37+ weeks gestational age)
GA Gestational Age
G-Tube Gastrointestinal Tube - tube goes through the abdominal wall and directly into the intestines
GERD Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease
GMH Germinal Matrix Haemorrhage - the same as Grade I IVH
HELPP Haemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, Low Platelets
HMD Hyaline Membrane Disease, also known as RDS
HMF Human Milk Fortifier
IUGR Intrauterine Growth Retardation - result is SGA
IVH Intraventricular haemorrhage (brain bleed)
LBW Low Birth Weight - under 2500 gr (5lb 8 oz) at birth regardless of GA.
NEC Necrotising Enter Colitis - inflammatory bowel disease
NG-tube Nasal Gastric Tube - tube goes through the nose and down to the stomach
NICU Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
OT Occupational Therapy/ist
OG-Tube Oro Gastric Tube - feeding tube that goes through mouth and down to the stomach
PDA Patent Ductus Arteriosus - when the ductus artery fails to close after birth.
PDD Pervasive Developmental Disorder, also known as Autism/Autistic Spectrum Disorder
PIE Pulmonary Interstitial Emphysema
PT Physical Therapy/ist
PTL Pre-Term Labor
PROM Premature Rupture of membranes or Pre-labour Rupture of Membranes, when the membranes rupture prior to the onset of labour
PVL Periventricular leukomalacia, a condition where areas of the brain are affected by lack of oxygen and/or blood supply which causes damage to brain tissue
RAD Reactive Airway Disease
RDS Respiratory Distress Syndrome, respiratory difficulty due to immaturity of lung tissues and deficiency of surfactant in the air spaces
ROP Retinopathy of Prematurity, an eye disease found primarily in premature infants
RSV Respiratory Syncytial Virus - a virus causing infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract in preemies.
SCU Special Care Unit
SGA Small for Gestational Age
SID Sensory Integration Disorder
SIDS Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
ST Speech Therapy/ist
TPN Total Parenteral Nutrition - nourishment provided intravenously
TTTS Twin To Twin Transfusion Syndrome - occurs in identical twins, can result in the death of one twin
UAC Umbilical Arterial Catheter - tube inserted through artery in baby's navel, used to draw blood samples, provide nutrition, infuse blood and medications and monitor blood pressure (also known as UAL)
UAL Umbilical Arterial Line - tube inserted through artery in baby's navel, used to draw blood samples, provide nutrition, infuse blood and medications and monitor blood pressure (also known as UAC)
UVC Umbilical Venous Catheter, tube inserted through vein in baby's navel to give fluid and nutrients and to monitor blood pressure
VLBW Very Low Birth Weight - under 1500 g
VSD Ventricular Septal Defect - a hole in the wall between the two lower chambers of the heart

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