Neonatal Health Dictionary

The provision of a dedicated unit with special facilities, including one-to-one nursing and appropriate technology, for caring for premature and seriously ill newborn babies. Paediatricians and neonatologists are involved in the running of such units. Not every maternity unit can provide intensive care: for example, the provision of arti?cial ventilation, other than as a holding procedure until a baby can be transferred to a better-equipped and better-serviced unit. Such hospitals tend to have special-care baby units, which are capable of looking after the needs of most, but not all, premature or ill babies.... neonatal intensive care

Neonatal mortality is the mortality of infants under one month of age. In England and Wales this has fallen markedly in recent decades: from more than 28 per 1,000 live births in 1939 to 3.6 in 2002. This improvement can be attributed to various factors: better antenatal supervision of expectant mothers; care to ensure that expectant mothers receive adequate nourishing food; improvements in the management of the complications of pregnancy and of labour; and more skilled resuscitation at birth for those who need it.

Nearly three-quarters of neonatal deaths occur during the ?rst week of life. For this reason, increasing emphasis is being laid on this initial period of life. In Britain, in the last four decades of the 20th century, the number of deaths in the ?rst week of life fell dramatically from 13.2 to just over 2.7 per 1,000 live births. The chief causes of deaths in this period are extreme prematurity (less than 28 weeks’ gestation), birth asphyxia with oxygen lack to the brain, and congenital abnormalities. After the ?rst week the commonest cause is infection.... neonatal mortality

Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes in newborn babies, due to accumulation of bilirubin in the blood. It usually results from the liver being immature and unable to excrete bilirubin efficiently. This form of jaundice is usually harmless and disappears within a week. Rarely, severe or persistent neonatal jaundice is caused by haemolytic disease of the newborn, G6PD deficiency, hepatitis, hypothyroidism, biliary atresia, or infection.

Jaundiced babies usually require extra fluids and may be treated with phototherapy.

Exchange transfusion (see blood transfusion) may be needed in severe cases.

If severe neonatal jaundice is not treated promptly, kernicterus may occur.... jaundice, neonatal

A very common, harmless skin condition, also known as erythema neonatorum or toxic erythema, that affects newborn infants. A blotchy rash, in which raised white or yellow lumps are surrounded by illdefined red areas of inflammation, forms, mainly affecting the face, chest, arms, and thighs. The cause of neonatal urticaria is unknown. The rash usually clears up without treatment.... urticaria, neonatal

see perinatal mortality rate.... early neonatal death

death of a baby between 7 and 27 completed days of life.... late neonatal death

(NAS) symptoms and signs exhibited by a newborn baby (neonate) due to drug withdrawal (see dependence). This results when the fetus has been exposed to addictive drugs through maternal substance abuse or misuse. Symptoms tend to occur in the first few days of life (in the case of methadone, which is a long-acting opioid, symptom onset may be delayed). They include tremors and jerking, high-pitched crying, sneezing, sucking of fists, feeding difficulties, shortened periods of sleep between feeds, rapid breathing, sweating, loose stools, nasal stuffiness, and frequent yawning. Treatment includes swaddling or snugly wrapping in a blanket, as babies with NAS are often difficult to comfort. Other nonpharmacological measures include frequent small feeds using high-calorie formula and intravenous fluids if babies become dehydrated. Drug therapy may be used for seizures and withdrawal symptoms.... neonatal abstinence syndrome

an assessment tool for newborn babies, consisting of a chart in which a combination of *vital signs, neurological involvement, observation of blue skin and lips, and level of behavioural response indicate the appropriate level of concern. It is colour-coordinated from red to green to enable standardized escalation of concerns about the sick baby.... neonatal early warning score

see infant mortality rate.... neonatal mortality rate

*screening tests carried out on newborn babies to detect diseases that appear in the neonatal period, such as phenylketonuria (see Guthrie test). If these diseases are detected early enough, treatment may be instigated before any irreversible damage occurs to the baby.... neonatal screening

teeth that emerge through the gingiva (gums) during the first month of life.... neonatal teeth

see erythema.... neonatal urticaria