Whats all that gunk on my baby?

Most neonates are very small and loose water very easily. When they loose water their sodium (normal sodium is 135-145) is increased causing electrolyte imbalances. When their sodium is increased, indicating that they are dry we place a substance called aquaphor on them to keep the moisture in and maintain a normal sodium level. When the sodium is low, indicating it is diluted and the baby is holding on to water, the aquaphor is withheld. It is very important to monitor lab values periodically to ensure the infants sodium level is within the normal range.


Reference:
Merenstein, G.B., Gardner, S.L. (2006). Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.

What's with the plastic wrap?

One of the strange sites a parent may see when they come in to the NICU is their child's warmer covered in plastic wrap. This raises many an eyebrow and one can't help but ask, what's with the plastic wrap? The reason is because many of the babies are very small and loose heat very quickly, even though the warmer produces heat, when a person walks by the baby can feel the breeze and is cooled very quickly. By placing plastic wrap across the warmer it keeps the heat in and breezes out. This does not suffocate the baby in anyway. So, if you walk in to an NICU and wonder, what's with the plastic wrap? Now, you know!


Reference:
Merenstein, G.B., Gardner, S.L. (2006). Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.

Learning about the NICU

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can be a very rewarding and heart breaking place to work. The NICU is a place where the smallest of babies are brought to receive care. Some of the babies that are in there were born at 21 weeks gestation and weigh only 600 grams. These babies could fit in the palm of your hand. Even though they may be small, they are fighters. They have a desire to live like I have never seen. When you see baby that you on one day had to intubate and then on the next day is no longer intubated and in progressive care it is very rewarding to know that you helped that baby live. At other times you see babies come in that have many anomalies and know that they are not going and it breaks your heart to know that the only thing you can do is make them comfortable. The families really appreciate the attention and care we give to their baby even if it is postmortem care. In times of post mortem care we dress the babies in an outfit of the parents choice take pictures, cut a lock of hair, take their foot prints and let the parent hold the child for as long as they want. This gives them a sense of closure and lets them say their good-byes to the baby they only knew for a short time. We place the clothes, pictures, footprints, and hair in a memory box for the parents to keep.
Life in the NICU can also be very exciting. We go to all C-sections and high risk deliveries. It is very rewarding when a baby is born in distress and you are able to help him live. These babies give me so much joy when I see their will to live.

Reference:
Merenstein, G.B., Gardner, S.L. (2006). Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.