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When your baby is admitted to the NICU, he or she will be placed on an open-bed warmer so that we can closely observe and perform necessary tests and procedures. While the baby is on the warmer, he or she will not wear any clothes. A sensor, which regulates the bed's warmer will be taped to your baby's abdomen.

Giraffe beds are designed specifically for premature infants. These special beds can change from an open-bed warmer to an incubator and back again with the press of a button.

Incubators are also used to provide a warm, constant temperature environment.

Your baby will be moved to an open crib when he or she weighs approximately four pounds, can independently maintain a normal temperature and is feeding well.

There are two ways in which a measured amount of warm moist oxygen can be delivered to your baby. A clear plastic hood (oxyhood) may be placed over the baby's head or nasal prongs (nasal cannula) may be placed in the nostrils. Depending on your baby's needs, he or she will receive different amounts of oxygen. Your baby's nurse will keep you informed of the amount and any changes. The percentage of oxygen in normal room air is 21 percent.

CPAP may be used if your baby needs more help breathing than an oxyhood can provide. During CPAP therapy, your baby is breathing independently, but positive airway pressure helps keep the lungs open. CPAP is delivered through nasal prongs.

If your baby has difficulty breathing or is not breathing independently, he or she may be placed on a ventilator. This is a machine that breathes for your baby when he or she is unable to do so without help. A small tube will be placed through your baby's mouth and into the windpipe to assist him or her in breathing.

Infant safety and security is a number one priority at Forsyth Medical Center. In addition to staff vigilance, we have an electronic monitoring system to assist with infant safety. This electronic system involves a soft elastic band that is placed on the infant's ankle when he or she is moved into a crib. This band has an electronic tag that monitors where the baby is at all times and triggers an alarm to sound if the infant is under unsafe conditions or in an unapproved location.

Several types of monitors are used in the NICU. A monitor is a machine, which constantly provides information about your baby's status, such as heart rate and blood pressure. Electrodes (patches) will be placed on your baby's skin and connected to the monitor. The monitor will alarm if your baby has a heart rate lower than normal (bradycardia) or an absence of breathing (apnea). Sometimes the monitors will alarm falsely when your baby moves. When an alarm sounds, the nurses are alerted that your baby may need immediate attention.

This is a small, plastic tube inserted into a blood vessel in the naval or umbilical cord to give fluids and withdraw blood for testing. This tube is called an umbilical artery catheter (UAC) or an umbilical venous catheter (UVC), depending upon where the catheter is placed. Either form of tubing is used primarily when your baby is receiving oxygen therapy.

This is a very small plastic tube, inserted by a specially trained neonatal nurse practitioner, registered nurse or physician. The tube is placed deep in a vessel to provide better nutrition for very small babies (less than 1,000 grams), babies who need IV fluids for a longer period of time or babies who have problems with the normal IVs.