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Anemia - having too few red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the body.
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Apnea - a pause in breathing for more than 15 to 20 seconds.
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Blood Sugar - an infant's blood sugar may be too high or too low. Low blood sugar is common soon after birth. High blood sugar is more common in babies who are getting most or all of their nutrition by vein (IV).
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Blood Transfusions - many babies admitted to the NICU require one or more blood transfusions, especially if they are very small or sick. We take every necessary precaution to avoid a blood transfusion, unless it's completely necessary and we make sure the transfused blood is safe to use.
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Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia - a form of chronic lung disease. It occurs in infants who have had severe Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), lung infections or were extremely premature at birth.
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Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21) - the most common chromosomal abnormality syndrome in humans.
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Gastro-esophageal Reflux - the backward flow of stomach contents into the esophagus.
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Group B Streptococcal Infections (GBS) - a type of bacterium that causes illness in newborn babies, pregnant women, the elderly and adults with other illnesses such as diabetes or liver disease. Mothers have no symptoms and don't know they have it.
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Hernias and Hydroceles - a loop of bowel from the abdomen that goes where it normally would not. Hernias typically are not present when the baby is born, but develop later.
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Infants Receiving Supplementary Feedings (Extra Feedings) - Babies that are breastfed may need supplementary or extra feedings in addition to the breastfeeding.
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Jaundice (Hyperbilirubinemia) - the color of his or her skin appears yellow. Jaundice in the infant appears first in the face and upper body and progresses downward toward the toes. Premature infants are more likely to develop jaundice than full-term babies.
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Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS) - An infant's first stool is called meconium and may be passed into the amniotic fluid during normal stresses of labor or fetal distress. If the baby has suffered a lack of oxygen and has begun to have gasping respiratory movements while in the womb, the meconium may be inhaled down into the lungs.
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Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) - an inflammation that may cause destruction of part of the bowel. NEC may involve only the innermost lining or the entire thickness of the bowel and variable amounts of the bowel.
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Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) - an opening between two main blood vessels of the heart that allows the blood to bypass the baby's lungs. At birth, the lungs open up and the ductus arteriosus begins to close off and the baby's oxygen comes from his or her own lungs. PDA occurs when it fails to close for any reason. Patent Ductus Arteriosus (in Spanish).
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Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension - a condition in which the newborn baby's circulation changes back to the way it was in the womb when the mother did the breathing for the baby.
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Pneumothorax - a lung disorder in which air in the lungs leaks out through holes in the lung tissue into spaces outside the lung airways.
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Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) - a breathing problem often seen in premature babies. Respiratory Distress Syndrome (in Spanish)
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Sepsis - a severe infection in the body and bloodstream.
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Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn - fast breathing that gradually gets better.
